| Friday, April 15, 2016 |
| City, county, university leaders praise collaboration, continued growth | |
 | Leaders from many local groups touted Starkville's continued growth Thursday during a quarterly community roundtable. Officials from the Starkville Board of Aldermen, Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors, Mississippi State University and Greater Starkville Development Partnership met with around 40 residents, academic and local business leaders to give updates on the work being done between entities to ensure sustained economic growth in the area. MSU President Mark Keenum laid out future plans for the university at the meeting, stating the university plans to finish current residence, classroom and building extensions, while exploring the option of building a new music center. "The whole community is growing," Keenum said. "It's a healthy sign. This is a healthy, thriving community." |
| Construction to begin soon on $14M development project in Starkville | |
 | Starkville-based Tabor Development, in partnership with Tuscaloosa, Alabama-based Progressive Properties, is proud to announce pre-construction sales of The 509. The 509 is a $14 million mixed-used development, comprised of 42 upscale condominium units, boutique retail space and a Starkville tradition, City Bagel Cafe. Construction is set to begin on the condominiums this summer, with completion of the first phase scheduled for Fall 2017. The 509 will include two residential condominium buildings, located at 509 University Drive, 0.4 miles from Mississippi State University. After 18 years of service to the Starkville community, City Bagel Cafe owners and operators Joe and Mary Tkach have made the decision to retire in Summer 2016. However, what they have built in City Bagel Cafe will continue without interruption, through Eat Local Starkville. |
| Lead a Danger For Pets, Too | |
 | While the City of Jackson works on its corrosion-control study to prevent the presence of lead in the drinking water, residents are buying bottled water for themselves and their children, but what about the four-legged members of the family? "You hear the reports of the lead in the water and Flint, and everyone is thinking obviously first about children and themselves," Karen Templeton, director of outreach at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, said. "But it goes further than that, it could be your pets too." Templeton spoke over the phone April 13 about how to prevent pets from ingesting lead, even in small amounts, whether through drinking, licking or chewing. |
| Zika Transmitting Mosquitoes in Mississippi | |
 | Concerns for the mosquito-borne Zika virus are growing, with hundreds of reported cases in the United States. Thursday, WJTV spoke to experts who say the mosquito is here in the state, but it can only spread the virus after biting an infected person. "It's called Aedes Aegypti, it's a mosquito that originated in Africa and spread all over the world in the last few centuries," Mississippi State University biochemist and entomologist Dr. Jonas King explained. The Aedes mosquito is an insect believed to be in the southern region, so far no one has contracted the virus from a mosquito in the U.S, but according to Dr. King it only takes one bite. |
| Ruffin, prolific Southern writer raised in Columbus and a Mississippi State alum, dies | |
 | Paul Ruffin, a writer who spent his formative years in Columbus and later published two novels, seven collections of poetry and a multitude of short stories and articles, has died. He was 74. Texas Review Press confirmed his death on its Facebook page. The press -- which he founded in 1979 -- announced that Ruffin died early Wednesday morning at his Texas home. The man who would go on to become a Texas State Poet Laureate was born in Millport, Alabama, and grew up on Sand Road, five miles outside of Columbus. His poetry was praised by Willie Morris and James Dickey. Ruffin attended Mississippi State University following a stint in the Army. After graduating with a degree in English, he taught at Hamilton High School, Lee High School and Caldwell High School. He received a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi and eventually took a position at Sam Houston State University in Texas, where he taught for the rest of his life. |
| Madison County begins hunt for new economic development chief amid emphasis on results | |
 | The departure of Tim Coursey as head of the Madison County Development Authority has left County Administrator Tony Greer in a dual role of running the county and its business recruitment. Greer's double duty comes just two weeks after a Board of Supervisors' retreat at which the board decided to put achievement of economic development results at the forefront. "They made it one of their highest priorities," Greer said. "They've decided it's the tip of the spear." Madison County Supervisor Gerald Steen alluded to that new importance -- and a new strategy -- in an April 8 press release on Coursey's resignation. The renewed commitment of Madison supervisors to economic development brings an increased emphasis on getting a major tenant, or tenants, for the Panther Creek mega-site, a nearly 2,000-acre of development-ready tract off Nissan Drive in Canton. |
| Gulfport harbor, waterfront developments need legislative approval to survive | |
 | In an emergency meeting Thursday afternoon, the Gulfport City Council struck a compromise that would give it more control over multimillion-dollar projects on the waterfront, including a harbor casino and downtown aquarium. The council agreed unanimously to send the state Legislature a "local-and-private" bill that would allow either the City Council or its urban renewal agency, the Gulfport Redevelopment Commission, to own and sign long-term leases on seven properties where a total of $450 million in projects are planned. The legislation has to be filed by Friday. The legislation goes to the local-and-private committees in both the House and Senate, where state Rep. Richard Bennett of Long Beach and state Sen. Tommy Gollott of Biloxi are members. Generally, the committees take the recommendation of the local representative and senator. |
| McCullough says during confirmation hearing state has momentum | |
 | Glenn McCullough Jr., Mississippi's top economic development official, offered no opinion Thursday on what some view as anti-gay marriage legislation recently signed into law by Gov. Phi Bryant other than to say the state has momentum. "This is our time in Mississippi," said McCullough, the former mayor of Tupelo who was appointed by Bryant last April as the executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority. McCullough was unanimously confirmed for the MDA post Thursday afternoon by the Senate Finance Committee. The full Senate is expected to confirm McCullough in the coming days before the scheduled April 24 conclusion of the 2016 session. The Finance Committee did not question McCullough on Thursday about the controversial legislation that has resulted in national attention for the state. |
| School funding likely flat, other budgets cut | |
 | House Democrats on Thursday held a public hearing on education funding and chided the Republican leadership for not doing the same. "The ones governing, or at least pretending to govern, have not been open about discussing the issues," said Rep. Robert Johnson III, D-Natchez, as he chaired a committee that heard from education advocates and officials about needs for more money in public schools. GOP budget leaders continued to hold closed-door meetings in advance of Saturday's deadline to agree on a state budget of roughly $6 billion for the coming year. One said he doubts there will be any increased funding for K-12 education, and the state's adequate education funding formula is likely to be shorted about $200 million. |
| Possible changes to MAEP still not unveiled | |
| The conference committee formed late in the 1997 session to hammer out the differences between the House and Senate on the landmark Mississippi Adequate Education Program legislation was contentious, tedious, long and open. In 1997 there was no legislative rule requiring conference committees to operate in the public. Yet the two lead conferees, Education committee chairmen Billy McCoy of Rienzi in the House and Grey Ferris of Vicksburg in the Senate, insisted that the process be open. In the early 2000s, the Legislature adopted a rule requiring the six-member conference committees to have open meetings. Thus far, the conferencing process for the possible revisions to MAEP has been far less transparent than in 1997 when the legislation passed. Even though the deadline to reach a conference agreement is Monday, the six-member committee has not met. |
| Planned Parenthood: Six men shouldn't decide funding | |
| The fate of funding of Mississippi's one Planned Parenthood clinic, which provides preventive care but not abortions to low-income women, will ironically be decided by six men. Three members of the House and three members of the Senate were appointed this week by legislative leadership to work out the final version of a bill that would prohibit state funding from going to the Hattiesburg clinic. Planned Parenthood released a statement questioning the choice of these lawmakers. Senate Bill 2238 would prohibit state funding from going to any clinic that performs or is affiliated with any entity that performs elective abortions. Mississippi law already prohibits state funding of abortions, but the bill could prevent some clinics from providing preventive and other services, such as Pap smears and breast examinations, to patients on Medicaid. |
| Jackson airport bill on way to governor | |
| A bill to create a regional authority over the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport will head to the governor after the state Senate voted, mostly along party lines, Thursday to concur on changes the House made in Senate Bill 2162. "I don't care about changes made by the House," said Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, who argued again Thursday against the bill. "This is someone trying to take our house." But Sen. Josh, Harkins, R-Flowood, argued no one is taking anything from Jackson. He said Jackson will continue to get property taxes and sales tax revenue from the airport if the bill becomes law and is approved by the FAA. |
| Republicans aim to raise $62 million in bid to retain control of Senate | |
 | The committee responsible for helping Republicans win election to the Senate is working to raise $62 million this year and plans to invest heavily in Ohio and a handful of other states that will decide whether the party retains control of the chamber, according to the organization's chairman. "I can't imagine the Democrats winning the majority in the U.S. Senate without winning Ohio," said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. In that race, former Democratic governor Ted Strickland is challenging Republican incumbent Rob Portman. "We will do everything we possibly can to help Sen. Portman,'' Wicker said. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, described the Ohio race as "a barometer" for other Senate races around the country. |
| DuPree appointed to Democratic Convention Rules Committee | |
 | The Democratic National Committee has appointed Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree to the 2016 Democratic National Convention Rules Committee. "As a member of the Rules Committee, Mayor DuPree will have the unique opportunity to lay the groundwork to ensure that the 2016 Democratic Convention sends our nominee to the victory this November," said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. The 2016 Democratic National Convention will be July 25-28 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. |
| In Democratic Debate, Clinton and Sanders Spar Over Judgment | |
 | Senator Bernie Sanders, seizing on potential vulnerabilities for Hillary Clinton in the coming New York primary, repeatedly savaged her ties to wealthy donors and Wall Street banks during their debate on Thursday night, delivering a ferocious performance that Mrs. Clinton countered with steely confidence and her own sharp elbows. Mr. Sanders, hoping to humiliate Mrs. Clinton in her adopted home state in Tuesday's primary, bluntly challenged her fitness for the presidency, saying she had the experience and intelligence for the job but adding, "I do question her judgment." |
| As Sin Taxes Succeed and Pinch Revenue, States Double Down | |
 | States across the country are turning again to the wages of sin to help plug budget holes even as the payouts from such levies on vice dwindle. Many states have enjoyed an oversized boost in recent years from so-called sin taxes on cigarettes and gambling -- among other vices -- but the benefit to state coffers has increasingly been fading. Tobacco tax revenue across the 50 states has declined, while growing gambling competition has eaten into states' take. In response, some states are seeking out new vices to tax, from vaping to sports betting to marijuana, while many more are doubling down on what they already tax. Broadly, state legislatures have been moving to cut taxes in recent years, making sin taxes one of the few levies to which they're turning to drum up new revenue. |
| Mississippi law professors: New state law violates U.S. Constitution | |
| Five law professors in the state say Mississippi's new Religious Accommodations Act violates the First Amendment. That opinion came from Michael Hoffheimer, Michele Alexandre and Richard Gershon at Ole Miss and Deborah Challener and Judith Johnson at Mississippi College. They joined law professors at Columbia University, Washington University and the University of Southern California in saying they believe House Bill 1523 violates the Establishment Clause in the U.S. Constitution, which "forbids the government from favoring or disfavoring any particular religion or religion in general." Supporters of the law say the measure, which takes effect in July, would protect Christians by preventing them from doing something that goes against their religious beliefs. |
| U. of Southern Mississippi scientists learn surgery techniques to protect animals | |
| Scientists at the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory have learned new surgery techniques to ensure the safety of animals used in research projects. Jill Hendon, assistant director of GCRL's Center for Fisheries Research and Development prepared her team of 10 researchers for an upcoming research project by having them learn three suture techniques from Drew Hildebrandt, a surgeon from University of Mississippi Medical Center. A large portion of the project involves acoustic tags being implanted into the live fish. As part of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee's protocol, Hendon had to show evidence her team was taking the proper steps to ensure animal safety before they could begin. |
| Auburn University honors 14 during Black Alumni Weekend | |
 | The Auburn Alumni Association, Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Development honored 14 alumni in the Black Alumni Weekend Awards Program. "The Auburn Alumni Association is proud to be associated with these outstanding alumni, for both their achievements in their careers and their dedication to Auburn University," said Jack Fite, president of the Auburn Alumni Association. Last April, the university kicked off its largest fundraising effort in history, the $1 billion "Because This is Auburn - A Campaign for Auburn University." The campaign will propel the university forward through a renewed commitment to students, a continued promise to the state and a shared responsibility to the world. During the awards program, Auburn's black alumni were applauded for their nearly 1,500 gifts to the campaign, totaling more than $3.2 million. |
| Performance funding for U. of Florida, other universities now law | |
 | The Florida's Board of Governors' measuring stick for rating the performance of the state's public universities is now set in law. Gov. Rick Scott signed a broad-reaching education bill Thursday that included the criteria used to determine if the 12 schools in the State University System rated high enough in areas of student and graduate performance to get multimillion-dollar boosts in funding or poorly enough to lose some of their base funding. Susan Hegeman, the president of the University of Florida chapter of the union and a UF English professor, raised concerns about the "punitive" nature of a system that doesn't provide bonuses to lower-performing schools but can strip them of base funding they may need to improve. |
| Penn State engineer new U. of Florida architecture dean | |
| A Penn State University architectural engineer has been named the next dean of the University of Florida's College of Design, Construction and Planning. Chimay Anumba, who led Penn State's department of architectural engineering, assumes his new position Aug. 1. He succeeds the retiring Christopher Silver, a UF news release issued Thursday said. Anumba's research focuses on construction engineering and management, advanced engineering informatics, collaborative approaches to project delivery, knowledge management, integrated systems and distributed communications. Anumba served as head of the Penn State architectural engineering department for eight years. |
| Nathan Deal aims to expand Georgia's needs-based scholarship | |
| Gov. Nathan Deal outlined plans this week to dramatically expand a state program aimed at helping financially needy students. The governor said this week he wants the REACH Georgia program to grow from roughly 330 students to some 2,800 scholars by 2020, and that he wants to expand the program to all 180 of Georgia's school systems. The program, launched in 2012, is a needs-based scholarship that begins in eighth grade. REACH scholars are paired with a mentor and an academic coach through high school and they must maintain good behavior, good grades, good attendance and graduate from high school to stay in the program. |
| U. of Tennessee data: Reports of sexual assault up 31 percent in 2015 | |
 | New statistics from the University of Tennessee show 38 reports of student-on-student sexual misconduct in calendar year 2015 -- roughly a 31 percent increase from 2014. A majority of the cases -- 22 -- happened off campus. And only 11 of the 38 were also reported to police. Fewer than half of the students who reported misconduct identified their alleged attacker to the university, limiting UT's ability to pursue discipline cases. Nine of the 38 cases went through the student conduct process, and five students in those cases were found responsible. This is the second spring in a row that UT released data about reports of sexual misconduct between students. The data was emailed to students, faculty and staff by Vice Chancellor for Student Life Vince Carilli and Chancellor Jimmy Cheek on Thursday. |
| With proposed campus carry rules unveiled, effect at Texas A&M a hot topic | |
 | After Texas A&M's 22-member task force issued proposed rules Wednesday to allow concealed carry in dorms and classrooms beginning Aug. 1, many students are giving serious thought to the implications. Texas A&M freshman Fabiola Villarreal said that while she understands why some may be comforted by the ability to carry a firearm on campus, she still finds it to be somewhat unsettling for those who don't. "As a student, it's kind of scary to think that the person next to you might have a gun in their backpack," Villarreal said. "I guess they would feel safe because they were carrying a gun, but what about those that don't carry guns? Would you be forced to carry something that you may not want to carry to feel safe?" For junior Logan Epperson, the idea of fellow students maintaining weapons is not a concern because he tends to believe "well of people in general." |
| Pro-Trump chalkings inflame many campuses | |
 | Campus messages chalked on walkways or walls are common year-round, and messages in support of one candidate or another are routine during election years. But Donald Trump's candidacy for president isn't routine at all -- and chalkings invoking his name are setting off debates that outlast the visibility of the messages. On Twitter, the phenomenon is known as The Chalkening. College administrations have reacted in a variety of ways, often spurred by the reactions of students on campus. The debate has also moved well beyond support of a particular political candidate. |
| Why UC Davis spent $175,000 to scrub references to pepper-spray incident | |
 | Following a 2011 incident in which campus police pepper-sprayed students, the University of California, Davis paid two consulting firms at least $175,000 to clean up its online reputation, according to documents obtained by the Sacramento Bee. The documents reveal that UC Davis paid to scrub online search results related to the incident and improve results users saw when searching for the university and its chancellor, Linda P.B. Katehi, the newspaper reports. Online reputation management is a growing industry that promises to help individuals and businesses manage what appears about them in Google and other search engines, partly by placing positive articles and statements in Google results to counteract negative results. But a university using public funds to hire a firm to clean up its image is highly unusual, says Brett Sokolow, head of the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management. |
| The Citadel considers first-ever uniform exception: allowing a Muslim hijab | |
 | The Citadel is considering a request from an admitted student that she be allowed to wear a hijab in keeping with her Muslim faith, a move that would be an unprecedented exception to the school's longstanding uniform requirements. If the request for the traditional Muslim hair covering is granted, it apparently would be the first exception made to the Citadel's uniform, which all cadets at the storied public military college in South Carolina are required to wear at nearly all times. As word spread on social media, students, alumni and others responded strongly to the idea of an exception being made at an institution where uniformity, discipline and adherence to rules are defining values, where loyalty to the corps is paramount and individual preferences are trivial. |
SPORTS
| 'It's pretty amazing:' Mississippi State turnaround built on new faces | |
| Almost exactly a year ago, Mississippi State opened a three-game series at Texas A&M, which was the top-ranked team in the country. The series began MSU's downfall of 18 losses in its final 21 games. Yet, prior to the collapse, coach John Cohen predicted this weekend's matchup at Dudy Noble Field would feature two of the best in the country. "I kind of feel like in some respect we're right there," Cohen said prior to the A&M series last year. "That's where our club is. Everything hasn't come together yet, but you know it will." Mississippi State has won all four conference series this season. It hasn't won five consecutive SEC series since 1999. Accomplishing the feat this year would come during its toughest portion of the schedule. |
| Bulldogs host Aggies | |
| No. 2 Mississippi State keeps rolling right along, while No. 13 Ole Miss hopes to regain its roll in conference play. The Bulldogs stretched an early three-run lead in an 11-1 win over Memphis in mid-week play on Wednesday. Ole Miss had a five-game win streak snapped in a 5-1 loss to Southern Miss, an opponent ranked in several polls and one that arrived in Oxford with the No. 12 RPI. The Rebels (25-8, 6-6 SEC) are back on the road at Alabama this weekend. Speaking of RPI, a key component in determining NCAA tournament seeding and regional host sites, the Bulldogs' continues to rocket upward. |
| Aggie baseball team set to face Bulldogs in Mississippi | |
| The third-ranked Texas A&M baseball team gets a do-over this weekend at eighth-ranked Mississippi State. A&M was swept in its last Southeastern Conference road series, leading for only three innings at Florida. "I feel like we learned an awful lot at Florida and answered the bell last weekend [in sweeping Georgia], and we're ready to go on the road again and accept that challenge," A&M head coach Rob Childress said. The Bulldogs (24-9, 8-4) are certainly a challenge, leading the SEC West after winning each league series, including road victories at East powers Vanderbilt and Florida. Last weekend MSU knocked the Gators from the top spot after the Gators had done the same to A&M. MSU is one of the league's toughest places to win. |
| Mississippi State faces another test vs. A&M; Ole Miss, USM head to Alabama | |
| The Ole Miss and Southern Miss baseball teams both head to the state of Alabama this weekend while Mississippi State will again play one of the biggest series in the nation starting on Friday. No. 2 MSU (24-9-1) will host No. 4 Texas A&M (25-7, 7-5) at 6:30 p.m. on Friday to start a three-game series that could decide the SEC West. The Bulldogs will look to take down a top five team for the second straight week after taking two of three at previous No. 1 Florida last week. Pearl product Jake Mangum, a freshman outfielder, has been the hot bat for MSU lately with a .427 batting average and in 75 at-bats this season. |
| Mississippi State's Dan Mullen making dream a reality in running Boston Marathon | |
| Dan Mullen weaved through lines of college football players at Davis Wade Stadium last weekend. Brandon Bryant, at one end of the field, stretched as Mississippi State's fastest player, having run 40 yards in 4.25 seconds. Quarterback Elijah Staley prepared his throwing arm that he's also used as a power forward on the Bulldogs' basketball team. But Mullen, surrounded by athletes in peak physical condition, boasted a feat few, if any, could have accomplished just hours prior. The eighth-year head coach rolled out of bed at 7 a.m. and ran nine miles in preparation for Monday's Boston Marathon. |
| After setting national trend, Alabama's A-Day attendance has been steadily dropping | |
 | The moment Nick Saban knew didn't come in a bowl game. A championship wasn't on the line when it was obvious something was brewing with his Alabama football program. It was his first A-Day. That immaculate sunny 2007 afternoon, Saban and his gray blazer strolled into Bryant-Denny Stadium. Joining 92,138 others, the newly hired coach had a good feeling. Four national championships later, he'll walk out the same tunnel for his 10th A-Day at 2 p.m. Saturday. In that decade, Alabama's risen from the sleeping giant to an annual contender. It also helped usher in the era of mega spring-game crowds. But those crowds, while still among the nation's best, have sagged from the peak years. |
| Ludacris gives Georgia's G-Day a musical act to go along with football | |
 | It turns out G-Day will have a big name music act just like University of Georgia officials were hoping. Rapper Ludacris from Atlanta will perform 15 minutes before the 4 p.m. scheduled spring football game on Saturday. Georgia's athletic Twitter account posted a video that had Ludacris singing a remix of "Georgia on My Mind," Thursday afternoon. He will perform at 3:45 p.m. It's a turnabout after Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said on Tuesday night that the school "tried really, really hard to schedule some acts but it just didn't work out, the timing and the tour schedules." UGA athletic spokesman Claude Felton said the school had established a network within the music industry during the process and someone representing Ludacris contacted Georgia officials on Wednesday. |
| Behind-the-scenes look at LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron's cancer battle | |
 | Joe Bourg's first meeting with Cam Cameron unfolded in the most peculiar of ways. Bourg, a student assistant in the LSU football program's video department, stood on the team's practice field in August, staring into an iPad. Cameron, the team's fourth-year offensive coordinator, lay in his hospital bed in Baltimore, staring back at Bourg's face. "It was interesting," Bourg said with a smile. An unusual assignment awaited Bourg when he arrived at practice that day. Bourg provided Cameron with a way to watch his offense practice while he recovered from prostate cancer surgery in a Baltimore hospital and then at home in Baton Rouge. For at least a week, Bourg toted an iPad around LSU's camp practices, a live feed of Cameron plastered on its face. Oh, yes, LSU's 2015 preseason football camp was unlike any other. Stories from those days are rolling out as the Tigers -- and their now-healthy offensive coordinator -- prepare for Saturday's spring football game |
| U. of Missouri System releases financial aid records of athletes to comply with subpoena | |
 | The University of Missouri System released the financial aid records of about 500 current and former MU athletes after being subpoenaed in connection with a federal antitrust lawsuit filed against the NCAA and most of its major conferences. Federal law limits the nonconsensual release of a student's personally identifiable information, which includes the student's name, address and student number. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, educational institutions can disclose personally identifiable information without student consent if doing so is necessary to comply with a subpoena. At issue is a former NCAA rule that restricted athletics scholarships from covering the full cost of attending college. That changed on Aug. 1, when the NCAA began allowing -- but not requiring -- schools to cover the entire cost of college attendance. |
| Tubby Smith introduced as 'most accomplished coach' in U. of Memphis history | |
| Twice, the University of Memphis has fallen short in national championship games. On Thursday, it introduced a coach who's reached the pinnacle of college basketball in former Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith. "Today the University of Memphis has hired the most accomplished coach in our history," U of M president David Rudd said in a press conference Thursday at FedExForum. "As we've mentioned in other hires, it is entirely about fit. It is about fit for our program, fit for our university and fit for this city. Tubby Smith is precisely the right coach at the right time for the University of Memphis." The $2.8 million he'll make this season would have ranked Smith among the 15 highest-paid coaches who made the NCAA tournament this year, according to a USA Today database. |
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