| Thursday, May 20, 2021 |
| More room for hurting pets, future vets: $5.6M expansion of MSU animal ER in Flowood underway | |
 | Mississippians taking sick dogs, cats, and birds for treatment at a Mississippi State University animal emergency facility will see it expand by the summer of 2022. President Mark Keenum joined MSU College of Veterinary Medicine administrators and local officials at a May 19 groundbreaking for the $5.6 million addition. Besides serving animal owners, the Central Mississippi facility is vital to enhance training for hundreds of MSU veterinary students. "This is a great teaching facility,'' Keenum said in his remarks to visitors on a windy Wednesday afternoon. It's a premier place where veterinary students participate in surgeries and clinical procedures. During visits to the Animal Emergency & Referral Center in recent years, the MSU president noticed "how cramped and tight it was.'' During most weekends year-round, the parking lot at the 24/7 animal emergency facility at 1009 Treetops Boulevard was jammed with customers. During an accreditation visit, officials commended MSU for its stellar animal center in Flowood, but detected one problem, Keenum said. "It wasn't big enough.'' That will no longer be the case once the 12,000-square-foot addition opens by August 2022. |
| PHOTOS: MSU Animal Emergency and Referral Center groundbreaking in Flowood | |
| Architect Brad Jones, from left, Rep. Brent Powell, R-Brandon, Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum, Mayor of Flowood Gary Rhoads, Dr. Kent Hoblet, dean of Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Keith Coble, vice president of MSU's Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine, Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, and Justin Word, project manager at the Arcon Group MS, LLC, hold shovels as they pose for a photograph during the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the Animal Emergency and Referral Center in Flowood, Miss., Wednesday, May 19, 2021. |
| MSU-Meridian to offer Bachelor of Applied Science emphasis in trades supervision at MCC | |
 | A new Bachelor of Applied Science degree emphasis for students who earned their Associate of Applied Science degree in areas like 3D CAD, precision machinery and electrical technology will be available through Mississippi State-Meridian this fall. Mississippi State introduced the BAS degree in 2019 to offer students, who have earned an AAS degree, the opportunity to apply technical education credits earned from a community college or the military to a bachelor's degree. The new trades supervision emphasis, offered at Meridian Community College's Workforce Development Center, is designed to provide graduates in the east Mississippi/west Alabama region the leadership skills they need to be successful, and will cover such topics as safety, estimating, materials and methods, and project management. The curriculum was developed by George Ford, professor and director of Building Construction Science in MSU's College of Architecture, Art and Design at the university's Starkville campus, along with other CAAD faculty. "We are very grateful to MCC for allowing us to use space on their campus," said Terry Dale Cruse, associate vice president and head of the MSU-Meridian campus. "This offer not only enables us to save initial start-up costs and streamline the rollout to begin offering classes this fall, but it also is one more example of the excellent working relationship our institutions have enjoyed throughout the years." |
| MSU-Meridian partnering with MCC to offer new degree emphasis | |
 | MSU-Meridian will be offering a new Bachelor of Applied Science trades supervision emphasis in the upcoming fall semester. MSU-Meridian will be partnering with Meridian Community College to help make this all happen. "You would be amazed at the interest that we've had in this particular program from students here and throughout the area," said Dr. Terry Dale Cruse, the associate VP and head of campus for MSU-Meridian. "I think that it's going to be a very successful program for us and it's another example of how we're partnering with Meridian Community College to develop programs that meet niche needs in this area and make a stronger community and enhance the economic development in our area." The new degree emphasis will be for students who earned their Associate of Applied Science degree in areas such as precision machinery and electrical technology. "At MCC, we have so many students, hundreds of students who come here with an objective to study something in the skilled trades, and so to be able to now take that and move into a four year degree program is very significant," said Dr. Tom Huebner, the president of MCC. |
| Low broadband access hinders modern producers | |
 | From computer programs that regulate moisture sensors to smartphone apps that allow growers to monitor market data, most facets of agriculture continue their shift to digital platforms. This transition makes reliable internet access no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Despite Mississippi agriculture's annual economic impact of around $7 billion, broadband infrastructure is in short supply in the state's densest agricultural hub: the 19-county Mississippi Delta. Broadband is defined as internet access with download speeds above 25 megabits per second and upload speeds of at least 3 megabits per second. Brian Mills and Devon Meadowcroft, Extension agricultural economists based at the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, compiled data that illustrate the limitations facing many counties and how the lack of broadband access creates significant disadvantages to growers wherever fast internet is scarce. While nearly 20% of the state's overall population lacks broadband access, Mills and Meadowcroft specifically examined the Delta after the relationship between the rate of farm employment and lack of broadband access became apparent. However, many areas in south Mississippi suffer from the same lack of resources. |
| 'Loving' Dog Named Buddy Is on the Road to Recovery After Being Intentionally Set on Fire | |
 | Buddy the dog is on the road to recovery. Last month, a 12-year-old child intentionally set the stray Labrador retriever mix on fire. Buddy is currently being treated at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University for severe burns sustained during the incident. "He's a loving, forgiving dog," Sandy Williams, shelter director of the Tunica Humane Society, told the Clarion Ledger. "I don't know how he's come through this and kept his tender heart, but he has. He's going to make somebody an exceptional dog." Since the incident, Buddy has been treated by doctors at Mississippi State University's veterinary college. He has received two skin graft surgeries performed by professionals using North Atlantic codfish skin. Buddy is expected to have more layers added in further treatments, according to the Clarion Ledger. Dr. Elizabeth Swanson, a medical professional treating Buddy, said that the canine is making solid progress on his road to recovery. "Everything is continuing to move along great," Swanson told the Clarion-Ledger. "The healing is really exceeding our expectations, so we're really pleased with that." "He's very beloved here, he's in all of our hearts," Swanson told the Clarion Ledger. "He's really one special dog." |
| Gelato shop opens in Starkville | |
 | The former Rex Theater ticket office is serving scoops in downtown Starkville. Proof Bakery owners, Bonnie and Robbie Coblentz, opened Dolce on Tuesday at 101 W. Main St. The artisan dessert shop will be open 2-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 2-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The new sweet spot will offer a slew of delectable treats, including gelato, milkshakes, sorbet, gelato panini sandwiches and an Italian dessert called affogato. Affogato al caffe is a scoop of latte or vanilla gelato topped with a shot of hot espresso. The gelato Dolce serves is Sweet Magnolia gelato, a Mississippi-based gelato company. Be sure to check out the new sweet shop in Starkville on social media for updated hours and flavors. "It's an incredibly cool space," Robbie said of the recently renovated Rex. "I think it's going to be a great addition to Starkville and it's something that Main Street needed." |
| Chief Mark Ballard: SPD has recovered 35 stolen firearms in 2021 | |
| With a spike in juvenile violence over the past few months, the Starkville Police Department determined most crimes committed have been linked to auto burglaries. The board of aldermen held its first of two public hearings Tuesday to address an ordinance establishing a juvenile curfew and truancy law. SPD Chief Mark Ballard delivered a presentation on the statistics regarding juvenile curfews and their effectiveness. Many variables contribute to crime, Ballard said, but auto burglaries are often the key component in Starkville. These minors steal firearms out of vehicles and then use those weapons to commit violence, he said. "This curfew is specifically designed to address auto burglary," Ballard said. "We've tried to do an educational front from 2018 to 2019 to 2020 to 2021, and the education is trying to get individuals to lock their car doors for the prevention of weapons." Many of the aldermen and Mayor Lynn Spruill have expressed support for the curfew with the hope of alleviating juvenile crime in the area. While Ballard said he believes the curfew will reduce the amount of auto burglaries, he is unsure if the curfew will affect the volume of crime altogether. "I do not know if the curfew will eliminate the amount of violence we are seeing," Ballard said. "I do believe the curfew will have an impact on stolen weapons that are being used in that violence." |
| New body cameras aim to improve transparency among Starkville community and its police officers | |
 | After months of waiting, Wednesday was finally the Starkville Police Department's Christmas morning as officers received their new body and car camera equipment. The department purchased 60 body cameras. These cameras have triggers, like getting a call or pulling the gun out of a holster, to alert the camera to start recording. This helps officers in the event they forget to press record. The technology also uploads that footage in real-time to the "cloud." Mark Wood, who works for the manufacturer Utility, said this feature can create stronger relationships between law enforcement and their communities, such as transparency. This equipment cost nearly $620,000. Police Chief Mark Ballard said it's expensive but is a much-needed piece of transparency in the law enforcement field. |
| US jobless claims decline to 444,000, a new pandemic low | |
 | The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell last week to 444,000, a new pandemic low and a sign that the job market keeps strengthening as consumers spend freely again, viral infections drop and business restrictions ease. Thursday's report from the Labor Department showed that applications declined 34,000 from a revised 478,000 a week earlier. The number of weekly jobless claims -- a rough measure of the pace of layoffs -- has declined steadily since the year began. The data release coincides with rapid moves by nearly all the nation's Republican governors to cut off a $300-a-week federal unemployment benefit that they and many business executives blame for discouraging the unemployed from seeking jobs. Those cutoffs of federal jobless aid will begin in June. Twenty-two states, from Texas and Georgia to Ohio and Iowa, have acted to block the federal government's $300 weekly payment for the unemployed, according to an Associated Press analysis. Two more states, Florida and Kansas, are considering doing so. Those 24 states all have Republican governors and state legislatures. |
| DeSoto County approves tax exemptions for O'Reilly, Milwaukee Tool and Amazon | |
 | DeSoto County Board of Supervisors approved new applications for business tax investment incentives for a number of existing distribution facilities in the county. The board granted exemptions from county property taxes for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation and Ozark Automotive Distributors, as well as a Free Port warehouse tax exemption for Amazon. DeSoto County offers businesses who are locating or expanding a number of tax incentives including a 10-year partial tax exemption for real and personal property. The abatements reduce taxes by about 35 percent. A Free Port warehouse tax benefit exempts businesses from paying all ad valorum taxes on finished goods shipped out of state. Ron Greenway, director of tax for O'Reilly Auto Parts, said over 60 percent of the workforce is from DeSoto County. "We found that by the nature of the job, most employees live within 15 minutes of the facility," Greenway said. The board also granted a free port warehouse exemption to Amazon for its second Mississippi fulfillment center which is currently under construction in Southaven. The facility will create 500 new, full-time jobs which start at $15 an hour. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves 'a long way' from decision on special session to fix initiative process, adopt medical marijuana program | |
| Pressure from citizens and top politicians is growing for lawmakers to return to Jackson for a special session to fix the ballot initiative process after the Supreme Court struck it down along with the medical marijuana program passed by voters last year. But Gov. Tate Reeves, who is the sole elected official with the power to call lawmakers to Jackson before the next regular session begins in January 2022, says he is "a long way" from making that decision. "(A special session) is something we are certainly willing to consider," Reeves told Scott Simmons at WAPT in Jackson on Tuesday. "We are a long way from being able to make that decision." There are two main issues at play because of the Supreme Court ruling, and both could be taken up in a special session if Reeves wants. First, the state currently has no ballot initiative process, which allows citizens to vote on constitutional changes without legislative approval. Second, the medical marijuana program enshrined in the state constitution by 74% of voters in November 2020 was effectively killed by the Court. On the ballot initiative process, Reeves told WAPT: "We have three branches of government, and it is the judicial branch's job to interpret the law. I don't know that I would have ruled one way or another, but I respect the court and the roles they play, and so now, it is incumbent on the legislative branch to come back and fix this process." |
| State Sen. Melanie Sojourner: Justices 'got it wrong' | |
 | The Mississippi Supreme Court's ruling on Friday to toss out the medical marijuana Initiative 65 because of an apparent technicality has many questioning if Mississippians' right to be heard at the ballot box has been taken away. Mississippians voted overwhelmingly in November 2020 to approve Initiative 65, which if allowed to stand would have paved the way for medical marijuana use under a set of strict guidelines and for specific illnesses. State Sen. Melanie Sojourner, a Republican who represents District 37, which includes Adams County, said she agrees with the dissenting opinion of Justice James Maxwell II, who wrote the majority of justices stepped "completely outside of Mississippi law to employ an interpretation that not only amends but judicially kills Mississippi's citizen initiative process." "I think they got it wrong and believe the system has worked just fine. Whether operating on four or five districts, it's still a representative sample of Mississippi's population," Sojourner said. "The people spoke and passed the referendum resoundingly. I respect their wishes. It's my belief that the legislature should take the people's language and pass it into state law." State Rep. Sam Mims, a Republican from McComb who represents District 97, which includes Adams County, said he thinks whether in a special session or in the next regular session in January 2022, the issue will be "fixed." |
| Medicaid expansion ballot initiative officially halted | |
| The "Yes on 76" campaign to expand Medicaid in Mississippi through a ballot initiative has been officially suspended -- a pro forma move since the state Supreme Court last week nullified the state's ballot initiative process with a ruling striking down medical marijuana Initiative 65. The campaign, backed by the Mississippi Hospital Association and other groups, had just kicked off its drive last week to gather 106,000 signatures and put expansion on the 2022 midterm ballot. But the Supreme Court on Friday ruled the state's ballot initiative process is "unworkable and inoperative" unless and until lawmakers and voters fix state law and the constitution. The ruling also halts initiative drives to allow a vote on the retired state flag with a Confederate battle emblem on it, to legalize recreational marijuana, to enact early voting and to adopt term limits for politicians. In a statement Wednesday, the Medicaid expansion campaign said: "We fully support the call for a special legislative session to restore the constitutional right of Mississippians to vote directly on the issues of importance, including Medicaid expansion, and we will pursue every avenue possible to restore the rights of voters in this state." |
| State to see influx of federal money for broadband internet | |
| Mississippi could see more than $700 million in federal funding for broadband over the next few years, thanks to the CARES Act, FCC grants and a possible infrastructure bill. That doesn't include indirect funding sources such as PPP loans for broadband-related businesses, subsidies for ratepayers, grants for 5G development and older grant opportunities like the FCC's Connect America Fund. The large influx of investment is likely to dramatically alter the digital landscape of Mississippi, which has long been a broadband desert, ranking last in the nation for internet connectivity. According to the U.S. Census data, Mississippi has the lowest rate of broadband subscribers per capita. With the large investment has come a debate as to who gets the funds and where the money will go. Sometimes the grants are divvied up through the FCC's broadband auctions, which Roberto Gallardo, director at the Purdue Center for Regional Development, called a "race to the bottom" because of how they reward the lowest bidder. Mississippi's U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, who has been influential in federal funding for broadband, stated that, while the investment will be "transformative," there is an ongoing need to ensure the buildout delivers broadband to the underserved communities as promised. |
| House approves Jan. 6 commission, with 35 Republicans backing it | |
 | Thirty-five Republicans joined Democrats Wednesday in passing a bill to create a bipartisan, independent commission to thoroughly investigate the Capitol riot Jan. 6, giving hope to backers it might also pass the Senate despite Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's opposition. The bill creating the panel would give the commission subpoena power to call witnesses and produce a report by Dec. 31. Modeled after the widely hailed, independent panel that investigated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, this commission would be charged with scrutinizing what provoked a pro-Trump mob to assault the Capitol and what can be done to prevent another attack. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Americans would have confidence in the commission's findings because it is bipartisan. She also said that the report and recommendations would carry more weight for combining all the information uncovered about the attack, in contrast to a series of hearings working on narrow topics. The vote on the bill was 252-175. It now heads to the Senate. McConnell criticizedthe bill, co-sponsored by Mississippi Democrat Bennie Thompson and New York Republican John Katko, as "slanted and unbalanced." One of McConnell's concerns is that the Democratic chairman would control staff hiring. |
| Mississippi's Michael Guest among 35 Republicans to join Bennie Thompson, Democrats in vote to form January 6 Commission | |
 | Mississippi's Third District Congressman Michael Guest was one of only 35 Republicans who voted in support of Congress forming a 9/11-style Commission to investigate and report on the January 6th Capitol riot. Another Mississippi Congressman, Bennie Thompson (D) from the Second District, was the lead negotiator for the Democrats in the U.S. House to have this new Commission formed under H.R. 3233. Both Thompson and Guest serve on the House Homeland Security Committee, which Thompson chairs. "We need answers to questions surrounding the events of January 6th," Congressman Guest (R) said in a statement to Y'all Politics given Wednesday night following the vote. "I believe the long conversations that have happened over the last few months have produced a commission that is fair and is structured to find actions that Congress can take to prevent another such attack." Mississippi's other two Republican Congressmen -- Trent Kelly (MS-1) and Steven Palazzo (MS-4) -- did not vote to form the Commission. Congressman Thompson appeared on CNN following the vote. He said the 35 Republicans who voted to form the January 6th Commission "took a principled vote." |
| Rep. Michael Guest one of only 35 GOP House members to vote in favor of Jan. 6 commission | |
| Two of Mississippi's four U.S. representatives voted against a commission to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, legislation written by another state representative: Rep. Bennie Thompson. Representatives Steven Palazzo and Trent Kelly, both Republicans, voted no on the measure while Rep. Michael Guest, also a Republican, voted in favor of it. Only 35 U.S. House Republicans voted in favor of the legislation, which would create an independent commission to investigate the insurrection at the Capitol earlier this year. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy openly opposed the commission, which easily passed the Democratic-led House. It now moves on to the U.S. Senate and needs at least 10 Republican votes to pass. Rep. Thompson, who chairs the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. John Katko, a Republican from New York, wrote the legislation. "The January 6th attack was not only an attack on the Capitol – it was an attack on our democracy," tweeted before the vote on Wednesday. "Bipartisan legislation the House will pass today will create an independent commission so we can get answers to the American people and ensure it does not happen again." |
| U.S. House advances bill to expand rural STEM education | |
| In action May 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Rural STEM Education Research Act which was introduced by Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, and Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., who serves as the ranking member of the committee. The legislation addresses the inequities faced by rural students that make it harder to access quality STEM education, including giving teachers more resources and training in STEM, engaging students in hands-on education within their communities, increasing access to broadband, and supporting research to improve the quality of STEM learning in rural communities. The House passed H.R. 210 -- the Rural STEM Education Research Act -- by a vote of 350-75. The bill seeks to award grants to nonprofit organizations or higher education institutions for research and development to advance STEM teaching in rural schools. The bill also establishes a broadband research and development working group to explore challenges and opportunities for expanding broadband access and implementation. This bill supports opportunities for rural educators to refresh and enhance their own STEM knowledge, such as training in computer science or research opportunities at Federal Laboratories and universities. |
| Chip shortage is hitting just about anything with a plug or battery | |
| Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced a bipartisan proposal Tuesday night to spend more than $50 billion to boost semiconductor chip production and research in the U.S. amid a major global shortage. The shortage has hit the auto industry, but that only accounts for about 10% of the demand for semiconductor chips. Now, the shortage is affecting a whole lot more than cars or even computers and smartphones, because these days, almost everything has a chip, whether we think of it as high tech or not. "If it has a plug or battery, it probably has chips in it," said Glenn O'Donnell, research director at Forrester. There's a shortage of all kinds of chips, even the most basic ones, according to Anand Srinivasan, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. "It doesn't matter if it's a $100 part or if it's a 50 cent part," he said. There's just not enough capacity at factories around the world to meet the demand from all of the industries that need chips. If you need something like a new appliance anytime soon, even if you don't care about it being smart, "All of those products will be in short supply," Srinivasan at Bloomberg said. "So you better get in line." Srinivasan said the shortage is likely to get worse before it gets better. |
| A New, Infectious Coronavirus Is Detected In Malaysia -- And It's Coming From Dogs | |
 | In the past 20 years, new coronaviruses have emerged from animals with remarkable regularity. In 2002, SARS-CoV jumped from civets into people. Ten years later, MERS emerged from camels. Then in 2019, SARS-CoV-2 began to spread around the world. For many scientists, this pattern points to a disturbing trend: Coronavirus outbreaks aren't rare events -- but will likely occur every decade or so. Now, scientists are reporting that they have discovered what may be the latest coronavirus to jump from animals into people. And it comes from a surprising source: dogs. When the COVID-19 pandemic first exploded, Dr. Gregory Gray started to wonder if there might be other coronaviruses out there, already making people sick and threatening to trigger another outbreak. The problem was, he didn't have a tool to look for them. So he challenged a graduate student in his lab, Leshan Xiu, to make a more powerful test -- one that would work like a COVID-19 test but could detect all coronaviruses, even the unknown ones. Xiu not only rose to the challenge, but the tool he created worked better than expected. In the first batch of samples tested last year, Gray and Xiu found evidence of an entirely new coronavirus associated with pneumonia in hospitalized patients -- mostly in kids. This virus may be the eighth coronavirus known to cause disease in people, the team reports Thursday in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves announces IHL Board, Community College Board appointees from Northeast Mississippi | |
| Northeast Mississippi residents were among multiple nominees to the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Board, State Board of Education and Community College Board by Gov. Tate Reeves on Tuesday. Dr. Ormella Cummings of Itawamba County and Teresa Hubbard of Lafayette County were both nominated by the governor to represent the Third Supreme Court District on the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Board. Cummings serves as Chief Strategy Officer for North Mississippi Health Services. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Education with an emphasis in Guidance and Counseling and Doctor of Philosophy in Educational and Counseling Psychology from the University of Mississippi. Hubbard serves as President and CEO of CITE Armored, with locations in Holly Springs and Batesville. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Delta State University with a double major in Accounting and Computer Information Systems. Reeves also nominated Luke Montgomery of Itawamba County to represent the former First Congressional District on the Mississippi Community College Board. Montgomery is President and CEO of Montgomery Enterprises, Inc. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Mississippi State University. |
| Delta State's MBA program recognized by FORTUNE in inaugural best online ranking | |
| Delta State University's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program has been named among the nation's best in the inaugural ranking of online MBA programs recently released by FORTUNE. In 2020, recruiters reported shelling out $115,000 median salaries to top MBA graduates, or 70% more than they paid top bachelor's degree recipients. Through conversations and surveys of prospective students and current business leaders, FORTUNE reports that online MBA education will only get bigger. As a result, the global media organization has released its first-ever ranking of the nation's Best Online MBAs. FORTUNE used multiple data sets to formulate education rankings, including data provided by schools, a "Brand Score" that is calculated from a FORTUNE-Ipsos survey of hiring managers and business professionals and a weighted "FORTUNE 1000 Score," which considers business school alumni placement in the C-Suites of the biggest companies in the U.S. DSU ranks No. 91 out of the 104 schools listed. Graduate Program Coordinator Dr. Lisa Cooley said the ranking by FORTUNE helps to further validate the value of an MBA degree from Delta State. |
| Itawamba Community College awards diplomas, certificates during four in-person commencement ceremonies | |
| Approximately 640 graduates received diplomas and/or certificates during four in-person ceremonies at the Davis Event Center at the Itawamba Community College Fulton Campus last Thursday and Friday. The 2021 in-person commencement was the first event of this magnitude since COVID forced ICC to limit or cancel events because of limited facility capacity last spring. Since the 2020 ceremony was delivered virtually, graduates were invited to participate in this year's ceremony, and their names were included in the program. Also among the graduates were 10 Middle College participants from Tupelo High School, who were part of a first-of-its-kind pilot program in North Mississippi, which began in August 2019. The THS juniors attended classes at the ICC Tupelo Campus for the majority of the school day, while taking class at THS to pursue either an Associate of Arts or Associate of Applied Science degree. "Community colleges, such as ICC, are on the front line of helping people reach their potential: academically, personally and professionally," ICC President Dr. Jay Allen said. "And when we succeed and do our best in connecting with students, we help them to recognize and embrace the potential within themselves. In addition, numerous ICC graduates, both past and current, who are healthcare professionals, have gone above and beyond during COVID. We salute you and all of our graduates for your significant accomplishments!" |
| UF Health estimates three quarters of UF students have been vaccinated | |
| With the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in full force, nearly half of Alachua County residents have received at least their first dose. Experts at UF Health estimate between 70% and 80% of University of Florida students have been vaccinated, UF spokesperson Steve Orlando said. According to UF Health, the estimate is based on informal polls at the testing site, conversations with staff and students and its own vaccination numbers. Orlando could not provide supporting data for the university's estimation in time for publication. At least 70% of the population needs to be immune to reach herd immunity, but other factors, such as variants and how people interact, can affect this level, according to John Hopkins School of Public Health. Orlando said the university cannot mandate vaccinations for students or faculty. However, more than 100 U.S. colleges and universities have required students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus in Fall, with the number of institutions following suit expected to grow, according to CNN. "We're looking to be pretty much back to normal in terms of classroom capacity and things like that," Orlando said looking ahead to Summer B and Fall. |
| Governor's order forbids entities from mandating masks; Texas A&M, Blinn lift rules | |
 | Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order midday Tuesday that forbids most local government entities from requiring masks; the order will take effect Friday. Local leaders responded to the order in interviews Tuesday afternoon and evening. Beginning Friday, cities, counties, public health authorities and other institutions may no longer require face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19; according to the order, public schools can continue following mask-wearing mandates through June 4. Abbott's order said local governments attempting to impose a mask mandate could be subject to a fine of up to $1,000. "After June 4, no student, teacher, parent, or other staff member or visitor can be required to wear a mask while on campus," a press statement from the governor's office reads. Effective immediately, Texas A&M University will no longer require masks on campus, officials announced Tuesday afternoon. The university said their decision was pursuant to Abbott's executive order. Texas A&M's announcement "applies to remaining commencement ceremonies, as well as indoor and outdoor facilities and venues. "For employees and students who have not been vaccinated, face coverings are highly recommended to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We encourage vaccination," the university statement reads. The statement includes a link to information about on-campus vaccinations, which are being administered by A&M Student Health Services. |
| U. of Missouri tuition to increase 5% for 2021-22 school year | |
 | The price tag for undergraduate students to attend classes at the University of Missouri in 2021-22 on Wednesday increased by 5%, to $9,639 for the academic year. The new cost equates to $321.30 per credit hour. The University of Missouri System Board of Curators voted 8-1 to approve the tuition increase, with curator David Steelman voting "no." The tuition proposal was introduced last month. Undergraduate students this year paid $306 per credit hour, which is $9,180 for the academic year. The increase is $459 total for the academic year. Ryan Rapp, system vice president of finance and chief financial officer, presented the proposal, saying its goal is increasing student success and academic excellence. "As we move forward, this proposal is really a first step in improving our competitiveness," Rapp said. With the increase, the administration will need to show curators improved student success, said curator Greg Hoberock. More than half the cost of attending the university is housing and meals, he said. "If we are going to affect the cost of education, we have to get the kids out in less time," Hoberock said. |
| Private colleges cut 53.9% of tuition sticker price for freshmen, on average | |
 | Average tuition discount rates among private, nonprofit colleges continued to climb in the 2020-21 academic year as many institutions worked to retain and attract students during the pandemic, a new study from the National Association of College and University Business Officers found. The average discount rate for first-time undergraduates reached 53.9 percent -- an all-time high -- during the 2020-21 academic year, according to NACUBO's preliminary estimates released Wednesday. In other words, for every $100 in tuition colleges appear to charge on paper, they do not collect $53.90 from first-time undergraduate students. Last year, the average discount rate held steady from the year prior at 51.2 percent, falling just short of predictions. The new study revised initial estimates that had shown the discount rate last year was tracking incrementally higher than the year before. For all undergraduates, the average tuition discount rate in 2020-21 ticked up to 48.1 percent, a 2.2-percentage-point increase from the year prior, according to the study. During the 2019-20 academic year, the average discount rate for all undergraduates fell slightly from the year before, from 46 percent to 45.9 percent. |
| Considering Work-From-Anywhere Policies for College Employees? Answer These 5 Questions First | |
 | Colleges are hosting in-person graduations. More campuses are requiring vaccinations for students and employees. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased up on mask policies. Does that mean it's time to go back to your campus office? At some colleges -- and for some positions -- maybe not. Many higher-education employees want to retain flexibility into the fall semester. That may look like adjusted hours or a split between an at-home, in-office workweek. Or it could mean a student-advising team has one person on virtual calls and two people in the office. There are countless paths forward, but this fusion of new digital-workplace norms into pre-pandemic remote-work policies will bring forward new questions about equity, technology, and the role of physical space on campus. Here are five questions college leaders will need to ask themselves as they make the transition: 1. What's on the books already? 2. How are you ensuring an equitable hybrid workplace? 3. What do students expect? 4. What technology -- or technology training -- is needed in a hybrid workplace? 5. What regulatory questions exist? |
| Her '1619 Project' Is a Political Lightning Rod. It May Have Cost Her Tenure. | |
| Less than a month ago, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's journalism school celebrated a coup. Nikole Hannah-Jones, the 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist behind The New York Times's "1619 Project" would join the school's faculty as the Knight chair in race and investigative journalism. In a news release, the school called Hannah-Jones "one of the country's leading voices in journalism covering housing and school segregation, civil rights, and racial injustice in the U.S." But the appointment took a sour turn on Wednesday, when news broke that the university's Board of Trustees had declined to consider Hannah-Jones for tenure, even though past occupants of that position have been granted the coveted status. She will instead be a professor of the practice, a five-year appointment that has the option of tenure review during that period. Some of the particulars of Hannah-Jones's failed tenure bid remain a mystery, but the dean of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media said in a recent newsletter, which a professor provided to The Chronicle, that the process ended with campus-level Board of Trustees. The politicized nature of university governance in North Carolina gave immediate rise to concerns that the Hannah-Jones tenure case had invited an ideological proxy war. "The 1619 Project," which situates slavery and race at the center of the nation's history, has become a political lightning rod, blasted by Donald Trump and his allies as left-wing propaganda that ought to be countered by "patriotic education." Some historians have raised concerns about its accuracy as well. |
| Confusing rules, loopholes and legal issues: College vaccination plans are a mess | |
 | When the coronavirus began to spread around the country last year, most colleges and universities shut their doors. And when they began to reopen in the fall, they did so in piecemeal and convoluted ways. In some cases, students could live in dorms but had to take classes online. Dining halls were reservation-only. Singing was banned. While some schools avoided major outbreaks, others became hot spots. The introduction of three Covid-19 vaccines in early 2021 seemed to present an exit from these patchwork reopenings, which robbed students of a traditional college experience. But an NBC News analysis of rules across the U.S. found that vaccination requirements for students have proven to be just as complicated as the frenetic fall 2020 semester, if not more so. In Texas, public universities can't require a vaccination, but private ones can. In Massachusetts, where colleges and universities can mandate Covid-19 vaccinations, 43 of more than 100 had agreed to do so by mid-May. In New York, public universities cannot allow for religious exemptions, while a majority of the state's private universities can. That patchwork approach is reflected across the country. |
| Colleges scramble to incorporate new CDC guidance on masking into their plans | |
| Colleges and universities are scrambling to revise campus public safety protocols in the wake of new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying that people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear masks in most indoor and outdoor settings or maintain physical distance from others. The CDC guidance, which was issued late last week, has added a layer of confusion to the already politicized debate about mask wearing and is prompting some institutions that had mask mandates in place to change course. Some colleges have begun lifting indoor mask mandates, while others are keeping them in place for now, citing considerations such as a need to increase vaccination rates and the inability to determine who is or is not vaccinated. The CDC says that the risk of contracting the virus among vaccinated people is minimal and the risk of transmitting the virus is also reduced, meaning that in both indoor and outdoor settings, "fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing," except where required by local laws, regulations or rules, including workplace guidance. "With the availability of vaccines and the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have reached a new milestone in our response to this virus," Donde Plowman, University of Tennessee-Knoxville's chancellor, wrote in a campuswide message Monday. |
SPORTS
| NCAA rescinds previous ruling, will allow full capacity for baseball and softball regionals if allowed by local governments | |
| A few weeks after mandating all capacity for venues hosting postseason NCAA Regional and Super Regional sites for both softball and baseball, the NCAA rescinded that policy Wednesday. Instead, any attendance restrictions would be implemented by local or state governments where each site is located. Mississippi currently does not have any attendance restrictions and Mississippi State has been allowing fans in to Dudy Noble Field at full capacity since April. The NCAA said the decision to revoke its previously imposed predetermined capacity limit was based off recommendations from the NCAA COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group. "The effectiveness and prevalence of vaccinations in our country have allowed the Medical Advisory Group to provide this guidance that has tremendous impact on student-athletes, coaches and fans attending NCAA championships," said NCAA chief medical officer Dr. Brian Hainline in a statement. "It's still important for anyone attending championships to remember common sense measures like hand washing, hand sanitization and proper etiquette when coughing or sneezing." In a statement, MSU said it will continue to follow capacity guidelines from Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves' most recent executive order, which lifted any attendance restrictions outdoors. |
| Diamond Dawg Gameday: at Alabama | |
| One last regular season road trip takes the No. 3 Mississippi State baseball program to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to face off with Alabama in a three-game series starting on Thursday (May 20) at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Mississippi State (37-13, 17-10 SEC) enters looking to lock up a top four seed at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama next week, while Alabama (29-19, 12-14 SEC) is in the midst of an 11-game SEC stretch and currently sits fourth in the SEC West and No. 7 in SEC Tournament seeding. The Diamond Dawgs enter the final weekend with a lot up in the air in terms of seeding for the SEC Tournament. Currently tied for the No. 4 seed -- and a bye into the double-elimination portion of the bracket -- with Florida, State can finish as high as tied for first in the conference and as low as seventh in tournament seeding. Alabama grabbed one win at LSU last weekend and is 4-4 over its last eight SEC contests, with its last two midweek games cancelled. Zane Denton leads the offense with a .328 batting average and a .409 on-base percentage, while the duo of Sam Praylor (13 home runs) and Own Diodati (11 home runs) have each reached double-digit home runs in 2021, while Denton and Peyton Wilson have each hit nine. Their 60 home runs as a team rank No. 24 nationally. |
| Postseason scenarios, lineup decisions surround Mississippi State ahead of final SEC series | |
| Mississippi State baseball coach Chris Lemonis is not looking at the scenarios. Mississippi State, ranked No. 10 in the nation by D1baseball after a series loss to Missouri last weekend, heads to Alabama tonight for a must-win series. Game times are at 6 p.m. tonight, 6 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs (37-13, 17-10 SEC) are tied for fourth place in the conference with No. 9 Florida and are projected to be the final national seed by both D1Baseball and Baseball America. Florida visits No. 1 Arkansas this weekend, so the schedule favors Mississippi State in that regard. But while that is the case, Lemonis said on Tuesday night that he hasn't laid out any SEC Tournament or NCAA Tournament scenarios for his team and just wants his team to play well. "I may be wrong, but I don't think there's a coach in our league who lays out the scenarios," Lemonis said. "It's just too much. Maybe I'm old school and it's coach speak, but we just want good practice so we can play good baseball this weekend. Let's get to Thursday night and take care of it." |
| 'He looks like us': Christian MacLeod keeping No. 28 tradition alive and well at Mississippi State | |
| The scouts were in for a show. On Oct. 23, 2017, some 150 major league evaluators and cross-checkers jostled for position along the foul lines in Jupiter, Florida, for the best game of the night: the East Coast Sox Select squad facing the Canes National team in the round of 16 of the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association World Championship. Two of the premier travel baseball organizations in the country were about to square off. The 12 dozen scouts in the crowd watched as midway through the game, the Sox summoned left-hander Christian MacLeod from their bullpen. The senior from Huntsville (Alabama) High School pitched the final five innings, allowing just two hits and keeping the Canes scoreless. At one point between the fifth and sixth, he struck out five Canes in a row. Soon afterward, MacLeod finished off a 3-1 Sox win. "That's a night that I'll never forget," the Mississippi State redshirt sophomore said. For Sox director Eric DuBose, MacLeod's performance marked his emergence on a national stage. "It was a staple for Christian in not only the collegiate world but also the pro world: 'Keep your eye on me. I'm really good,'" DuBose said. Almost four years later, MacLeod is wearing DuBose's old jersey number at the school where DuBose once starred. |
| 'Selfless': How Riley Self has helped Mississippi State baseball after injury | |
| Riley Self was at the forefront of it all. The Mississippi State pitcher, then a sophomore, shut out Florida State in the top of the ninth in the 2018 Tallahassee Regional. It was his third straight scoreless inning in a game that MSU had to win to stave off elimination. The Bulldogs trailed 2-0, and they needed at least two runs to save their season. They got three on Elijah MacNamee's walk-off home run. Self had as good a view of MacNamee dancing around the bases as anyone. Immediately after giving MacNamee a chance to be the hero by stymieing the Seminoles, Self didn't retire to the dugout like most relief pitchers would've. He put a helmet on and watched the walk-off unfold as MSU's first base coach. "It was something that you'll never forget as a fan, player, a coach – anything," Self said. "Just to be at first base when everybody realized it actually went over the fence, this is actually happening, and to have that interaction with Elijah coming around first base, it was something special." Three years later, Self is still coaching first base for MSU. And he isn't even pitching. |
| Women's Golf Set to Finish Season at Barstool's LTP Classic | |
| The Mississippi State women's golf program is preparing to compete in Barstool's Let Them Play Classic, taking place at Whirlwind Golf Club beginning Thursday. Due to inclement weather canceling the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, the squad has a second opportunity to complete their season. Barstool spearheaded the creation of this tournament for the teams that were left out of the cut for the NCAA Championships. Six Bulldogs are competing in the LTP Classic. In no particular order, Hannah Levi, Abbey Daniel, Ashley Gilliam, Blair Stockett, Clara Moyano and Lauren Miller will make up the MSU lineup. The top three scores from every team will be counted toward the team rankings. State will tee off at 9:30 a.m. CT Thursday on hole No. 1, accompanied by North Texas and Quinnipiac. The second round of the event will follow shortly after, taking place on the opposite course, to total 36 holes for the first day. |
| SEC gives extra $23 million to each school because of COVID | |
| The Southeastern Conference has given its 14 member schools $23 million each to help offset the financial impact of COVID-19 on their athletic programs. The league announced the supplemental revenue distribution Wednesday. The SEC said it plans to use future conference revenues from increased media rights fees to pay for the one-time supplement to the 2020-21 fiscal year payouts. "The extraordinary circumstances produced by the global pandemic have presented colleges and universities with an unprecedented disruption to their programs and budgets," SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. "This supplemental revenue distribution will help ensure each SEC member will continue to provide high levels of support to its student-athletes." SEC members averaged some $45 million in revenue shortfalls because of the pandemic, though amounts varied, the league said. The SEC said it will begin allocating a portion of those media rights fees starting in 2025 to pay for the supplemental distributions. The league projects its annual distribution to each school will still rise after that. |
| To Aid Schools' Financial Losses, SEC Distributes Supplemental Revenue to All 14 Members | |
| Schools in the SEC are getting help from headquarters. The league has distributed $23 million in supplemental revenue to each of its 14 members in an effort to help offset the financial impact of COVID-19, commissioner Greg Sankey confirmed to Sports Illustrated in an interview this week. The league is financing the distribution of $322 million by accessing future earnings from its multimillion-dollar media rights deal with ESPN that begins in 2024. The SEC is the only conference to have announced additional distribution to its schools, and the amount is significant. The SEC is securing the supplemental revenue by borrowing from its future media rights earnings in a deal facilitated through Truist Securities, a corporate and investment bank located in Atlanta, and Regions Capital Markets, a division of Regions Bank. In December, the league announced a 10-year, multimillion-dollar contract with ESPN and ABC that begins with the 2024 football season. The league expects that its annual distribution will still increase starting in 2025 even after the reallocation -- a striking fact that only further illustrates the richness of the SEC's new deal with ESPN. Industry insiders believe the deal is worth more than $300 million, which would add $20 million in additional revenue to each school's annual distribution. |
| Where Alabama baseball might end up come NCAA tournament selection | |
 | The regular season is all but wrapped up, and Alabama baseball making the NCAA Tournament is far from a guarantee. Seven SEC teams rank in D1 Baseball's most recent top 25 rankings, but the Crimson Tide is not one of them. Based on where a few outlets are projecting Alabama, the Crimson Tide is a fringe team. It could get in, but it might not. In case it isn't clear, the Crimson Tide might need a strong finish if it hopes to play in the NCAA Tournament. Alabama (29-19, 12-14 SEC) isn't riding a hot streak by any means. This month, the Crimson Tide started off with a 2-0 series win vs. Missouri, then lost 2-0 to No. 3 Vanderbilt before losing a series 2-1 against LSU. Now, the Crimson Tide has only a couple of more games to make its case for the NCAA tournament. First up on the make-the-NCAA-tournament to-do list: Facing No. 10 Mississippi State. Alabama will face the Bulldogs in a three-game series Thursday through Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Then, the SEC Tournament starts on May 25 in Hoover. Wins won't be easy for Alabama in the crowded SEC, but a few wins over the next weeks could go a long way in helping Alabama when the selection show starts May 31. |
| NCAA to allow full capacity crowds for baseball, softball tournaments | |
| The NCAA will permit full capacity attendance for its spring championships, including baseball and softball tournaments, if host schools and state guidelines allow it. The NCAA previously recommended only 50% capacity for its postseason tournaments. But its announcement Wednesday was based on recommendations from the NCAA COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group, which gives local public health authorities the decision of fan capacity. It immediately opens up portions of the NCAA softball tournament. Tennessee and LSU were among the first hosts to announce they will permit full capacity attendance at the Knoxville, Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge regionals on Friday, respectively. Numerous SEC baseball programs had already gone to full capacity for home games, so they will continue to fill their stadiums in the postseason. Before the announcement, Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin, whose team won the last national title in 2019, said he was in favor of expanding the attendance protocols for the postseason. The updated attendance policy means Vanderbilt and other potential baseball hosts could have sellout crowds for their NCAA Regionals, which begin June 4. That especially affects the SEC, where many programs have already opened to full capacity for regular-season home games. |
| NCAA opens door for full stadiums at baseball, softball regionals | |
| The University of Arkansas will allow full capacity at the remainder of its home baseball and softball games this year. The move follows the NCAA's announcement Wednesday that it will defer to local health guidelines on capacity limits for softball and baseball regionals. The NCAA previously announced it would limit capacity to 50% at all host sites this postseason, but reversed course based on a recommendation from its medical advisory group. The NCAA's decision comes less than a week since the CDC changed covid-19 recommendations related to distancing and mask wearing. Arkansas will host a softball regional beginning Friday. The Razorbacks' No. 1-ranked baseball team is expected to host a regional beginning June 4. Masks will no longer be required at the Razorbacks' home games, but individuals not vaccinated for covid-19 are encouraged to wear them, according to the UA. UA athletics director Hunter Yurachek said last week he lobbied for local guidelines to take precedence at NCAA championship events on the UA campus, such as softball and baseball regionals. |
| UGA baseball full capacity could signal a packed Sanford in fall | |
 | Georgia's final home baseball series that starts Thursday night could go a long way to determining the team's postseason fate and signals what looks more and more like what's to come in Bulldog sports venues next fall and beyond. A filled-up Foley Field for the three-game series with No. 11 Ole Miss will mark the first full capacity competition for a Georgia sports team at home since March 2020, before the pandemic. "I think it's a great sign, especially with all the good news we've had recently," Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said Wednesday. "This is a great end of the year milestone to be able to do it before the year's up as we look forward to the fall." The school gave the green light last week for that move for games Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Attendance had been limited to 664, and now capacity will return to 3,200. In a newsletter emailed to athletic donors last week, the school said "we also plan for the 2021 fall season of competition to be conducted in normal fashion. We can't wait to join together again in more normal circumstances to cheer on the Dawgs!" Georgia on Sunday removed the seatbacks in Sanford Stadium that had been in place to accommodate a socially distanced crowd of more than 20,000 in a venue that seats 92,746. That's another sign that a football season with full capacity is on track. |
| How did Tony Vitello build Tennessee baseball into a juggernaut poised for a CWS run? | |
 | A Tennessee athletic department in need of some positivity got a shot in the arm this spring thanks to Tony Vitello's baseball program. The fourth-ranked Vols (40-13) are playing like a team capable of making the College World Series for the first time since 2005. And the fiery and affable Vitello, Tennessee's fourth-year coach, has emerged as one of the most popular figures in town. Tennessee will close the regular season with a three-game series at South Carolina (32-18) that will begin Thursday (7 p.m. ET). On this edition of "The Volunteer State," Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Mike Wilson offer an examination of Vitello's program and how it got to this point. Wilson says Tennessee's success has emerged from a multi-pronged approach: The program embraced a gritty attitude that reflects its coach, Vitello developed the talent he inherited, and he raised the bar for recruiting, including successfully infusing junior college talent. Toppmeyer wonders whether Vitello is in line for a raise. He's under contract through 2024. His salary is $600,000 this season. Many of Vitello's SEC peers earn in excess of $1 million. Toppmeyer says Tennessee should get out of its habit of paying lofty buyouts to fire bad coaches and administrators and invest in successful coaches, like Vitello. |
| Sports betting could be legalized in Louisiana by football season | |
 | The state Senate overwhelmingly approved Wednesday the proposed set-up that would allow betting on football, basketball, and other sporting events in time for football season. Senators voted 31-6 on Senate Bill 247 that lays out how the betting will take place and how it will be regulated. Wagers will be able to placed on smart phones, in casinos, at kiosks in bars and restaurants that serve liquor. It takes effect on July 1. The measure now heads to the Louisiana House for consideration. Senators amended the legislation to allow temporary licenses while the casinos build out a section for sports wagering in order to get through the initial football season. Voters in 55 of the state's 64 parishes endorsed a proposition in November allowing residents in those parishes to make wagers. Geofencing software will ensure that no wagers will be made in any one of the nine parishes that opted out. Bettors have been asking lawmakers since the statewide vote when they would be able to bet on sports. But legislators need to establish just how sports wagering would work, how much it would cost, and how it would be regulated. |
| Curators OK $33 million Mizzou football indoor practice facility | |
| An indoor practice facility, described as critical for the development of the MU football program, received unanimous approval Wednesday from the University of Missouri System Board of Curators. Expected to be completed by December 2022, the 86,400-square-foot building will have a project cost of just over $33 million. It will be funded by donations, using short-term financing as the donations come in. Donations have been pledged to cover the entire cost, said Ryan Rapp, system vice president for finance and chief financial officer. The building will help improve enrollment and the endowment, said curator David Steelman. "I think this investment in football and in athletics is crucial," Steelman said. Curator Greg Hoberock said the increased cost and availability of building supplies may affect the cost and schedule of the project. That has been factored into the proposal, Rapp said, already resulting in changes to the scheduled completion. The facility will be built next to the South End Zone Complex. It will have a full-size football field with space in the end zones and on the sidelines for player safety. It will include exam spaces and storage areas. It will have access to an upper mezzanine with amenities including a viewing lobby and restrooms for use on game days. |
| Proposed Oregon college athletes name, image, likeness bill no longer includes royalty payments from 'merchandising' deals | |
| The proposed state legislation to permit college athletes in Oregon to be compensated for their name, image and likeness has been amended to no longer include "royalty payments to each student athlete who is a current member of the team" related to an athletic department's merchandising agreements after the head of the NCAA pushed back and told state lawmakers the payments that provision calls for would make athletes ineligible. The unique and controversial aspect of Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Sens. Peter Courtney, D-Salem, and James Manning Jr., D-Eugene, would've required "royalty payments to current members of team" from a school's merchandise and apparel deals. But that provision was stricken from the bill entirely on Wednesday after Courtney said he met virtually with NCAA president Mark Emmert, who told the Oregon Senate President the provision, if passed, would make college athletes in Oregon employees and thus ineligible to compete by the association's rules. "It's a tragedy," Courtney told The Oregonian/OregonLive Wednesday afternoon. "Mark told me that if I keep that in the bill, they will disqualify Oregon athletes. They will ban them. And I went crazy because he says it'll make them employees. I basically at this stage of the game just want to get a bill passed, but I can tell you to me it's symbolic. The UO has fought this thing from Day 1, Oregon State has fought this thing, Portland State is now on board, I hear. I can tell you that I'm not happy. ... I'm too mad. I'm going to do this because I can't take a chance that student-athletes are going to get ruled ineligible." |
| The Mountain Bike Cure: Exercise, Fresh Air and Fellowship | |
 | Last summer, Cat Rainwater was overweight and going through menopause at an accelerated clip. That, on top of the stresses of pandemic lockdown, was leading to a mental health crisis. "I was suicidal," said Ms. Rainwater, 49, a mortgage underwriter based in Austin, Texas. "My sister was taking care of me and she said, 'We have got to get you active.'" She started trail running, until she injured her knee. "Meanwhile, all of these mountain bikers were just whizzing past me," Ms. Rainwater said. "I found the bike community and it's been love since then." She connected with Austin's mountain bike community via Facebook, and started meeting up for weekly group rides. She was struck by how welcoming other bikers were, regardless of age or skill level. The more she rode, the better she felt. "I mean it when I say that mountain biking saved my life," said Ms. Rainwater. Ms. Rainwater is far from alone in her desire to seek respite from the pains of 2020 in the great outdoors -- national parks saw record admissions numbers, surfers took to frigid lakes in search of waves and e-biking has skyrocketed. But for mountain biking, which already experienced a meteoric rise of interest in the last decade, thanks to improved bike technology, an increased trail infrastructure and growing interest as a high-school sport, the pandemic added fuel to an already growing fire. Mountain biking's growth in 2020 was extraordinary. According the market research company NPD Group, sales of front-suspension mountain bikes were up 150 percent last spring; by June, sales of more expensive full-suspension mountain bikes grew by 92 percent. The upswing seems likely to continue -- Market Research Future predicts that the market will grow by 10 percent worldwide between now and 2027. |
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