| Thursday, January 21, 2021 |
| Aldermen 'leaning' toward rule change that would allow brewpubs to operate without selling food | |
 | Starkville aldermen took another key step Tuesday toward granting another exception to its code of ordinances that would clear the way for a prospective business to locate downtown. The board held its first of two public hearings at its regular meeting at City Hall to allow "brewpubs" -- defined as establishments that brew and sell their own beer, light wine and light spirits -- to operate without requiring food to account for at least 25 percent of their gross sales. Aldermen are considering the change to clear the way for John Higgins, owner of Tupelo-based Spring Street Cigars, to operate a cigar lounge and brewpub in the former Mugshots building on Main Street, which sits in the city's designated Leisure and Entertainment District. The board has already granted cigar lounges an exception from the city's anti-smoking ordinance -- which disallows smoking in most public spaces in the city. All seven aldermen were present at Tuesday's meeting, either in person or by phone. Two, Ward 1's Ben Carver and Ward 4's Jason Walker, expressed they were "leaning toward" voting for the ordinance change, while others gave no indication either way. |
| Oktibbeha County supervisors discuss more debt, possible tax increase, for new 5-year road plan | |
| Oktibbeha County supervisors continued grappling Tuesday morning with the prospect of issuing more bonds to cover a new five-year road work plan. Lynn Norris, with Madison-based Governmental Consultants Inc., gave supervisors what he called his "written on the back of an envelope" projections for the county's borrowing capacity. He also told them any new debt they took on would require a property tax increase of as much as 2 mills. "You could do $10 million this year if you wanted to," Norris told supervisors at their regular meeting in the chancery courthouse. "If your (property tax collections) grew by 1 percent a year over the next eight or nine years, you could do $25 million." He said historically county property tax collections are rising an average of 4 to 5 percent per year. A $10 million road bond wouldn't require as many mills, he said, but adding "some mills" would be necessary to "do anything of substance." |
| MSDH reports 2,290 new COVID-19 cases, 30 deaths | |
 | The Mississippi State Department of Health on Thursday reported 2,290 additional cases of COVID-19 and 30 deaths related to the virus as of 6 p.m. Jan 20. Itawamba County in Northeast Mississippi reported one additional death. The statewide total number of cases since March 11, 2020, is now 259,117, with a death toll of 5,668. Around 207,769 people are estimated to have recovered from the virus as of Jan. 17. There are currently 221 outbreaks in long-term care facilities across the state. All counties in the Daily Journal's coverage area reported new cases: Alcorn (14), Benton (7), Calhoun (4), Chickasaw (4), Clay (14), Itawamba (10), Lafayette (42), Lee (59), Marshall (18), Monroe (37), Oktibbeha (40), Pontotoc (23), Prentiss (13), Tippah (14), Tishomingo (8) and Union (25). |
| Coronavirus in Mississippi: 2,290 new cases, 30 deaths reported Thursday | |
 | The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 2,290 new cases of the coronavirus and 30 coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday. Since the virus hit the state in March, a total of 259,117 cases and 5,668 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported. The single-day record of 98 deaths was reported Jan. 12. On Jan. 7, the state reported a single-day record of 3,255 new cases of the coronavirus. The department reported Wednesday, the latest numbers available, there were 1,161 current hospitalizations of confirmed cases, with 301 in intensive care and 180 on ventilators. State health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned on Twitter Jan. 14 that "January will likely be the worst month for COVID deaths by far." On Tuesday Dobbs pointed out on Twitter that while the numbers of coronavirus-related hospitalizations remain high, they are declining. DeSoto County has the highest number of reported cases in the state with 17,436. |
| Educators, area legislators support waiving pass requirements this year for high-stakes testing | |
| Mississippi legislators are considering a Senate Bill that would allow third graders who fail this school year's state-required reading assessment to move on to fourth grade, and area educators say they support the move. The bill is based on a recommendation from state Superintendent Carey Wright, who also asked in a presentation to the Senate Education Committee earlier this month that legislators waive passing requirements for high school end-of-year assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, legislators have not taken up the matter of the upper-level exams. As currently written, the Senate bill states that students who do fail the reading gate would be promoted to fourth grade but also "shall be given ... remedial instruction," through an individualized reading plan. Some legislators are divided over that particular aspect of the bill. Sen. Angela Turner-Ford (D-West Point), who has authored bills in the past to do away with passing requirements for assessments in typical school years, said she is against enforcing remediation. She said she hadn't yet had the opportunity to look at the Senate bill, but agrees with Wright's recommendation that students be promoted no matter their score. |
| Key House leader says Mississippi should cut highest-in-nation grocery tax | |
 | House Ways and Means Chair Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, said if legislators look at reducing or eliminating the income tax this session, they should also explore reducing the 7% sales tax on groceries. "I don't understand why we have to be 50th in that," he said, referring to Mississippi having the highest state-imposed sales tax on groceries. A few states that allow local governments to impose an additional sales tax on top of the state levy, such as Alabama, have a higher tax on food in some local jurisdictions, but no state has a higher statewide sales tax on groceries. In November, Gov. Tate Reeves proposed phasing out the income tax over a multiple year period. In the past, House Speaker Philip Gunn, Lamar and other House leaders also have endorsed reducing or eliminating the income tax. But Lamar said recently as his committee looks at the income tax issue this year it should include an in-depth look at the tax structure. "We want this to be a bipartisan effort," Lamar said. Many Democrats have long championed eliminating the grocery tax. |
| Will Curtis Flowers get an apology? Mississippi lawmakers draft resolution | |
| Four months after Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced the state would not prosecute Curtis Flowers for capital murder for a seventh time, the Legislature is considering an apology to the man who spent more than 23 years on death row. State Sen. Robert Jackson and others drafted a resolution to recognize the state's role in keeping Flowers imprisoned. "While an apology from the state will not erase the crimes committed and the pain of the families involved, nor will it restore the time of life lost by Curtis Flowers due to his incarceration, it may inspire the citizens of this state and the nation as to the confidence in our legal system," the resolution says. The resolution is currently under review by the Senate Rules Committee. Flowers, now 50, is a Black man who was tried six times for the same crime by a white prosecutor. He was freed in September after Fitch said the state would not try Flowers a seventh time. |
| More than $150 million in exemptions approved by Public Procurement Review | |
| While reverse auctions are the law in Mississippi, the state's Public Procurement Review has handed out hundreds of exemptions for state and local government entities each year. In just the last two years, the board has approved 209 exemptions that are worth an estimated value of more than $156 million. That represents a massive increase from 2018, the first year the law was in effect. State agencies and local governments requested 68 exemptions from the procurement law that year for an estimated total of $71.1 million. In 2017, the Mississippi Legislature passed a bill, House Bill 1106, that was later signed into law by then-Gov. Phil Bryant that changed public procurement in Mississippi. Reverse auctions, barring an exemption granted by the procurement review board, are required on commodities or equipment of more than $50,000 purchased by government entities both at the state and local level. The bill's author, state Rep. Jerry Turner, R-Baldwyn, says reverse auctions are a great way of saving money for taxpayers. |
| Gov. Reeves' inaugural nonprofit raised $1.6M from unknown donors, paid family member's company | |
| A nonprofit set up to fund Gov. Tate Reeves' inauguration last year paid nearly $150,000 to a business owned by the governor's brother and sister-in-law, documents show. Leigh Reeves served as executive director for the now-dissolved inaugural nonprofit while her company, Snapshot Publishing LLC, was paid for marketing materials, gifts, printing and designs, according to documents filed with the IRS last month. The filing says Leigh Reeves, who is married to Todd Reeves, did not collect a salary in her director role. In a statement, a governor spokeswoman said "nearly all" of the nonprofit's payment to Snapshot went directly to materials for the inaugural, and Leigh Reeves' work planning the events was "largely voluntary." The nonprofit, For All Mississippi, formed a week after Tate Reeves won the 2019 election and eventually raised more than $1.6 million for his inauguration festivities and transition to office. It's not unusual for governors and other elected officials to accept donations to pay for their inaugurations -- including President-elect Joe Biden, hosting his inaugural events this week. The Reeves spokeswoman said the nonprofit "disclosed everything that is required." But unlike many other states and the federal government, Mississippi has no rules around how politicians raise, spend and disclose inaugural cash. |
| 56th Annual Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo Kicks-Off January 22 | |
 | The 56th Annual Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo gets underway Friday, January 22, at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds. The Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest rodeo event east of the Mississippi River, brings in participants from all over the world and generates millions of dollars in the local economy. "For well over 50 years now, the Dixie National Livestock Show and Rodeo has been a cherished tradition for competitors, families and spectators, not only from Mississippi, but across the nation," says Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. "This year will include all the usual fan-favorites, such as the Dixie National Rodeo Parade and the Junior Sale of Champions, as well as the first-ever Dixie National Expo in the new Trade Mart, which features agricultural and vendor booths, including the Genuine MS store. And we're doing it all within the guidance of our COVID-19 Safe Rodeo Plan." The Dixie National Rodeo takes place Thursday, February 11, through Wednesday, February 17, in the Coliseum with performances by The Oak Ridge Boys, Parker McCollum, Moe Bandy, John Conlee, Sawyer Brown, Justin Moore and Riley Green. |
| Mississippi Senator says this inaguration is much different this year | |
 | U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., attended Wednesday's inauguration at Capitol Hill. He spoke with WTVA reporter Chelsea Brown about his experience and how it differed from previous ceremonies. "Watching the Constitution in action and sending that signal to the rest of the world is a positive experience," he said. The senator from Tupelo said both Republicans and Democrats shared the stage Wednesday as the Joe Biden presidential administration began. He spoke about the heavy security. "It is heartbreaking to see fortress Washington, fortress America." More than 20,000 members of the National Guard have been in Washington, D.C. for several days to provide aid to local law enforcement who increased security to prevent a repeat of the Jan. 6 deadly riot at the Capitol. "Maybe a bit of overkill was called for, but it certainly seemed to work; the inauguration has taken place without incident." Overall, Wicker said Wednesday's atmosphere was good. "Our new president called for unity and bipartisanship is a good start." |
| 'Rooting for the USA': Mississippi Leaders React to Biden Inauguration | |
| Missy McGee, a young Capitol Hill staffer for U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, walked from the Russell Senate Office Building to the U.S. Capitol lawn 32 years ago today and watched as a new president, George H. W. Bush, took the oath of office. Now a Republican member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from Forrest County, she recalled today how she was struck when, four years after Bush's inauguration, the Republican president left a letter for his successor whom he had campaigned fiercely against months earlier, telling Democratic President Bill Clinton that "your success is now our country's success." "It is my hope and prayer on this day, as we swear in a new president, that we will come together and recognize what President Bush knew back then. A new president deserves our support for the collective future of this nation that we love. Indeed, his success is our country's success," McGee said. U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, Mississippi's senior Republican in the chamber and the only member of his party from the Magnolia State who voted to certify Biden's win, tweeted a photo from the inauguration ceremony, calling it "one of the majestic symbols of our republic, representing the orderly transfer of power from one administration to the next." |
| Joe Biden Calls on Nation to 'Start Afresh' at Inauguration as 46th President | |
 | Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, calling for unity as he assumed leadership of a nation battered by a once-in-a-century pandemic and the recent deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol. At a midday ceremony overshadowed by health and safety concerns, Mr. Biden was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, repeating the oath of office on the west steps of the Capitol with his hand on a family Bible. Declaring "democracy has prevailed" in the face of repeated challenges to the election results, Mr. Biden implored the public to stand together in the face of division and crisis. "We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue," Mr. Biden said. "Or rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts." With his inaugural address, Mr. Biden asked a deeply divided country to look past their differences and sought to draw a contrast with Mr. Trump, who took a combative approach to politics during his four years in office and had urged supporters to march to the Capitol before the riot on Jan. 6. Mr. Biden made no mention of his predecessor, but sought to use the moment as an inflection point for the nation. |
| Not Broken But Simply Unfinished': Poet Amanda Gorman Calls For A Better America | |
 | When Amanda Gorman, a 22-year-old poet from Los Angeles, took to the stage on Wednesday, it was immediately clear why the new president had chosen her as his inaugural poet. Gorman echoed, in dynamic and propulsive verse, the same themes that Biden has returned to again and again and that he wove throughout his inaugural address: unity, healing, grief and hope, the painful history of American experience and the redemptive power of American ideals. Where Biden said, "We must end this uncivil war," Gorman declared, "We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another." And where Biden called for an American story of "love and healing" and "greatness and goodness," Gorman saw strength in pain: "Even as we grieved, we grew," she said. Gorman opened by acknowledging the reasons why hope can be challenging. "Where can we find light in this never-ending shade?" she asked. But she continued: "And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it. Somehow we do it. Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken but simply unfinished." |
| Biden's unity plea met with ample reminders that America's divisions run deep | |
 | They had lost a sister to covid-19 and watched in horror as the Capitol of the nation their father had immigrated to was trashed by pro-Trump rioters. So when Norma and Sylvia Luna -- both Texas teachers -- heard Kamala D. Harris take the oath of office as America's vice president on Wednesday, the tears flowed. "It brings me hope, just watching this. It makes me proud to be an American again," said Norma Luna, 49, who wore a Biden-Harris face mask, Converse sneakers and a string of pearls as she watched the inauguration festivities on a smartphone at the Texas Capitol. "We feel like we can breathe again," added Sylvia Luna, 43. Yet their cause for celebration was a source of angst elsewhere on the Texas Capitol grounds. To 33-year-old Jacob, who came sporting a "TRUMP THAT" baseball cap and declined to give his last name, the presidency had just been handed to the wrong man following a fraudulent election, though there has been no evidence of widespread fraud. The theme of Joe Biden's inauguration was "America United." But in the nation's 50 state capitals -- the laboratories of American democracy -- there were ample reminders that divisions run deep. |
| Biden to sign 10 more orders and directives aimed at COVID-19 on first full day in White House | |
 | President Joe Biden's early burst of executive action will continue Thursday as he signs 10 orders and other directives aimed at jump-starting the administration's national strategy to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. After signing 15 executive orders Wednesday, Biden intends to use his first full day in office to use executive authority to require masks in most planes, trains and airports, order a national strategy to reopen schools and create a new "testing board" to expand testing for the virus. The president will also invoke the Defense Production Act to boost the supply of testing and vaccination supplies, among a range of other orders and directives. Each is a plank in Biden's plan to fight the COVID-19 pandemic -- dubbed the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness -- unveiled Thursday. The White House billed the strategy as a "nationwide" approach to combat the virus after former President Donald Trump left states in charge of things including administering vaccines and purchasing protective equipment for health care workers. |
| Buttigieg to push big infrastructure bill to boost economy | |
 | Transportation Secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg will tell a Senate panel Thursday that he hopes to help the Biden administration shepherd through Congress a massive investment in infrastructure, calling it the key to helping regrow the economy. "Infrastructure can be the cornerstone of all this," he is expected to say in testimony prepared for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Buttigieg, whose prepared remarks were released shortly before the 10 a.m. hearing, is calling for a smarter transportation policy -- one meant to help quality of life. Depending on how his hearing goes, Buttigieg could become one of the youngest ever to serve in the post. The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor turned 39 on Tuesday. Buttigieg faces no huge controversies going into the hearing. In a testament to how generally noncontroversial his nomination has been to date, a Republican, Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, is scheduled to introduce him to the panel. The current highway bill (PL 114-94), which Congress extended by a year, expires in October, and Biden is expected to release his infrastructure plan next month. |
| Unemployment claims dip to 900,000 | |
 | Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, lowering claims to 900,000, still a historically high level that points to further job cuts in a raging pandemic. The Labor Department's report Thursday underscored that President Joe Biden has inherited an economy that faltered this winter as virus cases spiked, cold weather restricted dining and federal rescue aid expired. The government said that 5.1 million Americans are continuing to receive state jobless benefits, down from 5.2 million in the previous week. That signals that fewer people who are out of work are finding jobs. New viral infections have begun to slow after months of relentless increases, though they remain high and are averaging about 200,000 a day. The number of deaths in the United States from the pandemic that erupted 10 months ago has surpassed 400,000. Once vaccines become more widely distributed, economists expect growth to accelerate in the second half of the year as Americans unleash pent-up demand for travel, dining out and visiting movie theaters and concert halls. But for now, the economy is losing ground. Retail sales have fallen for three straight months. |
| USM students, faculty react to Biden inauguration | |
 | University of Southern Mississippi students and faculty are reacting to the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. They took their oaths of office in Washington, D.C. Wednesday, surrounded by about 20,000 National Guard troops. Joe Weinberg, associate professor of political science at USM, says he's glad that this was a peaceful transition of power. "I think it was very comforting to see, sort of business as usual, to see someone at the helm, no matter who it might be and I think that everyone involved did a great job sort of saying the right things, putting us at ease," Weinberg said. Students we spoke with hope the country can unite behind the new president to make things better. "There are systemic problems that we have to face head-on and just by thinking everything is going to change with a new president isn't going to do anything," said Paige Zimmerman, a sophomore at Southern Miss. "I think maybe now we can start to move forward and everyone can start working together again, maybe we can all start to unify again," said Bayleigh Graves, a sophomore at Southern Miss. |
| JSU's Sonic Boom of the South represents Magnolia State during inaugural events | |
| Mississippi's own Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South made history celebrating the inauguration. The musical powerhouse was one of seven college bands to perform virtually for the Biden Inaugural's "We Are One" celebration. The fast-paced production showcased the famed Sonic Boom of the South in a performance filmed for the inaugural festivities last week due to COVID-19 precautions. "This experience was nothing short of amazing," said saxophone section leader Tiranda Plummer. The junior biology/pre-medicine major is proud her school was selected to play a role in the 2021 Biden/Harris inaugural events. "The whole opportunity is definitely something we can look back on years and years from now and be able to say we were a part of that band to actually help celebrate the 46th president of the United States," said Plummer. The band had a week to practice and execute the field performance paying tribute to the president and vice president with formations of their names across the field at Veterans Memorial Stadium. |
| Local professor explains expectations for President Biden's first 100 days | |
 | President Joe Biden has begun to take executive action to undo some of the actions by President Donald Trump. Millsaps College professor Nathan Schrader broke down Biden's plan during his first 100 days in the White House. "I think we're going to hear him talk more about the need, as he said, to ending an uncivil war in American politics. But, I also think what we're going to see is a flurry of executive orders to undo some of the more controversial and objectionable actions implemented by President Trump, especially on things such as immigration, the Muslim travel ban and the Paris Climate Agreement." Schrader also dismissed the idea that the country is divided and said Biden's words at the inauguration could be encouraging and ignite hope, nevertheless. "I don't believe the country is hopelessly divided. What I think is causing that division to the greatest extent now more than ever is a lack of willingness to agree on basic facts." |
| Mississippi College Law professor on peaceful transfer of power | |
| Amid unprecedented security and fears of unrest, America saw a peaceful transfer of power during the inauguration on Wednesday. Mississippi College Law professor Matt Steffey said everything went off peacefully professionally. "We have not had a person of color in the office of vice president, and we have never had a woman in either, and I've heard from students and former students and people I know who find that quite meaningful," he stated. Steffey said much will be discussed on why the outgoing President Donald Trump broke tradition and missed the inauguration of President Joe Biden with no exact explanation. Former Vice President Mike Pence attended the inauguration. "I know that President Biden seems to hope to send a message of unity that we don't have to be characterized by such a high pitched strife, that people can disagree honorable and get back to the important business," said Steffey. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they are hoping to be able to work with the new administration. |
| Charter schools receive taxpayer dollars. Should their board members follow state ethics laws? | |
| The Mississippi Ethics Commission says charter school board members are subject to state ethics laws, which prohibit conflicts of interest that could lead to the misspending of public dollars. But several operators and advocates of Mississippi charter schools, which receive taxpayer funding, say they should be exempt from those laws. The conflict was brought to light by Ethics Commission opinions filed in 2020 after two charter schools were discovered to be spending their public funding with board members' employers. The revelations highlight long-standing tension between charter school and traditional public school advocates, who say charter schools need to be held to the same standards as other public governing bodies. "The state ethics laws are not overly burdensome; they simply say that members of state agency governing boards cannot profit off of state funds by directing contracts to their own businesses or employer," said Nancy Loome, executive director of the public education advocacy group The Parents' Campaign. "All public school board members must abide by those rules, and charter school board members should, as well." |
| Auburn University reports 100+ COVID-19 cases among campus community in first week of semester | |
 | Auburn University saw its number of new COVID-19 cases reported in a week among its students, faculty and staff surpass 100 for the first time since mid-September 2020. The university said that 113 new virus cases were self-reported to the school during the week ending on Jan. 17, double the number of cases during the week ending Nov. 10 The school also reported a 1.2 percent positivity rate among those tested through its voluntary sentinel testing, according to data released Wednesday. Of the 113 virus cases, 111 were reported on Auburn's main campus and two reported at the Auburn University airport. There have been 1,713 reported COVID-19 cases since Aug. 17, 2020, according to Auburn University data. Auburn University Medical Clinic Director Dr. Fred Kam is encouraging Auburn students to wear their masks both indoors and outdoors as well as sanitizing their hands in order to keep the spread of COVID-19 minimal. "Indoors or outdoors, you do need to wear your mask and please sanitize your hands multiple times as you move around campus," he said. "The goal here is to not have another outbreak at the start of the semester like we did in August." |
| Employees at U. of Arkansas, Fayetteville line up for shots | |
| A vaccination event for University of Arkansas, Fayetteville employees took place Wednesday as the campus seeks to have "up to 1,000" people receive their first doses of the covid-19 vaccine this week, a university spokesman said. The university last week announced plans for a large appointment-only event set for Saturday, but some workers received the vaccine Wednesday, saying they were grateful. "I'm so excited to think that they were making a way for us to be protected from this virus," said Judy Drummonds, 74, who said she's worked at UA for 30 years. Workers entered a gate at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium to receive the vaccine. Vaccine supplies remain limited for UA and other campuses, however. State health officials have said colleges and universities will need to take a phased approach to vaccinating their workers. n a message to the campus, UA has said it is prioritizing employees based on age. UA spokesman Mark Rushing earlier in the week said some nursing students were also expected to be vaccinated Wednesday and then volunteer to help at future campus vaccination events. |
| 'I know what to expect': U. of Tennessee students take more in-person classes | |
 | As students return for the spring semester, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is offering slightly more online and face-to-face classes than it did in the fall, with fewer hybrid classes. This spring, 56% of classes are online, 19% are hybrid and 24% are face-to-face, according to UT spokesperson Owen Driskill. During the fall semester, 55% of classes were online, 31% were hybrid and 14% were face-to-face. Zykeria Holmes, a senior, said she has all online classes this semester but is feeling more comfortable after taking them in the fall semester. She's having to do less guessing about technology and the online learning process, she said. "I can tell that my professors are a little more communicative," Holmes said. Holmes lives in a dorm on campus and said that additional COVID-19 testing on campus makes her feel more at ease. UT has implemented required weekly COVID-19 testing for students living on campus. "It makes me feel better," Holmes said. "If I do get sick, it'll be nipped in the bud or caught early." |
| Gainesville Police announce new traffic enforcement push near campus after U. of Florida student deaths | |
 | Speedy drivers on the streets near the University of Florida campus, may consider themselves on notice. Gainesville Police announced Wednesday night the creation of a new traffic enforcement push on the main traffic arteries near UF, including West University Avenue, Southwest Archer Road, Southwest 34th Street and Southwest 13th Street. The Gator STEP (Special Traffic Enforcement Program) initiative follows the fatal accident that killed a UF student Saturday. The initiative is a collaboration with UF police, the city of Gainesville and other state entities, with an emphasis on crosswalk, pedestrian, speeding and scooter safety violations, GPD's news release said. Police will conduct a crash analysis of West University Avenue to identify causes of accidents that have occurred and how they could be prevented, as well as scheduled DUI enforcements, per the department's press release. The initiative comes after Sophia Lambert, a 19-year-old UF sophomore, was killed at an intersection on West University Avenue Saturday, when a vehicle heading east collided with another vehicle attempting to turn left on Northwest 17th Street. Several other students were injured in the crash as well. Just a month prior, Maggie Paxton, an 18-year-old UF junior, was killed in a hit-and-run while crossing an intersection along the same roadway. |
| U. of Florida asks students to report professors who aren't teaching in person | |
 | Instructor was not in the class. Instructor modified the class to virtual. Instructor cannot be reached. Instructor does not hold virtual lectures during the class period. The University of Florida has updated these course concern-reporting categories since they debuted on its GatorSafe app earlier this month. But some professors still think of the app's new function as a "tattle button" designed to catch professors who don't want to teach in person. "Demoralizing. It's insulting. I think it's a real statement about how they feel about us as professionals, that they don't trust us to think seriously about how to deliver our courses," said Susan Hegeman, professor of English and a spokesperson for the campus's United Faculty of Florida union chapter. "They need to check up on us." Many institutions experienced clashes between administrators and faculty members over whether or how to proceed with in-person instruction throughout the pandemic. Tensions at Florida have been particularly high, with the university pushing for as many in-person courses this spring as were scheduled in spring 2020, prior to the coronavirus shutdown. University officials say half of the 50,000 students enrolled signed up for at least one in-person course this term, and administrators want professors in the classroom teaching in the HyFlex model, with some socially distanced students in the classroom and others following synchronously online, to accommodate them. |
| Kamala Harris' Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters celebrate her with pearls, tears, cheers | |
| As Kamala Harris took the oath of vice president on Wednesday, her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. sisters across Mississippi celebrated the historic moment. AKA South Eastern Director Mitzi Dease Paige said that many members were "tickled pink and green" to see the first woman of color become vice president. "Alpha Kappa Alpha is used to being groundbreakers and trailblazers, because we were the first African American sorority founded in 1908," Paige said. "So this is not a surprise to me that a member of our organization would be sworn in as the vice president of the United States." Paige said many members wore the sorority's signature pink and green colors, pearls and Chuck Taylor shoes to support Harris. Juanita Sims Doty, a 49-year member of the sorority, said she wore her pearls as she watched the inauguration. For Doty, who lives in Jackson, the historic moment is something she looks forward to sharing with the sixth-grade students she mentors. Candie Simmons, president of the sorority's Beta Delta Omega Chapter in Jackson, said the inauguration is a historic day. "I think that today is a great day because now, we as Black women officially have a seat at the table," Simmons said. |
| Biden takes action on immigration on day one | |
| President Biden on his first day in office Wednesday proposed an immigration bill that features a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and makes Dreamers -- young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children -- immediately eligible for green cards. He also signed a memorandum directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to take actions aimed at "preserving and fortifying" the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. A separate executive order repealed a controversial travel ban policy established by former president Trump that barred nationals from a group of mostly Muslim-majority and African countries from entering the United States. Higher education groups praised the reversal of the ban, which initially caused chaos in higher education as students and scholars affiliated with American institutions found themselves stranded abroad. In the nearly four years since the travel ban was put in place, one week after Trump's inauguration, many higher ed officials have argued the policy sent an unwelcoming message to students and scholars around the globe. |
| APLU Hails President Biden's First Day Executive Orders | |
| Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) President Peter McPherson Wednesday released the following statement praising the series of Executive Orders that President Biden is scheduled to sign on his first day in office. "APLU and the public university community congratulate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their inauguration. We look forward to working with them and their administration on a wide array of issues to strengthen the nation and to support the mission of public universities and the students and communities they serve. We are very pleased that President Biden is taking swift action today through a series of executive orders to address some of the most pressing issues facing the nation. These executive orders are critical first steps that, among other things, will help the nation better combat the pandemic, address racial inequity, welcome the contributions of immigrants, support those with student debt, and much more. We look forward to working with the Biden administration and Congress to further address these and other issues. ... There is much work ahead with multiple crises and major challenges, but today's executive orders are a very good first step for the new administration." |
| Biden's Pick to Lead Consumer Protection Agency Is an Aggressive Advocate for Student Borrowers | |
 | President Biden has named a strong advocate for student-loan borrowers to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a peace offering to the energized left flank of his party, and also a sign that the incoming administration wants aggressive oversight of student-loan servicers. Rohit Chopra, a member of the Federal Trade Commission, previously served as the bureau's student-loan ombudsman, where he was an ally of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, a key figure in the creation of the consumer-rights agency. Debtor advocates lauded the move, calling Chopra a "trailblazer" who cracked down on predatory for-profit colleges and rooted out abusive practices in servicing student loans. "Rohit's nomination means that the strongest advocate for student-loan borrowers in our current history will be leading the bureau," said Natalia Abrams, executive director of Student Debt Crisis, an advocacy group. The choice comes at a time when such advocates are hopeful on two fronts: the prospect of mass debt cancellation (Biden has indicated he's open to forgiving $10,000 in student-loan debt, and progressives will push him hard for more) and increased scrutiny of predatory lending practices after four years of diminished enforcement. |
| Biden extends break on repaying student loans | |
| The Education Department said Wednesday night that at President Joe Biden's request, it is continuing to give student loan borrowers a break from making their monthly payments for another nine months, until Sept. 30. The department's student aid website was also updated to reflect the pause had been extended. The department said the order came from Phil Rosenfelt, who was named acting education secretary. However, advocacy groups for borrowers urged him to go further. "Borrowers of all ages are often faced with a tough trade-off between making their student loan payments, investing in their long-term financial future, or paying their bills. The pandemic has only increased the economic hardship of the millions of Americans who have student debt," Biden said in an executive order he issued after being sworn in as president. However, others, like new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, and Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, have called on Biden to go further by canceling $50,000 from all student loan borrowers' debt and bypassing Congress by acting through an executive order. On Wednesday, advocacy groups praised extending the pause but continued to press for more. |
| Fingerpointing, outrage after Trump pardons USC father in college admission scandal | |
 | Federal prosecutors had accused Robert Zangrillo, a Miami developer, of a costly and criminal effort to secure his daughter's entry to USC. In 2017, Zangrillo hired associates of Newport Beach consultant Rick Singer to secretly complete his daughter's high school classes. Later, Zangrillo paid others to complete his daughter's community college classes. And to get his daughter accepted to USC as a transfer student, prosecutors alleged, he opted for Singer's notorious "side door," paying $250,000 as part of a scheme to falsely cast his daughter as a crew recruit. A trial was scheduled for later this year in Boston on charges related to fraud, bribery and money laundering. Yet in the final hours of his presidency on Wednesday, Donald Trump extended a merciful hand toward the wealthy Florida investor and issued a "full pardon" that appeared to put an end to the prosecution. The fallout was swift. In a statement, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, Andrew E. Lelling, took a swipe at Zangrillo for "having his own daughter knowingly participate in a scheme to lie to USC," and said the pardon demonstrated "precisely why Operation Varsity Blues was necessary in the first place." A USC spokeswoman declined to comment on the pardon, even though the university was considered a victim of the alleged fraud. |
| Biden revokes Trump report promoting 'patriotic education' | |
| President Joe Biden revoked a recent Trump administration report that aimed to promote "patriotic education" in schools but that historians mocked and rejected as political propaganda. In an executive order signed on Wednesday in his first day in office, Biden disbanded Donald Trump's presidential 1776 Commission and withdrew a report it released Monday. Trump established the group in September to rally support from white voters and as a response to The New York Times' "1619 Project," which highlights the lasting consequences of slavery in America. In its report, which Trump hoped would be used in classrooms across the nation, the commission glorifies the country's founders, plays down America's role in slavery, condemns the rise of progressive politics and argues that the civil rights movement ran afoul of the "lofty ideals" espoused by the Founding Fathers. Historians widely panned the report, saying it offers a false and outdated version of American history that ignores decades of research. "It's an insult to the whole enterprise of education. Education is supposed to help young people learn to think critically," said David Blight, a Civil War historian at Yale University. |
SPORTS
| Four Bulldogs Participate in Black Student-Athlete Summit | |
| Mississippi State had four student-athletes participate in this year's Black Student-Athlete Summit hosted virtually by the University of Texas from January 6-8. Football's Scott Lashley and Jaylon Reed as well as soccer's Ky Burroughs and Shayla Felder from track and field participated in the event as part of MSU's Student-Athlete Development program. Along with the four student-athletes, Director of Athletics John Cohen, Deputy A.D./SWA & Chief Diversity Officer Ann Carr, Senior Associate A.D./Student-Athlete Support Services & Executive Director of Athletic Academics Christine Jackson, Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development Briana Vaughn, Assistant A.D./Counseling and Sport Psychology Dr. Angel Brutus and Assistant Director of Counseling and Sport Psychology Dr. Aaron Goodson also attended. "Our leadership team and athletic department's commitment to Mississippi State student-athlete wellbeing and life after sport is evident by offering opportunities to attend such events as the Black Student-Athlete Summit," said Jackson. "The speakers and presenters gave great insight on how to equip our student-athletes in the current diversity and inclusion climate as well as giving them a chance to network and build relationships with other student-athletes and administrators across the country. The sessions not only were informative but empowered our student-athletes to know they are more than athletes and their voices matter." |
| In control: How Emily Williams became a 'lethal weapon' for Mississippi State softball | |
| Emily Williams has always been unhittable. Even as a freshman pitcher at Mississippi State, the Carrollton, Georgia, product took the team by storm. In the first couple weeks of her first fall camp in 2017, Williams blew Bulldogs batters away time and time again. "We couldn't touch her," Mississippi State coach Samantha Ricketts recalled. "The hitters could not touch a ball off of her. It took us a minute to get adjusted because that's just how naturally gifted she was." In her three years to date with the Bulldogs, Williams used those intrinsic talents to play different roles. She was a nonconference assassin in 2018 and established herself as the team's No. 1 starter in an up-and-down 2019 campaign. But it took more than physical gifts for the skilled right-hander to break out in 2020, posting a 0.46 ERA -- good for third in the country -- in the shortened season. Thanks to a new approach put in place by Ricketts and pitching coach Joshua Johnson, Williams found a confidence in herself and her ability that she'd never had before. It's another tool in the senior's ever-growing arsenal as Williams prepares for another stellar spring in Starkville. |
| Gilliam Set to Compete in 2021 Augusta National Women's Amateur | |
| Mississippi State's Ashley Gilliam earned an invitation to compete in the prestigious 2021 Augusta National Women's Amateur, played at the home of The Masters, this spring. "It is such an honor to be invited to play in the Augusta National Women's Amateur," said Gilliam. "Ever since the tournament was announced, it has been a goal of mine to be a part of it. I am so thankful for the opportunity to compete in April amongst some of the best in the country." The tournament will be held at the Champions Retreat Golf Club, beginning on March 31 until April 3 (one week before The Masters). The field will be cut to 30 finalists prior to the final round, which will be played at Augusta National. Gilliam, currently No. 130 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), will join the competitive international field of 72 women amateurs for the second edition of this prestigious event. "We are so proud of Ashley and this opportunity that she has earned," said head coach Charlie Ewing. "An invitation to play in the Augusta National Women's Amateur is definitely one of the hardest invitations to earn in all of amateur golf." |
| What 'humbling' loss to Ole Miss means for Ben Howland, Mississippi State basketball | |
| Mississippi State redshirt sophomore guard D.J. Stewart Jr. admitted to something Tuesday night that never bodes well for a team in a rivalry game. He said Ole Miss outhustled MSU from the jump in the Rebels' 64-46 victory. "They really just came out and played harder than us," Stewart said. "Our energy wasn't there from the start and got us down in the first half." It's one thing to lose because the rival simply executed better. It's another to lose because the rival worked harder. Mississippi State, a heavy home favorite, was beaten in both areas. It showed on the scoreboard. The Bulldogs (9-6, 4-3 SEC) have lost three times on their home floor in conference play. Each defeat was demoralizing in its own way. Coach Ben Howland said it has been frustrating trying to get his young team to learn how to handle success. Every SEC loss has come after a conference win. It's been one step forward and a big one right back. "We win a big game and all the sudden everyone is talking about the possibilities for this team," Howland said. "You've got all these people trying to get in these kids' ears. You've got to stay levelheaded." |
| Why Mississippi State's defense has to improve to avoid cratering in crucial SEC stretch | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball is on the precipice of history, but not in a good way. Having dropped back-to-back games against Alabama and No. 8 Texas A&M over the past week, MSU has lost two games in a row for the first time since dropping contests to Kentucky and Tennessee over a three-day stretch during the 2016-17 campaign. As impressive, the Bulldogs haven't lost three straight games since the 2013-14 season -- Vic Schaefer's second year at the helm in Starkville. With No. 5 South Carolina heading to town next week, that streak may be snapped sooner than later. "We have to continue to do the tough things -- rebound the basketball," head coach Nikki McCray-Penson said following Sunday's loss to Texas A&M. "We have to continue to get stops when we need to. The offense, that's going to come here and there, but the defensive end is really where it starts for me." Sitting at 8-4 and 3-3 in Southeastern Conference play, MSU still has plenty of season ahead of it. But with the impending game against South Carolina followed by meetings with No. 15 Arkansas and No. 25 Tennessee, the Bulldogs are sitting in a precarious spot. |
| Greg Sankey on Hugh Freeze coaching in SEC: 'Our schools make their own hiring decisions' | |
 | Greg Sankey cautioned Wednesday a potential Hugh Freeze hire, but wouldn't necessarily block an SEC school from hiring the Liberty coach. When asked about the idea of the Liberty coach returning to the SEC in some capacity, the SEC commissioner said member institutions make the own decisions. "Our schools make their own hiring decisions," Sankey told Clay Travis of Outkick. "I think we've been clear that the conference membership established that each school is responsible, for a head coach position or assistant coach position, to fully evaluate the background of the (candidates). They do that through our office. We share information that is publicly available. Then they make decisions." Freeze's name has popped up for coaching jobs -- including Tennessee after the Vols fired Jeremy Pruitt -- thanks to his successful year at Liberty. In 2018, Sankey made it clear to the league's schools it wouldn't look good for an SEC school to hire Freeze with Ole Miss still dealing with NCAA penalties incurred under his watch. As early as November, AL.com reported Sankey had softened that stance. On Wednesday, though, Sankey added that schools "have to proceed carefully" when making a hire. |
| UGA AD Josh Brooks pledges $100K to create scholarship for Clarke County students | |
 | UGA director of athletics Josh Brooks pledged $100,000 for the creation of a need-based scholarship for UGA students from Athens-Clarke County, according to a Wednesday press release from the University of Georgia Athletic Association. The announcement came two weeks after Brooks' hiring Jan. 6. The Marlise O. Harrell Georgia Commitment Scholarship, named in honor of Brooks' late mother-in-law, will assist recipients with "special on-campus programming" in partnership with the Division of Academic Enhancement, according to the release. "This generous gift reaffirms Josh's commitment to the success of University of Georgia students," President Jere W. Morehead said. "I am very excited about the future of UGA Athletics with Josh at the helm, and this scholarship gift is a terrific start to his tenure. Need-based aid is a vital tool to improve our university, so we are grateful to Josh for his support in that area." Brooks' children attend schools in the ACC district, and in the fall he helped implement the Dawgs for Pups initiative which provided Wi-Fi hotspots to ACCSD students. The initiative also organized food and coat drives for local students. |
| Vanderbilt's Sarah Fuller introduces Vice President Kamala Harris in 'Celebrating America' | |
 | Vanderbilt football player Sarah Fuller introduced Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to hold the office, during an inauguration TV event on Wednesday night. Fuller was preceded by recording artist Yolanda Adams singing "Hallelujah." Those are two jaw-dropping bookends for Fuller, who was a largely unknown Vanderbilt women's soccer player less than two months ago. "I faced a lot of challenges as a goalkeeper on the Vanderbilt University women's soccer team and as a kicker on the football team," Fuller said during "Celebrating America," a TV show on Inauguration Day. "But seeing other women break barriers and be the best at what they do gave me the strength to succeed. And that's why it is such an honor to introduce a true groundbreaker -- and after 232 years of waiting -- being able to say these words: Our nation's first woman vice president, Vice President Kamala Harris." During the inauguration event, Fuller was featured alongside Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and many others. |
| Pac-12 commissioner search: With Larry Scott departing this summer, the conference begins a national search | |
| The Pac-12 waited 10 hours, then made news of its own on Tuesday. News that was both unexpected and easily foreseen. Larry Scott's tenure as commissioner will conclude this summer, one very costly year (for the conference) before the end of his contract. Scott and the Pac-12 presidents explained that they "mutually agreed" to part ways, but there was nothing mutual about this. Scott didn't have the leverage. He did have the support. He didn't have the votes. It was time for a change, and everyone knew it. That the presidents and chancellors acted now, with the pandemic raging and their budgets eroding, indicates a sense of urgency. "It was inevitable,'' a conference source told the Hotline. "We need something different, and we need to get moving as a league. "Nobody is happy with where we are." Although the CEO Group will make the decision collectively, the three-person executive committee will drive the process. That committee is composed of Oregon president Michael Schill (chair), Washington president Ana Mari Cauce and Washington State president Kirk Schulz. Schulz is the Pac-12's representative on the College Football Playoff board of managers; he was Kansas State's president when the Big 12 hired Bob Bowlsby as commissioner; and he knows athletic directors in multiple conferences across the country. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
