| Tuesday, March 10, 2026 |
| Ask The Dispatch: What's with all the un-mown grass in Starkville? The bees | |
 | Starkville residents may notice taller grass and more wildflowers than usual around the city this month as officials launch the city's first No Mow March initiative. The initiative, which has gained popularity in cities across the southeast, encourages delaying early-season mowing so flowering plants can provide food for bees and other pollinators. But what exactly is No Mow March, why is Starkville participating and how can residents take part? As the name suggests, the city's participation in No Mow March means crews will refrain from mowing city rights-of-way, medians and municipal lots throughout the month. The goal is to allow early-season pollinator habitats to flourish, giving bees and other insects access to food sources that can be scarce in early spring. Chris Smiley, director of Starkville's sanitation department, said the idea grew out of conversations with Mississippi State University professors and seeing other municipalities across the southeast experiment with similar programs. Jeff Harris, a beekeeping specialist with MSU Extension, said early spring can be one of the most difficult times of year for bees and other pollinators. Allowing wildflowers, clovers and other plants to bloom during March provides critical food sources for pollinating insects at a time when many species are struggling to survive post-winter. |
| Spring cleaning: How to get rid of all of your extra stuff, explained | |
 | It often feels like people fall into one of two categories: those who throw things away easily, and those who hold onto everything. For those of us who fall into the latter category, tasks like spring cleaning and downsizing can be a challenge, especially when you take into account the amount of stuff we as Americans tend to accumulate. In fact, 71 percent of Americans say they buy things they already have because they can't find the original in all of their clutter. And as baby boomers age, they and their children are trying to get a handle on all the things that have accumulated between them. So what's the difference between someone who might have a few too many things and someone who could be considered having a hoarding problem? Mary Dozier is a clinical psychologist and professor at Mississippi State University. She studies hoarding disorder and specializes in intervention to help older adults with hoarding problems, and she says that at the end of the day, it's subjective. "The level of clutter that one person finds to be completely functional, another person might find that they can't use their home the way they want to anymore," she told Vox. "That's how I always think about it: is the level of clutter keeping you from using the home how you would like to use it?" How can we learn to get rid of the clutter in our lives? And when should we hold onto things? Dozier answers these questions and more on the latest episode of Explain It to Me, Vox's weekly call-in podcast. |
| MSU creative writing faculty member earns national recognition from PEN America | |
 | Samyak Shertok, a Mississippi State assistant professor of English, is a finalist for the 2026 PEN Open Book Award for his debut poetry collection "No Rhododendron," published in 2025 by the University of Pittsburgh Press. The award from PEN America honors an exceptional book-length work by an author of color. It includes a $10,000 prize and an artist residency. The winner will be announced next month. "No Rhododendron," which also won the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry, is a collection that explores exile, the Nepalese Maoist conflict and the fading Tamang language. Through his poetry, Shertok reflects on loss, the impact of civil war in Nepal and what it means to cling to language and identity. "For a boy who was born in a Himalayan village and did not start learning English properly until grade four, this recognition feels like a dream," Shertok said. Lara Dodds, professor and head of MSU's Department of English, said she and her colleagues are fortunate to have welcomed Shertok to the university last year. |
| Heavier cattle carcass weights are helping offset the decline in U.S. cattle slaughter | |
| An ag economist says heavier carcass weights are helping offset the decline in cattle slaughter. Josh Maples is with Mississippi State University Extension. "Cattle weights are down a little over 7 percent, and beef production is only down 5.5 percent," he says. "A big chunk of that is just driven by how much heavier these cattle are whenever we're processing them." He tells Brownfield weights have really made a difference. "If you assume just an average dressing percentage of about 62.5 percent, the 983 pound dressed weights for steer dressed weights, that would be a 1,575-pound steer," he says. "Now that may not sound outrageous, but remember this is the average not an outlier." Maples says feed costs are supportive to feeding cattle longer. "It's paying off," he says. "We're clearly seeing that happen, where feedlots are willing to keep cattle around a little bit longer to add weight." He says cattle weights typically decline seasonally, but so far, the expectation for lighter weights has not materialized. |
| Mississippi Made exhibit opens at Two Mississippi Museums | |
| A new free exhibit at the Two Mississippi Museums highlights the people and inventions from Mississippi that have made an impact across the nation. The "Mississippi Made" exhibit features 250 artifacts tied to the state, in honor of America's 250th anniversary. Items on display include Olympic medals, Elvis Presley's bathrobe, B.B. King's suit, original artwork, an original Muppet, and so much more. Other artifacts include Mary Ann Mobley's Miss America dress and sash she wore to crown the next Miss America and a library of books by Mississippi writers. It also features works by artists like Walter Anderson, and products such as Barq's root beer and Pine-Sol that originated in the state. "We have the cleats used that were worn by a Mississippi State player when they won the College World Series. We have original lab samples from the creation of Nystatin," said Jessica Walzer, curator of collections and exhibits. Ivette Ray, director of curatorial services, said the exhibit is intended to reflect all the good that has come out of Mississippi. "This is a chance for people to see how much Mississippians have done in not only the arts and entertainment but innovation, science, health, technology," Ray said. |
| Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory is closing. How to get one last box | |
 | A Mississippi icon is closing its doors. The Yerger family announced that they are retiring, and the Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory will close. Mary Margaret "Bunkie" Yerger founded the company using her mother's cheese straw recipe. The aged cheddar snacks have become popular gifts and have graced holiday tables across the country for decades. The Yazoo City business started in November 1991, using her recipes. Today, it has added several flavors, and they ship worldwide. "Packaging and selling her cheese straws was our mother's 'retirement' project, and she approached me and my brother to help her make it a reality. We had no grand business plan, just an idea and the willingness to try, and in our case, the energy and exuberance of youth to see if the idea would 'work.' The rest is history, as they say," the Yerger family wrote in their announcement. Mary Yerger retired again a few years after starting the company, and her sons, Hunter and Rob Yerger, have kept the business and her traditions going strong. She died in 2024 at age 96. "We are proud of the company, and the happiness we've brought to the people that have enjoyed our products for decades, and this legacy is important to us. For this reason, we decided against selling the business, preferring to come full circle and let this long journey end on a prosperous note, and become a happy memory," the Yergers wrote. |
| War in the Middle East is pushing up agricultural commodities' prices | |
| Oil is hardly the only commodity that saw a price jump as the war in the Middle East enters its second week. The palm oil that makes your peanut butter smooth hit its highest price in more than a year. Wheat is at its highest in almost two years. Soybeans and corn are up too. Even though we don't get those crops from the Middle East, the war is behind all of those price increases. There are two factors pushing commodity prices up. One is the price of oil. "When you have crude oil jumping ... biofuels become much more attractive," said David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University. He said palm oil gets used for a lot of biodiesel. So when palm oil gets more expensive? "Then you have demand for vegetable oils increasing, and that leads to rising prices," he said. The other factor is fertilizer. "The Middle East is a major production hub, as well as a distribution hub for those fertilizers," said Michael Deliberto, a professor of agricultural economics at Louisiana State University. Roughly a third of the global fertilizer trade goes through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely blocked. |
| AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Mississippi's state primaries | |
 | Mississippi voters will choose nominees for Congress in a state primary Tuesday. The state's junior Republican U.S. senator and the entire U.S. House delegation are up for reelection, and all but one have drawn multiple challengers from one or both major political parties hoping to replace them. Republicans hold slim majorities on Capitol Hill, but control of either chamber in November likely won't come down to Mississippi, where no federal office has changed party hands since 2010. At the top of the ballot, Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith faces a primary challenge in her bid for a second full term from physician and novelist Sarah Adlakha. The Democratic primary field includes Scott Colom, a state district attorney covering Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties. President Joe Biden nominated Colom to the federal bench in 2023, but Hyde-Smith blocked his confirmation. Hyde-Smith received about 54% of the vote in her two previous Senate general elections, both against former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy. She did not face a primary challenge in 2020. Mississippi has had relatively little turnover in its two U.S. Senate seats. Since 1989, the state has had only four U.S. senators, all of them Republicans. |
| Mississippi's midterm Primary Elections are here. What to expect Tuesday | |
| Polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, March 10 across Mississippi as voters choose their nominees in the Republican and Democratic Midterm Primary Elections for U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. At the top of ballot will be the race for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Cindy Hyde-Smith (R). She is being challenged in the Republican Primary by newcomer Sarah Adlakha. On the Democratic side, District Attorney Scott Colom tops the ticket as he along with Albert Littell and Priscilla Till, cousin of Emmett Till, vie to be the Democrats' nominee for U.S. Senate. Fourth District Congressman Mike Ezell (R) is the only incumbent Republican Congressman of the three in Mississippi with a Primary Election challenge. Ezell will face Sawyer Walters, a former staffer for Congressman Steven Palazzo, who Ezell unseated in 2022. With incumbent 1st District Congressmen Trent Kelly (R) and 3rd District Congressman Michael Guest (R) running unopposed in the Republican Primary, as is Michael Chiaradio in the 3rd District's Democratic Primary, voter turnout in these districts could be key for those vying for the U.S. Senate at the top of the ticket, particularly on the Republican side. |
| Education advocates push for return of civics classes in Mississippi schools | |
| Education advocates push for return of civics classes in Mississippi schools. For most Mississippians who are millennials or older, high school classes included civics. It's a course no longer required, but one some education advocates say needs to return in this political climate. "We really need to know how the system operates," Michael Harris, executive director of ICARE Citizenship, said. Civics advocates, like his organization, say school systems in the state and across the country are not equipping students with extended courses on how the three branches of government and the Constitution work. Civics and government are no longer semester-long classes. According to educators, it is their responsibility to secure resources to teach civics. "We are a very complex system in terms of government in the United States, but we are not training our citizens on how to operate it," Harris said. "So a lot of what we do is based on opinion and emotion, not based on the facts of how our system was designed to operate." Rep. Bo Brown introduced legislation seven times. This session, Sen. Brice Wiggins introduced Senate Bill 2292 to require civics instruction beginning in eighth grade and continuing through 12th grade. ICARE Citizenship asked lawmakers to support legislation to enhance civics, citizenship and Constitution education after speaking with teachers in the state. |
| State-run health marketplace may be 'too little, too late,' insurance commissioner says | |
| Mississippi is no closer to creating a state-run health insurance marketplace than it was two years ago, when lawmakers first granted the insurance commissioner the authority to do so, according to a state official. The Mississippi Senate on March 3 rejected a House proposal to require the commissioner to create a state-run health insurance marketplace by revising the law's wording from "may" to "shall." This slight wording adjustment would have shifted the commissioner's option into a mandate. J. Walter Michel, a Republican from Ridgeland and chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, said he chose not to bring the bill up for consideration -- effectively killing the legislation -- because Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney does not support it. Chaney has repeatedly said he does not plan to create a state exchange to offer health insurance to Mississippians unless Gov. Tate Reeves signs off on it. Chaney told Mississippi Today he still lacks the governor's approval to move forward with establishing the exchange, adding that the bill does little to develop a state-based marketplace. "It's much to do about nothing," Chaney said. "We already had the authority." |
| Lawmakers consider creation of Energy Infrastructure Fund | |
| Mississippi lawmakers are debating whether to invest millions into energy infrastructure for economic development across the state. The bill, HR 1393 which was drafted at the request of the Mississippi Development Authority and Governor Tate Reeves' Office, would establish a fund to provide grants, loans, and other financial assistance to promote and develop energy projects in Mississippi. The Senate Appropriations Committee, which passed an amended version of the Mississippi Energy Infrastructure Fund last week, questioned the need for the measure. "We had a version of this [bill] in our Senate Appropriations for consideration. I intentionally did not take it up, because I felt like we put money into the site development fund grant fund," said Chairman State Senator Briggs Hopson (R), noting the Legislature puts $18 million into the site development grant fund. The chairman went on to tell the committee that MDA and Governor Reeves would "like to keep this [bill] alive, keep it available." MDA executive director Bill Cork told Magnolia Tribune that the fund "would help build infrastructure for approved energy projects, which will improve long-term energy readiness at key industrial sites." |
| Elon Musk's xAI wants to build a power plant in Mississippi. Regulators plan a key meeting on Election Day | |
| With Elon Musk's xAI planning to build a massive, natural-gas burning power plant in Southaven, Mississippi, the state's environmental authority has scheduled a board meeting for Tuesday -- Election Day for the 2026 primaries -- to decide whether to grant the company key permits. The NAACP and other civil rights and environmental advocates tried to get the meeting delayed, arguing that it was being rushed and would conflict with some residents' efforts to vote. The groups also said that by holding the meeting in Jackson, nearly 200 miles away from Southaven, those directly affected by the plant are impeded from attending. The MDEQ denied the request on Monday, writing in a response to the NAACP that its permit board "regularly meets on the second Tuesday of each month, which has been the standard practice for decades," and that the regulator, "considers matters on a statewide basis." A copy of the letter was shared with CNBC. At a public hearing on Feb. 17 in Southaven, about 200 residents turned out to implore state and local officials to deny xAI authorization to rapidly build out data and power infrastructure without greater transparency, community engagement and effective efforts to prevent noise and air pollution. Physicians, parents, teachers and local officials spoke out at the hearing. |
| Bennie Thompson takes on Evan Turnage in generational clash in Mississippi Democratic primary | |
| Mississippi Democrats on Tuesday will decide between longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson and his 34-year-old primary challenger in a race that reflects generational struggle for control of the party. Thompson, a 78-year-old civil rights leader who chaired the House Jan. 6 Committee and serves as a ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, has held his seat for more than three decades. He is running against Evan Turnage, an antitrust lawyer who previously worked for top Democrats in Washington, and Pertis Herman Williams III, who has called for a new era of leadership. Turnage is part of a wave of young Democrats who are hoping to oust older incumbents and usher in a new era. He has staked his candidacy on a message of economic populism and cast himself as a leader capable of understanding and regulating Big Tech and artificial intelligence. Turnage faces an uphill battle against Thompson, who has more than $1.5 million in his bank account. Since mid-December, Turnage's campaign has raised just over $200,000 and has a little under $40,000 left to spend. Marvin King, an associate professor of political science at the University of Mississippi, said Thompson's 17 terms in Congress have made him an institution in a state where voters tend to reelect incumbents. "He's basically been there like half of people's lives on average," King said. "No other challenger has effectively shown why Bennie Thompson should be dethroned." |
| Elections in Mississippi and Georgia Will Provide Clues to Both Parties' Future | |
 | Voters will weigh in on Tuesday in two elections in the South that could offer clues to both political parties about the sentiments driving this year's midterm cycle: how strongly Democrats are seeking generational change, and how willing Republicans are to heed President Trump's endorsement. Mississippi and Georgia will hold contests less consequential than those that took place this month in Texas and North Carolina, and many of the races on Tuesday are not expected to be particularly competitive. For instance, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi is expected to easily fend off her primary challenge from Sarah Adlakha, a businesswoman, in her safely Republican seat. But two races stand out: the special election to fill the vacant seat of former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene in rural northwest Georgia, and the re-election bid of Representative Bennie Thompson, 78, who is fighting to fend off a younger Democrat who is trying to make an issue of Thompson's age. Mr. Thompson, who became a cable-news fixture as a co-chair of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, is fighting to fend off Evan Turnage, 34, an antitrust lawyer who has criticized Mr. Thompson's effectiveness and has drawn contrasts between himself and his rival based on age. Among other jabs, Turnage likes to say that he was a year old when Mr. Thompson was first elected in 1993. |
| GOP leaders, Trump see tensions flare over Senate filibuster | |
 | Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is standing his ground against President Trump's campaign to pressure Republicans to radically reinterpret the filibuster rule to pass sweeping voting reform, a contest of wills that could paralyze the chamber for the rest of the year. Thune on Monday dismissed the prospect of forcing Senate Democrats to use a talking filibuster to oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act -- something that Thune warned would cause chaos on the floor. "Having studied it, researched it pretty thoroughly, you have to show me how in the end it prevails and succeeds. Because I think what has been promised out there is that it would actually get an outcome and I find it very hard to see that based on actually past experience," Thune told reporters. "There were a couple of different occasions where the Democrats contemplated doing this both under Majority Leader Harry Reid and Majority Leader Schumer, and they opted against it," he added. Thune warned that requiring Democrats to hold the floor continuously to block the House-passed voting reform measure would force Republicans to vote on repeated amendments, giving Democrats chances to force vulnerable Republicans such as Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) to take tough votes ahead of the November election. |
| SAVE America Act is 'No. 1 priority,' Trump tells Republicans | |
 | President Donald Trump told House Republicans Monday to pass a major partisan elections bill a third time with new provisions, saying it should be the GOP's "No. 1 priority" ahead of the midterm elections. "It will guarantee the midterms," Trump told lawmakers gathered at his golf resort. "If you don't get it, big trouble, my opinion." The president spent 13 minutes at the close of a nearly hourlong address making crystal-clear he expects Speaker Mike Johnson and other top leaders to meet his demands. The House has already two passed versions of what is now called the "SAVE America Act" that would institute tough new citizenship and photo ID requirements for voting. But Trump asked the gathered lawmakers to add in provisions curbing mail voting and targeting transgender rights -- even it means abandoning the remainder of their legislative agenda before the November elections. "Let's go for the gold," he said. "It's actually a matter in a serious way of national survival. We can't have these elections going on like this anymore." The already passed version of the SAVE America Act is awaiting a Senate vote. Majority Leader John Thune has committed to calling it up, but it is certain to be blocked by Democrats under the chamber's 60-vote filibuster threshold. |
| Trump Advisers Urge Him to Find Iran Exit Ramp, Fearing Political Backlash | |
 | President Trump said he was eyeing a quick end to the war in Iran, as some of his advisers privately urged him to look for an exit plan amid spiking oil prices and concerns that a lengthy conflict could spark political backlash. Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, Trump characterized the military mission as mostly having achieved its goals. "We're way ahead of schedule," he said, adding he thought it would be over "very soon." He didn't provide a clear timeline for ending the Iran operation. When asked about helping the Iranian people who have risen up against the regime, Trump sounded ready for a quick conclusion rather than to continue to push for leadership change. Some Trump administration officials said as long as Tehran continued to attack regional countries and Israel still wanted to strike Iranian targets, it was unlikely the U.S. could easily withdraw from the war. Trump, in his Monday remarks, said he was prepared to continue targeting Iran if the country continued blocking the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. After saying on Monday that the war might be over soon, the president added: "We could go further, and we're going to go further." Trump has hinted in public, and told aides in private, that he would back the killing of the younger Khamenei if he proves unwilling to cede to U.S. demands, current and former U.S. officials said. His comments came as oil prices surged -- then fell -- adding to already existing concern among Trump's allies over the economic costs and political fallout of the war. |
| Iran's threats on U.S. soil: sleeper cells, lone wolves, cyberattacks and eerie numbers code | |
 | With U.S. and Israeli forces continuing offensive strikes on Iran, federal counterterrorism authorities are warning that the desperate theocracy could launch retaliatory strikes on American soil using sleeper cells, affiliated Iranian terrorist groups, lone wolf sympathizers or targeted cyberattacks. Within days of the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28, cryptic messages were broadcast globally on a new shortwave radio frequency. The monotone transmission recalled the manner in which deep-cover Cold War spies for the KGB and CIA once received orders. Using a special encryption code, the operatives could translate the numerals into a readable message. Although counterterrorism investigators have so far found no credible specific threat, a memo to police agencies, first reported by ABC News, calls for local law enforcement to be on heightened watch. "Sleeper cells have always been a concern when it comes to Iranians and their proxies," said Horace Frank, former head of counterterrorism for the Los Angeles police and a retired assistant chief. "This isn't new, but given the situation, some of their proxies are feeling a lot more desperate." |
| Anthropic sues the Trump administration over 'supply chain risk' label | |
 | Anthropic filed two federal lawsuits on Monday against the Trump administration alleging that Pentagon officials illegally retaliated against the company for its position on artificial intelligence safety. Defense Department officials last week designated Anthropic a supply chain risk, citing national security concerns. It followed CEO Dario Amodei's announcement that he would not allow the company's Claude's AI model to be used for autonomous weapons, or to surveil on American citizens. The lawsuit says the administration's decision to place the firm on what is effectively a blacklist that blocks Pentagon suppliers from using Claude is an attempt to punish the company over its AI guardrails. "The federal government retaliated against a leading frontier AI developer for adhering to its protected viewpoint on a subject of great public significance -- AI safety and the limitations of its own AI model -- in violation of the Constitution and laws of the United States," the lawsuit states, adding that Trump officials "are seeking to destroy the economic value created by one of the world's fastest-growing private companies." |
| Sharing a stage, Justices Jackson and Kavanaugh spar over Supreme Court orders favoring Trump | |
| Sharing a stage, Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Brett Kavanaugh sparred Monday over the many emergency orders the court has issued allowing President Donald Trump to move ahead with key parts of his agenda. The setting was extraordinary, a federal courtroom filled with legal luminaries, including the federal judge singled out by Trump after blocking part of the president's immigration crackdown. Kavanaugh, 61, and Jackson, 55, sat a few feet apart in a courtroom in which they both heard cases when they served on the federal appeals court in Washington. They were separated only by a federal judge who asked questions of them both. The occasion was an annual lecture in memory of a former federal judge and prosecutor, Thomas A. Flannery. Trump appointed Kavanaugh to the high court in 2018. Jackson moved up from the appeals court in 2022, appointed by President Joe Biden. Many of the judges in attendance have been involved in high-profile challenges to administration policies, including U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. His clash with the administration over deportation flights to a notorious prison in El Salvador prompted Trump to call for Boasberg's impeachment. |
| Alexander Butterfield, Who Revealed Nixon Tapes in Watergate Scandal, Dies at 99 | |
| Alexander P. Butterfield, who disclosed to the U.S. Senate and to a stunned nation the existence of Richard M. Nixon's White House taping system, blowing the cover on the Watergate conspiracy and sealing the fate of the only American president to resign from office, died on Monday at home in the La Jolla section of San Diego. He was 99. His wife, Kim Butterfield, confirmed the death. On July 16, 1973, Mr. Butterfield, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration and a former White House aide, appeared before the Senate Watergate Committee. The panel had already heard allegations of criminality against the president, but there had been no hard evidence, no "smoking gun." Mr. Butterfield had been in charge of White House security but had not been a member of Nixon's inner circle and did not appear to be a major witness. But under questioning by Fred D. Thompson, a Tennessee Republican who was chief minority counsel to the Watergate committee, Mr. Butterfield dropped a bombshell. To a national audience that had watched Mr. Butterfield's testimony on television, the disclosures struck like a thunderclap. But to a handful of Washington officials who were familiar with a back story, the questions put to Mr. Butterfield in the public hearing were obviously too pointed to be spontaneous guesses. In fact, Mr. Butterfield had made virtually all of his crucial disclosures in a closed-session background interview with Watergate Committee staff members three days earlier. |
| Spring break travel may be chaos. Here's how to prepare | |
 | Travelers kicked off spring break this weekend facing "monstrous" security lines at some airports due to the partial government shutdown. Gas prices and airfare are increasing as the cost of oil spikes more than a week into war with Iran. Thousands of flights to and from the Middle East have been canceled. "Travelers just can't catch a break," said Kyle Potter, executive editor of the travel site Thrifty Traveler. "Everything that can go wrong will go wrong right now." Recent disruptions followed violence in the Mexican beach town Puerto Vallarta last month after the killing of a drug cartel leader and restrictions on flying in the Caribbean after the U.S. struck Venezuela in January. U.S. airlines expect 171 million passengers to fly over the spring break period that ends April 30, according to projections by trade group Airlines for America. That's a 4 percent increase from last year. As Transportation Security Administration officers prepare for a missed paycheck this weekend, fears are mounting that staffing issues could persist. "I'm concerned that it could be highly disruptive to spring break travel," said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group. |
| Officials urge travelers to arrive early at Jackson airport | |
| With spring break travel kicking off amid a partial government shutdown, Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport is urging travelers to plan ahead and avoid last-minute rushes to catch their flights. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), experienced a partial shutdown on Feb. 13 when funding lapsed after Congress failed to reach a deal on immigration enforcement reforms. TSA workers are reportedly working without pay. According to various media reports, travelers at multiple U.S. airports are facing delays. LSherie Dean, the director of communications, marketing and public relations for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (JAN), stated on March 9 that "operations remain steady at JAN." Dean said travelers are encouraged to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their scheduled departure, which is in line with national travel advisories, to allow adequate time for check-in and security screening. "Airlines are reporting strong demand, with Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines all anticipating high passenger volumes and many flights operating near capacity," Dean said. |
| UMMC Cancer Center campaign tops 70% after Bower Foundation's largest-ever gift | |
 | The Bower Foundation has made the largest single gift in its history, a transformative $10 million investment in It's About Time: The Campaign for the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute. The $125 million philanthropic campaign to build a new five-story home for the Cancer Center and Research Institute -- designed to bring advanced, collaborative cancer care together with greater convenience and comfort for patients -- has surpassed 70% of its goal. The Bower Foundation has given more than $20 million to UMMC over the past two and a half decades. Under Travis' leadership, the Bower Foundation's philanthropy, ranging from a grant to the UMMC School of Nursing to funding for the John D. Bower School of Population Health and its Bower Center for Culinary Medicine, has expanded to improve Mississippians' health by addressing accessibility and supporting health care workers and education in the health sciences. Dr. Rod Rocconi, Ergon Chair for Cancer Research and CCRI director, said the impact of this gift will improve cancer outcomes in the state. |
| Ole Miss senior sells $250K worth of apparel | |
| Avery Greene is a senior studying Integrated Marketing Communications at the University of Mississippi. In the spring of her sophomore year, she became one of the first Campus Managers at Ole Miss for Fresh Prints, a custom apparel and merchandise company. Since getting started, Greene has generated more than $250,000 in total revenue, with back-to-back six-figure months during the height of sorority recruitment season in 2025. And while most Fresh Prints Campus Managers handle sororities, fraternities, and student organizations, Greene's first clients weren't any of them. They were Hooper Hollow and The Arbors apartment complexes, where she created branded T-shirts for their employee teams. She sourced the lead herself by building relationships in person and connecting with the women at the front desk. At the time, she leaned heavily on guidance from her Business Development Manager, Wiro Wink, who coached her on strong communication skills, efficiency, and attention to detail. "One challenge was establishing credibility as a new Campus Manager," Greene said. "So I really had to focus on relationship building, clear communication, and follow-through." |
| Funeral service announced for Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony | |
 | Funeral arrangements have been announced for Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony. Anthony's Celebration of Life service will be held at Rose E. McCoy Auditorium on the Jackson State campus on March 14, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Interment will take place at the Natchez Trace Memorial Park Cemetery. Flowers are welcomed by the family, as well as donations to the Dr. Elayne Hayes-Anthony Scholarship Fund in lieu of flowers. The Jackson State University (JSU) professor and former interim president died on March 5, 2026. The Jackson native was the first African-American female news anchor on WJTV 12 News. Throughout her career, Hayes-Anthony held numerous leadership roles in higher education and public service. She served as professor and chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at JSU, prior to her death, and previously chaired the Department of Communications at Belhaven University for 17 years. Hayes-Anthony earned both her bachelor of science and master's degrees at JSU and obtained her Ph.D. in Organizational Communication Broadcast Law at Southern Illinois, Carbondale. |
| Education: EMCC student earns prestigious PTK Scholar award | |
| East Mississippi Community College sophomore Emma Morgan was at work when she received an email stating she was selected as a 2026 Phi Theta Kappa Guistwhite Scholar and will receive a $5,000 scholarship. A biology major at EMCC, Morgan graduates in May and plans to continue her studies at a university to earn a bachelor's degree before applying to medical school. Morgan said her immediate reaction when learning of the PTK scholarship was one of shock, followed by relief. "I've actually been dreading graduating from EMCC because baccalaureate studies at a university can be expensive," Morgan said. "The scholarship helps take the pressure off since that is less money I will have to pay out in loans." Guistwhite Scholars are chosen based on academic achievement, leadership accomplishment, and engagement in Phi Theta Kappa programs. Thousands of students apply for the prestigious scholarship that is typically awarded to 20 recipients nationwide each year. A native of Flora, Morgan, who now resides in Starkville, said when choosing a college, she liked the fact EMCC is far enough from her hometown to allow her to experience life on her own. |
| Democrats call AG's six-figure U. of Florida teaching job 'sweetheart deal' | |
 | Florida House Democrats slammed Attorney General James Uthmeier for engineering a part-time teaching job at the University of Florida's law school that pays him six figures annually, calling it a sweetheart deal for a "well-connected politician." "This has got to be the best part time job I've ever heard of," House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa said in an online news conference on March 9, discussing the weekly two-credit "Executive Power" course Uthmeier taught last fall semester. He received his undergraduate degree from UF and went to law school at Georgetown University. The Democratic caucus she leads requested information about UF Law's adjunct faculty, showing Uthmeier's salary for teaching a two-hour course during the fall 2025 semester paid him $1,666 for each hour he spent in the classroom for a 15-week semester. Only one other adjunct professor makes more than $15,000 annually, records show. |
| 'A public relations firm on wheels': Mizzou grads pilot the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile | |
 | The first time Camila Fowler saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, she was walking to the Missouri School of Journalism from her dorm. Four years later, she returned to campus as "Cook 'Em Cam," her official hotdogger nickname, waving from the roof of the 27-foot hot dog as it rolled through the University of Missouri's Homecoming parade. Fowler is one of just 12 "hotdoggers" selected nationwide each year to pilot one of Oscar Mayer's six Wienermobiles. Nearly every hotdogger class in the program's 38-year history has included a Mizzou alum. In 2025, two were selected from more than 7,000 applicants. "More people have been to space than (have) sat in this chair," Fowler said. The competitive yearlong program sends new college graduates across the country in pairs, traveling to a new city nearly every week. Hotdoggers attend parades, festivals and even weddings, bringing the Wienermobile to communities nationwide. When they're not at events, the drivers work to secure local news coverage and produce social media content to promote the brand. This year, Mizzou was one of just five universities Oscar Mayer recruited for the hotdogger program. Fowler said that's due to the Journalism School. "The J-School really sets you up for this role, I think. The Wienermobile itself is a public relations firm on wheels," Fowler said. |
| Ohio State University president Ted Carter resigns over 'inappropriate relationship' | |
| Ohio State president Ted Carter resigned on Saturday because of an "inappropriate relationship with someone seeking public resources to support her personal business," according to the university. The Ohio State University Board of Trustees accepted Carter's resignation on Monday. An interim president has yet to be named. Ohio State's Ohio Student Association Chapter President Sabrina Estevez questioned the wording of Carter's resignation. "It felt like they were playing word salad," she said. "It's just one more thing that we don't have clarity on. It just feels like another failure on the university's part." "The students, faculty, and staff of Ohio State deserve so much better than the failed leadership that has been inflicted on this institution over the years," the Ohio State's American Association of University Professors chapter said in a statement. Before he resigned, Carter had been dealing with student demands for accountability and transparency. Now the university faces accountability and transparency questions concerning Carter himself. Chris Nichols, a history professor at Ohio State, was shocked to hear Carter was resigning. "There was no signal this was coming," he said. "Carter has talked a lot about shared values, but clearly didn't live them out." |
| Indiana Governor Signs Bill Putting Low-Earning Degrees on Chopping Block | |
 | Indiana's governor has signed into law a bill that aims to eliminate all academic programs at the state's public universities and at Ivy Tech Community College that fail a new federal earnings test. Congress created the Do No Harm test when it passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer. The test, which hasn't yet taken effect, will generally require programs to show their graduates earn more on average than high school diploma earners (just over $35,000 in Indiana), or else students in those programs will no longer be able to receive federal student loans. Graduate and professional program earnings would further have to exceed bachelor's degree earnings. But Indiana's Senate Bill 199 will make failing that test even more punitive in the Hoosier State. It adopts the federal test into state law and says programs that fail it must close entirely -- unless the state Commission for Higher Education, a group of gubernatorial appointees, grants an exemption. The state's GOP-dominated General Assembly finished passing the legislation last month, and Republican governor Mike Braun signed it into law Thursday. |
| Student-Success Efforts Can Pay Off on the Job Market, Study Finds | |
 | The National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State University and the Burning Glass Institute think they have cracked a code for improving students' career outcomes. That is, as long as other colleges can adopt the same methods. Historically, programs that help propel students toward career success, like internships, study abroad, and research projects, come with a price tag that not every student can afford. NISS wanted to find out if interventions put in place by Georgia State more than a decade ago, which had been shown to keep at-risk students enrolled and progressing toward graduation, also paid off in the job market. Those interventions included: proactive interaction with at-risk students, learning communities based on meta-majors, a microgrant program to keep small financial barriers from forcing students to drop out, and a Summer Success Academy for incoming freshmen to earn seven credit hours ahead of their first semester. NISS coordinated with the Burning Glass Institute in spring 2025 to trace graduates' current standing in the work force. Georgia State provided student-level records, and the Burning Glass Institute used its national dataset to anonymously match the student records with graduates' career-history profiles. |
| Presidents Feel Pressure in Trump's Second Term | |
| Year one of Trump 2.0 brought a flurry of policy changes as the federal government sought to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion practices; restrict the flow of research funding to institutions accused of insufficiently addressing antisemitism; overhaul student financial aid; and shock the college accreditation system, among other policy goals. But Trump-related policy whiplash is just one of many challenges leaders are juggling, according to Inside Higher Ed's 2026 Survey of College and University Presidents, conducted with Hanover Research and released today. Survey data shows college presidents are navigating a volatile mix of political pressure, financial uncertainty and rapid technological advancement as artificial intelligence use continues to expand in and outside the classroom -- a change some leaders are embracing despite outstanding concerns. This year's survey included responses from 430 leaders across a mix of two- and four-year institutions, including public, private nonprofit and a small number of private for-profit colleges. The survey is now in its 16th year. Survey respondents are somewhat mixed on how much Trump 2.0 has affected their campuses. More than half of presidents (59 percent) said that the administration has had no impact, negative or positive, on academic freedom at their institution. And just under half (49 percent) said that the administration has negatively affected their college's ability to carry out its mission, while another 43 percent indicated no impact. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: No. 3 Bulldogs Take On Tulane In Biloxi | |
| No. 3 Mississippi State has one final test in front of it before beginning Southeastern Conference play. The Diamond Dawgs are down on the coast to take on Tulane on Tuesday at 6 p.m. from Keesler Federal Park, home of the Biloxi Shuckers. The contest will be streamed on SEC Network. Sophomore left-hander Charlie Foster will make his third start of the season for Mississippi State. In four appearances, Foster sports a 4.05 earned run average with 12 strikeouts and five walks across 6 2/3 innings and has not factored into a decision. The Green Wave will counter with Jack Brafa. The junior righty has appeared in five games and made one start going 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA, 13 strikeouts and seven walks in nine innings of work. It is the fifth consecutive year State has participated in the Hancock Whitney Classic has posted an 8-2 all-time record in Biloxi. Last year, the Bulldogs downed Old Dominion 9-4 and edged Nicholls 2-1 at the home of the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A affiliate. State leads the all-time series 79-34-2 in a series that dates back to 1904. |
| Bulldogs up to No. 3 in D1Baseball poll after sweep of Lipscomb | |
| There was no doubt left in Dudy Noble Field when Noah Sullivan launched a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning of Saturday's win over Lipscomb. His second deep shot of the day put the Bulldogs up 13-0 over Lipscomb, and was part of a 12-run home half to build a 19-0 lead before the visitors had even started a second run through their batting order. The Diamond Dawgs, now 14-2 and up to No. 3 in the D1Baseball Top 25, completed a busy week with a 26-0 demolition of the Bisons in the program's biggest home win since 1999. The offensive display came after a start-and-stop week for the MSU order. Six runs from two innings at Southern Miss, a scoreless first half in Game 1 against Lipscomb and then a slow finish in Game 2 had head coach Brian O'Connor looking for more. "When those opportunities present themselves, we've got to play better complementary, opportunistic baseball, and capitalize on more of the opportunities we have and that we had tonight," he said. The Bulldogs left nine runners on base in Friday's series-clinching win, and despite a good showing to take control early in the game, O'Connor was looking for more from his guys in situations with a chance to add to the advantage. "We're better than that," O'Connor said. "I challenged the team... that we come out and play a really good fundamental baseball game tomorrow." The Bulldogs did just that, allowing just one hit, one walk and no errors defensively in the run-rule shutout victory. |
| Josh Hubbard named to All-SEC team for third straight season | |
| Josh Hubbard is Mississippi's lone representative in this year's SEC postseason awards. The star Mississippi State guard was a third-team selection in the all-conference team that was announced on Monday. Hubbard is joined by former NBA journeyman Erick Dampier as the only Bulldog players to notch All-SEC status during their freshman, sophomore, and junior campaigns. A native of Madison, Hubbard is one of four major conference players to record at least 675 points and 100 assists this season. The list includes BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Duke's Cameron Boozer, and Kansas State's PJ Haggerty. He is one of just two SEC players and one of 12 major conference hoopers with multiple seasons of 640-plus points and more than 100 assists during the 2000s. This season, Hubbard has averaged 22.1 points and 3.6 assists per game. The junior shattered Mississippi's program mark by knocking down 309 career 3-pointers. Among some of his top individual performances of the year were a career-high 46 points against Auburn on Feb. 18 and a 42-point outing versus Georgia during the regular season finale on Saturday. Hubbard and former Bulldog great Bailey Howell are the only two Mississippi State players with multiple SEC performances of 40-plus points. |
| Josh Hubbard earns All-SEC honors for third straight year | |
| Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard was named to the All-SEC Third Team on Monday, his third All-SEC selection in three years. He and Erick Dampier stand alone as the only MSU players to achieve all-conference team honors in each of their first three seasons. Hubbard, a junior, continued to expand his game as a scorer in the 2025-26 campaign, even as the team struggled to reach the collective heights he saw as a freshman and sophomore. Head coach Chris Jans spoke of his star scorer's growth as a player and a leader on Monday, reflecting on his humility and mentality as a team player. "It's been fun to watch his maturation as a player from his freshman year where he had a breakout game or two," Jans said. "Obviously, this particular year, it's not going to be the team type of season that he, nor anyone would want to have, but he's got the opportunity to play in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, which obviously, right now doesn't look like it will be the case. But individually, he keeps upping his game. He's one of the top scorers in the country. I fully expect him to be on one of the all-conference teams." The Bulldogs face a win-or-go-home situation in the SEC Tournament, starting with a game against Auburn in the first round on Wednesday. |
| Auburn Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs square off in SEC Tournament | |
| Auburn and Mississippi State square off in the SEC Tournament Wednesday afternoon in Nashville. The Tigers have gone 7-11 against SEC teams, with a 9-4 record in non-conference play. Auburn has a 1-2 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer. The Bulldogs are 5-13 against SEC opponents. Mississippi State is 6-10 in games decided by 10 points or more. Auburn's average of 7.9 made 3-pointers per game this season is just 0.7 fewer made shots on average than the 8.6 per game Mississippi State gives up. Mississippi State averages 8.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.6 fewer makes per game than Auburn allows. The teams meet for the second time this season. Mississippi State won 91-85 in the last matchup on Feb. 19. Josh Hubbard led Mississippi State with 46 points, and Keyshawn Hall led Auburn with 29 points. |
| Can Mississippi State, Josh Hubbard repeat thrilling Auburn win in SEC Tournament? | |
| The last time Mississippi State basketball played Auburn was its most electric win of the season. Humphrey Coliseum was already buzzing before the game on Feb. 18 for the return of KeShawn Murphy, who transferred from MSU to Auburn. Then, Josh Hubbard lit Auburn up for a career-high 46 points on 10 3-pointers in a 91-85 win. Mississippi State (13-18) hasn't won since, losing five straight games to close the regular season. NCAA Tournament at-large hopes are well gone. MSU must win the SEC Tournament, which would be five wins in five days, to play in March Madness. The No. 13 seed Bulldogs will first have to replicate that Auburn win against the No. 12 Tigers in the first round on March 11 (2 p.m., SEC Network) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The winner will play No. 5 Tennessee (21-10) on March 12 (2 p.m., SEC Network). Auburn (16-15) is projected as the very last team in the NCAA Tournament field, according to ESPN, so a loss to MSU could be detrimental. "I'd imagine you can't find a brighter red pen available to circle (Hubbard) on the scouting report for Auburn, considering what he did the first time we played them at home," Mississippi State coach Chris Jans said. |
| Softball: Bulldogs Open Six-Game Spring Break Homestand Tuesday | |
| No. 12/17 Mississippi State returns home this week to begin a six-game homestand. After playing the last 11 games on the road or at neutral sites while posting a 10-1 record, the Bulldogs welcome Southeast Missouri to Nusz Park for a Tuesday doubleheader. Spring break will be busy for the Bulldogs. In addition to Tuesday's 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT first pitches, State will host No. 1/1 Tennessee to open SEC play over the weekend. MSU has registered its highest ranking ever in two of the four polls this year and now has earned its highest RPI in program history at No. 9 in the first iteration released by the NCAA on Monday. The Bulldogs are looking to enter SEC play with their best winning percentage on record should they win both games on Tuesday. Southeast Missouri's schedule has been derailed recently. The Redhawks' opening series of conference play saw one of the three games canceled and the other two are being played as a Monday doubleheader. The series was originally set to be their home opener, but weather has forced the games to be played on the road, and Southeast Missouri still has yet to play a home game. |
| NIL tax exemption bill unlikely to become law in Mississippi, senator says | |
| Lawmakers in Mississippi made national headlines when a bill exempting name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation from state income taxes advanced. However, one elected official is reminding the public that the legislation is not yet the law of the land and more than likely will end up in the trash can. In late February, House Bill 4014 passed in its originating chamber on a 76-32 vote with support and dissent from both Democrats and Republicans alike. The measure would allow student-athletes to strike NIL deals without having to worry about paying state income taxes, a move aimed at making Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and in-state colleges and universities more competitive in the college sports scene. Nationally, some outlets erroneously reported that Mississippi's bill had cleared the state legislature and was on the desk of Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. State Sen. Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, took to social media to set the record straight, while also offering commentary on the bill. "It was incorrectly reported nationally that this bill had passed the Mississippi legislature and was headed to the governor. This is not true, though it has many Mississippians upset. The Student Athlete NIL bill is a House bill that only passed the Mississippi House of Representatives," England wrote. "It has not been brought up for a vote in the Mississippi Senate, and I doubt it will come up, considering the sentiment I have heard from my colleagues." |
| SEC prepared to create own rules if necessary, commissioner Greg Sankey says | |
| The SEC is prepared to go its own way on eligibility and other rules if necessary, commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledged Monday in an interview on the SEC Network. Sankey emphasized that his first priority remains getting national standards that work for everyone, either through Congressional action or something else. But if that fails, the 16-team conference would be willing to adopt its own off-field rules, while still competing on the field against the rest of the country. Sankey stopped short of saying the SEC should just make up its own rules, an opinion that has gained ground within the conference, including recent comments by Georgia president Jere Morehead. But the commissioner himself giving voice to the possibility is noteworthy. "There is great frustration in my league that we've not been able to work collaboratively through some of the challenges or opportunities that we face," Sankey said during an appearance on "The Paul Finebaum Show." "There's great frustration that as we go through the economic transition with our student-athletes, we haven't better defined the boundaries and the guardrails, and help people to those, and we have a responsibility in that," he said. "So I'm not just casting blame. That's part of us solving problems and I think properly, that's where our focus should be. How do we work with colleagues to solve problems? Can we do that collectively?" "If there's a point at which we cannot do so, I think the conversation that informs the question that you ask, is there something you do alone? I think that starts to generate more and more interest," he said. |
| NCAA to use tech to monitor tournament officials for betting | |
| If a referee working next week's men's or women's basketball tournaments opens a sportsbook account or tries to place a bet, the NCAA wants to know about it. The NCAA announced Tuesday that it will begin monitoring its officials in this year's basketball, baseball and softball championships with ProhiBet, a technology by Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) that crosschecks anonymized identification data with sportsbooks to flag impermissible bettors. IC360 works with sports leagues and sportsbooks to track the betting market. "Implementing ProhiBet is a major step in increasing integrity protections for college sports," Mark Hicks, NCAA managing director of enforcement, said in a news release. "This platform adds another layer to the NCAA's robust integrity monitoring program as we work to keep competition integrity and student-athlete well-being paramount in a rapidly evolving sports betting environment." NCAA championship officials are bound by similar rules that prohibit student-athletes, coaches and schools from betting on sports. More than two dozen U.S. sportsbooks use ProhiBet, and many NCAA schools and conferences have implemented the technology as well. However, this is the first year that the technology will be used to monitor officials at championship events. |
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