| Wednesday, July 7, 2021 |
| MSU-Meridian partners for new Bachelor of Applied Science degree | |
 | Photo: Harold "Boo" Hollingsworth, an HVAC instructor at East Central Community College speaks with Kristi Dearing, coordinator of academic advising and transfer partnerships at MSU-Meridian about a new Bachelor of Applied Science degree trades supervision emphasis available only in Meridian this fall. The new emphasis 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. Hollingsworth decided to enroll in the program to further his own education and hopes the first-hand knowledge he gains through his core classes and electives will also help him as he advises his own students at ECCC, and how the program might benefit them as well. Face-to-face classes for trades supervision will be held at Meridian Community College's Workforce Development Center. For more information about the BAS degree program, contact Kristi Dearing at (601) 484-0229. |
| Camgian Microsystems adding 25 jobs in Starkville | |
 | High-tech research and development and product development company Camgian Microsystems Inc., is adding 25 jobs as it expands in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. In March, the company was awarded a $6.9 million contract with the U.S. Army to develop a next-generation intelligent system for detecting and defeating the growing unmanned aerial threats to U.S. military forces. "Camgian is a golden example of a high-tech Mississippi company doing great things here at home and around the world. Some of the nation's brightest engineers are located here in our great state – the Silicon Valley of the South. I know Camgian and its employees will continue putting Mississippi on the map by delivering some of the most sought-after sensors and artificial intelligence products to users across the globe," said Gov. Tate Reeves. Said MDA Executive Director John Rounsaville, "The work being performed by Camgian once again shines the spotlight on the sharp talent found throughout Starkville and the Golden Triangle Region." |
| Tech developer Camgian Microsystems expanding in Starkville, creating 25 jobs | |
 | Camgian Microsystems is expanding in Starkville and adding 25 new jobs. The high-tech research and development and product development company is expanding in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park across from Mississippi State University. In March, the company was awarded a $6.9 million contract with the U.S. Army to develop a next-generation intelligent system for detecting and defeating the growing unmanned aerial threats to U.S. military forces. |
| Starkville leadership working with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to preserve Civil Rights landmarks | |
 | The city of Starkville is currently in the process of working with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to preserve local landmarks from the Civil Rights Era. "Mississippi is a state that struggled to do the right thing during the Civil Rights Era," says Ward 5 Alderman Hamp Beatty. "We had to be dragged along figuratively kicking and screaming to do the right thing during the 50s and 60s." One year after social justice marches took center stage across the nation, Alderman Beatty and other city leaders in Starkville are working to make sure the fights for equality of the past are not forgotten. It was back in June when Alderman Beatty brought the proposal to the Starkville Board of Alderman (which they approved) to find and designate buildings and locations of significance to the Civil Rights movement throughout the city. "Mississippi has made significant strides over the last 50 years but we still have a long way to go and this is our way of saying 'We want to do the right thing,'" he says. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History awarded the city a grant, that the board voted to match, that adds up to at least $10,000 for the preservation of Starkville's Civil Rights landmarks. "It sends a signal to people in other parts of the country that our state is changing for the better," Alderman Beatty says. |
| 'Roll with it': Starkville Boys and Girls Club returning to normalcy | |
| Shanique Morgan measures the pandemic by her son's reading progress. When the pandemic began, he was only 3. He didn't understand what was happening, so she tried to create normalcy for him. She tried a little bit of everything: She got him an indoor trampoline, a bike, and a water slide. They tried to play outside in the backyard each day, and once restrictions were lifted, she took him to a nearby park to play. Morgan set up a routine, and used the time in lockdown as an opportunity to help teach her son some things to master his ABCs, his sounds, his phonics, and to identify letters. "I can actually say when the pandemic first hit, he couldn't recognize all his letters," she said. "But then, by the time we actually came back to work in August, he was able to identify all of his letters, make the sounds and things like that." As the unit director for the Starkville Boys and Girls Club, Morgan often measures her time by children. Originally from Newton, she went to college at Mississippi State University in Starkville. She began working as a youth development professional in 2012 before she went to graduate school. After a two year hiatus, she returned to the field to serve as the site director, a position she's held for four years. It was during Spring Break in March 2020 when COVID-19 came. |
| Patrick Johnson: New Delta Council President hitting the ground running | |
 | Patrick Johnson, forty-seven, the new president of the Delta Council, is the fourth generation in his family to be involved in a large agricultural operation in Tunica County. His family also provides aerial spraying through Tunica Air. And, while agriculture is still king in the Delta, Johnson is also dedicated to promoting other economic development efforts in the Delta while also working to protect groundwater and serving as an advocate for the Delta with state and federal government officials. "Patrick has a strong working knowledge of farm policy, economic development, the issuing related to the Mississippi Alluvial Aquifer, and other key issues that are critical to the viability of the Mississippi Delta's economy," says Buddy Allen, a Tunica agri-businessman who is the CEO of the American Cotton Shippers Association. "I believe that Patrick will do a wonderful job leading Delta Council. I have been in business with Patrick for over twenty years and could not be more proud to claim him as a partner and a friend." Frank Howell, executive vice president of Delta Council, says they are excited about Johnson's year as president. "Patrick has been a long-time leader in his community and the region, and Delta Council will be the beneficiary of his wisdom, experience, and inherent sense of fairness," Howell says. "Patrick has served as the chairman of Delta Council's Farm Policy Committee the past several years, a past chairman of Delta F.A.R.M., and has served his local community and church in numerous capacities of leadership." |
| Mississippi's first Buc-ee's will mean a $15M makeover for I-10's Menge Avenue exit | |
 | Two big projects approved Tuesday by the Harrison County Supervisors move along plans for a Buc-ee's travel center at Menge Avenue and a 300,000-square-foot sorting and distribution center in the Bernard Bayou Industrial Park in Gulfport. The distribution center is a $50 million project, said Bill Lavers, executive director of the Harrison County Development Authority. He isn't yet able to identify the tenant, he said. "Buc-ee's is a $50 million project, too," he said. The two will create more than 700 jobs, he said, but it will be more than two years before they open. This will be the first Buc-ee's in Mississippi. Texas-based Buc-ee's Travel Centers are known for their massive square footage, long aisle of gasoline pumps, huge gift shop, food selections like beaver nuggets and "the world's cleanest restrooms." The approval from the supervisors is for $15 million in improvements to the Menge Avenue exit, taking it from two to five lanes, Lavers said, across the interstate and to the access roads. "It will help the whole neighborhood," he said. |
| Neshoba County Fair live and in person, just around the corner | |
 | It's that time of year again, time for the Neshoba County Fair (NCF). Each year the fair features, entertainment, rides, games, food, horse races and of course the political speeches. This year's musical artists include Hardy, Trace Adkins, Jordan Davis and Riley Green. The NCF has been happening since 1889, and was first referred to as the Coldwater Fair. It was later rebranded in 1891 as a private corporation called the Neshoba County Stock and Agricultural Fair Association. At that time, it was also moved to its current site. One of the events on the agenda that has earned Neshoba much of its fame are the political speeches that happen every year. Neshoba has hosted major public figures on the platform such as Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp and John Glenn. Donald Trump Jr. appeared at the Fair a few years back as well. The political forum was first introduced by Governor McLaurin in 1896 when he spoke at the Fair. This year's lineup of public and political speakers has officially been released. You can catch them on Wednesday, July 28, and Thursday, July 29. |
| Mississippi employment office gets $2.5 million federal grant to improve workforce data | |
| The Mississippi Department of Employment Security has secured a $2.5 million federal grant to improve the state's employment and workforce data. The U.S. Department of Labor's employment and training administration heads the grant program, which helps states grow databases to examine whether education programs lead to jobs, if jobseekers are selecting training-related positions, and the impact of training on workers' wages. The grant comes as the state plans to double down on addressing labor shortfalls with a new workforce development office. Ryan Miller, a former program director at the University of Mississippi, began as the office's first executive director in the spring. When Miller's appointment was announced in March, Gov. Tate Reeves said the new office will strategize how to move more Mississippians into higher paying jobs and train more workers to meet the demands of modern labor needs. The improved data through the grant program is aimed at aiding state leaders, employers and educators in identifying the pathways and programs that lead skilled workers to higher paying, in-demand positions. The data can also help workers make informed decisions about their own education and job interests, according to the department of labor. |
| Special elections will fill 2 seats in Mississippi Senate | |
 | Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves will set special elections to fill two empty seats in the Mississippi Senate. Democratic Sens. Sampson Jackson of Preston and Tammy Witherspoon of Magnolia stepped down June 30, the last day of the state budget year. Witherspoon was inaugurated the next day as mayor of her hometown. Republican Reeves will decide on special election dates later this month, spokeswoman Bailey Martin told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Legislators are not at the Capitol now, and their regular session begins in January. Candidates in special elections in Mississippi run without party labels, and these elections will not change the balance of power. Republicans hold a majority in the 52-member Senate. Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said in a statement Tuesday that Jackson and Witherspoon were both known for working across party lines. "After nearly three decades of service, Sen. Jackson has a wealth of experience and knowledge about the legislative process and policy which served his district very well," Hosemann said. "Sen. Witherspoon was equally as dedicated to finding solutions and opportunities for her constituents." |
| Two Democratic state senators resigning in Mississippi | |
| State Sens. Sampson Jackson, D-Preston, and Tammy Witherspoon, D-Magnolia, have announced their resignations midway through their current terms. Witherspoon was recently elected mayor of Magnolia and began serving in that office on July 1. She has served six years in the Legislature as senator for District 38, which includes Adams, Pike, Walthall and Wilkinson counties. She was chairwoman of the Enrolled Bills Committee and vice chairwoman of the Housing Committee. Jackson, who represented District 32 including Kemper, Lauderdale, Noxubee and Winston counties, has served in the Legislature for 30 years. He was chairman of the Forestry Committee. He told local news outlets in his home district that he felt it was simply time for him to retire. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann thanked Jackson and Witherspoon for their service and said both senators "had a collegial and congenial nature in the chamber, and oftentimes worked across the aisle on issues aimed at making Mississippi a great place to live and work." |
| New MDOC visitation policy too restrictive, loved ones of incarcerated Mississippians say | |
| Doris Carpenter worries about her young grandson. It's been 15 months since he's seen his father -- her son -- who is serving a 10-year sentence at the Bolivar County Correctional Facility in Cleveland. That likely won't change any time soon because of a new policy put in place by the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The visitation policy, issued by MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain in May 2021, lays out guidelines restricting age and time frames that people can visit their loved ones inside of prison. According to the new policy, incarcerated people can only have two adult visitors and no children per session, and they can only come during specific hours once a month. "It's unfortunate that a 7-year-old child cannot see their father and cries all the time ... In essence, they're keeping their children from their loved ones," Carpenter said. Over a year after COVID-19 gripped the state and the nation, MDOC mandated people incarcerated inside their prisons take COVID-19 vaccinations or forgo visitation once it was reinstated. While people can now visit the prisons, family members like Carpenter say the department's new policy is not sufficient. "It's almost like MDOC is doing everything in their power to prevent the visits than rather allow the visits," Carpenter said, "even though the inmates have had the vaccine." |
| Trent Lott, Haley Barbour named chairmen of Lott-Cochran Statesmen Hall Fund | |
| Governor Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Republican Party today announced Chairmen of the MSGOP's newly created Lott-Cochran Statesmen Hall Fund. Former U.S. Senator Trent Lott and former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour have been appointed as the inaugural chairmen of the Fund. "We are thrilled to announce this new fund that will allow us to make necessary improvements to our Party headquarters," said Frank Bordeaux, Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party. "The MSGOP has made incredible progress over the past four decades on the local, state, and federal levels. This new fund gives us an opportunity for the Party to have a central office that all Republicans in Mississippi can be proud of and call home." Funds will go towards improvements of the Lott-Cochran Statesmen Hall, which has served as the headquarters of the Mississippi Republican Party since 1991. The building was named in honor of Senator Trent Lott and Senator Thad Cochran in 2000. "I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to the Party that I have called my own since the beginning of my political career," said Lott. "The MSGOP deserves a headquarters that reflects the success they have experienced over the past several years. I look forward to working with Governor Barbour to restore the Lott-Cochran Statesmen Hall and protect the integrity of this historic site." |
| Russians Tried To Hack Republican National Committee | |
 | Hackers associated with the Russian government gained access last week to a contractor for the Republican National Committee, the RNC said in a statement Tuesday. The RNC said that its contractor Synnex had been hacked, but added no access was gained to any RNC data. "We immediately blocked all access from Synnex accounts to our cloud environment," Richard Walters, the RNC's chief of staff, said. "Our team worked with Microsoft to conduct a review of our systems and after a thorough investigation, no RNC data was accessed. We will continue to work with Microsoft, as well as federal law enforcement officials, on this matter." The FBI said it "is aware of the incident and has no additional comment at this time." The breach would be the second major cyberattack by a Russian network on the United States in recent days. A ransomware attack by the Russian-language REvil gang struck at least 200 U.S. companies over the weekend. President Biden said that attack did "minimal damage to U.S. businesses, but we're still gathering information." |
| Ransomware attacks: Pressure grows on Biden administration to curb costly hacks | |
 | A massive ransomware attack last week has intensified pressure on the Biden administration to demonstrate it is working to curb the threat, with top national security officials set to brief the president Wednesday on how the government can counter the costly and increasingly brazen assaults by Russia-based hackers. While intelligence officials have not publicly attributed the latest attack, a group known as REvil, which U.S. officials say privately operates largely from Russia, has taken responsibility for striking up to 1,500 companies in the United States, Europe and Asia. It was, experts say, the single largest such cyberattack to date. White House officials next week are to resume talks with Russian officials about the threat, a dialogue that began after President Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States would hold Moscow responsible for cyberattacks originating from Russia even if they cannot be directly linked to the Kremlin. Although last week's attack on the Miami-based IT software firm Kaseya appears to have caused what Biden called "minimal damage" to U.S. businesses, it rattled national security officials, and personnel at key federal agencies worked through the July 4 holiday weekend to assess the damage -- work that is ongoing, the president added. Such disruptive cyberattacks that have been locking up the networks relied on by hospitals, schools and industry -- with hackers demanding large sums of money to unlock them -- are seen as a more pressing threat today than traditional limited espionage carried out by governments against other governments, political parties and other targets. |
| Conservative climate caucus head: GOP has shifted on warming | |
 | Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) says he's poised to lead his party to the negotiating table in search of durable solutions to the climate challenge after years of working to understand the issue. He announced a new Conservative Climate Caucus last month, complete with the backing of nearly a third of House Republicans, in hopes of getting the GOP more comfortable talking about the climate issue and their proposals. Curtis, a mild-mannered former mayor of Provo, Utah who came to Congress in 2017, understands the skepticism some may have toward the group, and said he's "ready to be judged" in a year on what impact it's had on the climate change conversation. In a recent phone interview, Curtis said he's wary of linking particular events, like last week's heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, to climate change directly rather than examining longer-term trends, which he finds more compelling. He thinks Democrats may be making a mistake in calling climate change a crisis and says his caucus won't endorse specific legislation to address the problem. The congressman also said he's not yet on board with carbon pricing, despite increasing interest from industry groups. |
| Will Mississippi colleges require COVID vaccines, masks this Fall? | |
| One of the biggest current debates regarding education is whether or not schools will require students and teachers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the 2021-2022 school year. College immunization requirements are established by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi. COVID-19 vaccines are currently under emergency use authorization. Under an emergency use authorization, the FDA may allow the use of unapproved medical products in an emergency to diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions when certain criteria have been met. When the vaccine is granted with full FDA approval, immunization requirements will become more common in colleges and higher education institutions. Mississippi State will continue to urge all employees and students to be fully vaccinated, but it is not required. The University of Mississippi has announced similar plans to that of Mississippi State. USM says more details about the Fall 2021 semester will be released at a later date. Jackson State University is currently finalizing their COVID-19 plan for the Fall 2021 semester. |
| Some colleges in Jackson say students won't be required to get vaccine come fall, others undecided | |
| The state's two largest universities, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, recently announced they will not require students to get vaccinated before returning to campus. WLBT reached out to a number of colleges in Jackson to see if they will follow suit. In an email, Jackson State University said they're in the midst of finalizing their policies for fall but that, for now, they're strongly encouraging everyone to get vaccinated through their partnership with Jackson Hinds Comprehensive. Smaller universities like Millsaps College said they're doing the same, according to their VP of Marketing and Communications. "At this particular moment, we are not requiring that our students receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but we are definitely recommending it," Annie Mitchell said. "As a matter of fact, we just sent a postcard out that they would've received last week about the benefits of receiving the vaccine." At Tuesday's vaccination clinic at JSU, some students said they'd feel more comfortable if their school required vaccinations ahead of next semester. "I kind of see both sides when it comes down to not requiring it and requiring it," JSU senior Lance Perrilloux said. "But me personally, I would prefer it due to the fact that -- what do we have to lose?" |
| Campers' gravity experiment includes dropping items from USM building | |
 | If you ever wondered what falls faster between a tomato or a cantaloupe, or what it looks like when a watermelon is dropped off a 10-story building, Lake Thoreau Environmental Center's campers have the answer. Campers taking part in the center's "Camp of Dangerous Deeds and Derring-do" tested the principles of gravity June 25 by tossing various items from Johnson Science Tower on The University of Southern Mississippi's campus. Items dropped included a cantaloupe and tomato simultaneously, gallon jug of mayonnaise, strawberry Jell-O mold, a dozen eggs, a bag of flour, six Whamo superballs and paper airplanes. The campers also strapped buttered toast to multiple stuffed cats to see if the cats would land on their feet or the toast would land butter-side down. The answer? Both. Camper Chris Glausier, 14, said his favorite part of the experiment was when the watermelon dropped because it had the biggest explosion. Camper Kollin Herrington, 13, said he learned from the experiment that objects of different weights can fall at the same speed as Galileo theorized. The camp is under the direction of USM professor Mike Davis, director of the Lake Thoreau Environmental Center. While letting "kids be kids," it also teaches campers life skills such as how to sew a button on a shirt, clean a fish or scramble an egg. The camp is based on the books "The Dangerous Book for Boys" and "The Daring Book for Girls." |
| NSF-Funded Initiative Promotes Diversity Within STEM Faculty Ranks | |
| Even before the acronym "STEM" was introduced by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2001, academics were grappling with the overall lack of diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the specific need to accelerate the process of diversifying STEM faculty. To address that need, NSF has supported a number of initiatives, including Aspire: The National Alliance for Inclusive and Diverse STEM Faculty, a five-year, $10 million project of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), which leads the effort along with the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL). Jackson State University, a public HBCU in Mississippi, is currently in the first year of its process with Cohort 3. "We have been very instrumental in creating pathways for our students into graduate schools and into the professoriate level," explains Dr. Ramzi Kafoury, associate dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology and alliance co-leader at Jackson State. "However, as effective as our efforts are, we need support and additional resources for more of a sustained bridge for our students into the professoriate and into administration." Kafoury says that as the only HBCU in the cohort, Jackson State "plays an important role in eliminating silos and breaking down barriers" that may hinder career advancement of HBCU graduates based on biased misconceptions. |
| President Biden's Pre-K Proposal Faces Questions From Republicans Over Federal Role | |
 | resident Biden's $200 billion proposal to expand publicly funded prekindergarten through a program that requires buy-in and funds from states is facing questions from Republicans over how it will be implemented. Most states currently offer some public preschool, with both Republicans and Democrats often backing the efforts, but the standards and spending vary. Mr. Biden is seeking to provide prekindergarten to all 3- and 4-year-olds as part of his $1.8 trillion families plan, which also includes investments in child care, paid leave and community college. Under his proposal, states would receive federal funding to help create programs or expand their current offerings, and they would need to put up some state funds and meet some standards in return. The White House says an expansion will improve educational outcomes, while enabling parents of young children to participate fully in the workforce. But while many Republican leaders support public prekindergarten, some have expressed skepticism about what role the federal government should play in funding it and what strings will come with the money. |
| On first day, LSU's new president embraces coronavirus vaccines, less so New Orleans Saints | |
 | On his first day as LSU's new president and chancellor, William Tate IV implored students to get the coronavirus vaccine, said he wants to compete for top-level students the way that LSU vies for in-demand athletes, and promised to review LSU's recent Title IX changes. Tate gave a wide-ranging news conference Tuesday morning after he received his LSU identification card and planned to spend the day meeting with groups of students, faculty and staff members. He said he is confident that LSU's reputation can recover from its recent blows -- especially related to the university's handling of sexual assault cases --- by creating processes that people can trust. He also said that he wants to instill a "scholarship first" mantra across campus. Tate said he had not had time yet to give an in-depth review of the changes that his predecessor, Tom Galligan, tried to implement regarding reporting sexual assault on campus. He said he's concerned about holding people accountable who fail to report misconduct, and that while Galligan -- a lawyer -- approached the subject from a legal standpoint, Tate -- an epidemiologist -- will explore LSU's Title IX rules through a public health lens. Tate said that LSU also needs to do more to invest in resources to keep its top-flight faculty, saying that no university has ever cut its way to excellence. That includes building labs, securing research grants and more. |
| Dazzling Missouri Theatre will soon be back in business after a lockdown year | |
 | Resilient is a good word to describe the Missouri Theatre. The nearly century-old landmark has weathered a number of profound historical transitions: silent film to sound, film to digital, the Great Depression in the 1930s and the COVID-19 pandemic during a year of strict limitations. After a hiatus when the ornate theater hosted only University of Missouri lectures with rows of seats taped off, its gilded space will be used once again for its intended purpose -- live performances. The next event will be a stop on stand-up comedian Leanne Morgan's tour Sept. 11, followed by a concert by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot on Sept. 24 and a performance by comedian Ron White on Oct. 22. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Missouri Theatre opened Oct. 5, 1928, after 10 months of construction. It is central Missouri's only remaining pre-Depression era movie palace and vaudeville stage, according to the MU archives. On the day it opened, it was filled to the brim with an audience of distinguished guests. It was such a momentous occasion that famed silent film actor Charlie Chaplin sent his congratulations via telegram from his home in Los Angeles. |
| 'Drive hazing to the ground': Ohio Gov. DeWine signs anti-hazing act Collin's Law | |
| It had been two-and-a-half years since police knocked on the door in the middle of the night and told Kathleen Wiant she had lost her son, Collin. She would soon learn his death was linked to hazing, and her life would become engulfed by a crusade to spare other parents from feeling her family's agony. It was a promise she made to Collin. There was the ongoing legal fight, the battle to pass an anti-hazing law, public speaking engagements and the personal grieving that they know will never end. But on Tuesday, the Wiants kept their promise to Collin -- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed Collin's Law: Ohio's Anti-Hazing Act. "I can think of no better way to honor Collin than with this law," Kathleen said, with tears in her eyes. "Collin, I know you're watching, and I hope we've made you proud." Collin's Law makes Ohio the 11th state to make hazing a felony. The new law increases the legal penalties for hazing, creates a new statewide curriculum for college students about hazing and requires more transparency at the university level to report instances of hazing. "The Wiant family turned their pain into action," DeWine said at the signing. "We simply in Ohio cannot tolerate hazing, and we're saying with this bill that we will not tolerate hazing." Collin's Law makes Ohio a model and leader in anti-hazing legislation, Kathleen said. |
| The Pizza Delivery Guy Will Be a Robot at Many Campuses This Fall | |
| Delivery company Grubhub Inc. plans to roll out food-delivering robots across U.S. college campuses from this fall, as automation grows in a sector turbocharged by the pandemic. Grubhub will deploy the suitcase-size rovers built by Russian tech company Yandex to some of the 250 colleges across the U.S. that Grubhub already operates in, the companies said Tuesday. The six-wheeled autonomous rovers have been tested in recent years on the snowy streets of Moscow, delivering food, groceries and documents. Since April, the robots have also been delivering orders from local restaurants in Ann Arbor, Mich., as part of a trial. The pandemic has boosted the food-delivery business, sparking interest from some companies to automate parts of their operations. The use of robots and drones is aimed at cutting labor costs, one of the biggest hurdles on the path to making delivery profitable. College campuses have been an early testing ground for autonomous rover makers because they often cover a smaller, private geographic area that is easier to control and the bots don't have to interact with cars or other larger vehicles, said Nick Reed, a transport-technology consultant based in the U.K. |
| Students see less value in college, despite positive experiences | |
 | Even more than usual, college leaders are eager to get into the minds of their current and would-be students, to try to understand how the upheaval and uncertainty of the last 15 months have altered their expectations about their educations. A slew of surveys (including Inside Higher Ed's own) have revealed students to be somewhat unsatisfied with their college experiences, whether they were remote or in person, but to generally believe that their institutions and professors did as well as they could given the circumstances. And most say they plan to continue their educations. The latest such survey largely reinforces that trend line -- but includes some potentially worrying data for those concerned by growing public questioning of the value of a college degree. The survey from Third Way and New America, two left-leaning Washington, D.C.-based think tanks, is the third in a series conducted since the pandemic. It covers a wide range of issues, but the focus of this article is on the students' impressions of their learning and overall experiences in the last year and their views of their institutions and educations. Many of its findings will hearten college faculty members and administrators. Roughly eight in 10 students surveyed in May gave their colleges and universities positive assessments on a range of fronts during the pandemic, including delivering a high-quality education, caring about students and their safety, and communicating clearly. On the all-important question of whether students planned to continue their educations this fall, 85 percent of students said they would (68 percent said they were "very likely"). |
| Colleges prepare for incoming freshmen with high school learning loss | |
| Beyond the usual efforts to get new students off to a good start, college and university campuses in California and across the nation this fall face special challenges in welcoming freshmen who have not been in a real classroom for a year and a half. Campuses say they are concerned that many freshmen have suffered some or even significant learning loss as a result of all the remote high school instruction during the pandemic. Colleges and faculty plan to provide extra tutoring, more academic counseling, some changes in courses and, if necessary, a slower teaching pace at first to help students rebuild their academic and social strengths. "Of course, they are not going to have the skills they were supposed to have. There will be some gaps in their learning from senior year in high school. We have to get ready for that," said Tina Jordan, Sacramento State University's assistant vice president for strategic success initiatives. That campus is expanding the number of one-credit supplemental courses led by upper division students who are paid to help freshmen understand difficult material in general education classes, including math, U.S. history, economics and biology. The number of those supplemental classes is expected to double to 60 this fall, funded with federal relief money. The efforts to overcome learning loss will be helped by anticipated full or partial return to in-person classes. But even in courses that remain online or in hybrid form, faculty say they will be working to fill in students' skills gaps. |
| Biden administration withdraws proposed rule on duration of student visas | |
| The Biden administration formally withdrew a rule proposed by the Trump administration that would have required international students to reapply for student visas after fixed terms of up to four years. The rule would have eliminated the long-standing "duration of status" policy, which allows international students to stay in the U.S. indefinitely without reapplying for a visa as long as they remain enrolled in college and otherwise in compliance with the requirements governing their visa status. The proposed rule, which was not finalized before former president Trump left office and was never enacted, also would have limited the initial visa term for some students to just two years based on their country of origin. Students from Africa and parts of Asia would have been disproportionately affected by the proposal to restrict students to a two-year initial visa term if they came from countries with high visa overstay rates. The Trump administration had argued that these limitations were needed to improve oversight of the student visa program and combat fraud. Higher education groups were alarmed by the plan to change the policy, which, they argued, would create uncertainty and confusion for students who would have to navigate a burdensome and costly new reapplication process in order to continue their studies in the U.S. |
| Debt Cancellation Backer at Harvard Named to Education Post | |
| A vocal proponent of canceling student loan debt is joining the Biden administration in a top role at the Education Department's Office of the General Counsel. Toby Merrill, who founded and directed the Project on Predatory Student Lending at Harvard Law School, will serve as deputy general counsel. The Education Department announced her hiring, along with several other political appointees, on Tuesday. Merrill joins the agency as President Joe Biden's administration prepares for an ambitious rulemaking that's expected to reshape loan-relief options for struggling student borrowers and others who have been defrauded or misled by their colleges. |
| Medicaid expansion poses huge fiscal risks for Mississippi no one is talking about | |
| Frank Corder writes for Y'all Politics: To hear the Mississippi legacy media and Democratic Party stalwarts tell it, "only a fool would not take the money" that the federal government is offering to bribe states to expand Medicaid. The talking heads are practically hyperventilating over the prospect to the point where you'd think members of the media have something to gain from it. Nearly every outlet in the state, both on op-ed and "news" (lite op-ed) pages, is hammering the notion that the Medicaid expansion math is irrefutable. Let's first state the obvious. Health care is expensive. The delivery system is broken (for a lot of reasons). With all of its intervention, the government has not made health care less expensive. In fact, it's probably as screwed up from a pricing/delivery perspective as it has ever been. But the truth is, Medicaid expansion math is a sketchy proposition -- at best. Here's why... |
| Mississippi State's CWS national championship was 'Field of Dreams' moment | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: What does winning the championship game in the 2021 College World Series mean to the average Mississippi State fan? In a word, everything. But it's a mixed bag -- joy, relief, redemption, triumph, vindication and celebration. More than anything, it's admiration and appreciation for the guts and effort of the young men wearing the M over S logo and sporting maroon and white. Like the Children of Israel wandering in the wilderness, the quest for a legitimate national championship in a major sport has been as elusive as the Promised Land -- or as our marvelous radio announcer Jack Cristil often called it, "the Land of Milk and Honey." ... MSU President Mark Keenum – who as a college student enjoyed the Left Field Lounge with his classmates and is a genuine baseball fan and student of the game – was in the Bulldog locker room just before the final out, helping MSU Athletics staff move the trappings of the coming celebration into place in the dugout to honor our athletes. Later, he exhibited the weary exhilaration of a man who'd completed a marathon. ... There's little wonder. Recent post-season runs in women's basketball, baseball and the school's time at No.1 in the College Football Playoffs rankings during the Prescott era brought MSU millions of dollars in media exposure and contributed to enrollment growth even at a time when demographics would suggest an almost certain decline. |
SPORTS
| Will Bednar went from undraftable to unhittable. Now he's about to cash in. | |
 | There was buzz around Will Bednar, and it wasn't good. As the young right-hander dealt with a shoulder injury during his senior year at Mars Area High School in Pennsylvania, his draft evaluations from major league scouts were damning. Bednar's stuff wasn't fantastic. He didn't face great competition. The ball came out of his hand late. The consensus? "'You can't really take that guy,'" ESPN Baseball Insider Kiley McDaniel told The Dispatch. Just two years later, Bednar has completed the difficult transition from practically undraftable to virtually unhittable. After three excellent performances on a national stage at the College World Series, Bednar has received a nearly unanimous first-round projection. To McDaniel, he sits behind only Vanderbilt's Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter in terms of collegiate arms. "I would say those last four or five starts that were all on national television I think probably moved him up about 10 spots or so to where I think he could pretty reasonably be seen as the third best college pitcher in the draft behind Rocker and Leiter," McDaniel said. With the 10-slot bump factored in, McDaniel said he would take Bednar between picks No. 15 and No. 25. That's a big difference. The signing bonus for the 15th pick, owned by the Milwaukee Brewers, is $3.886 million; Oakland's 25th selection carries a slot value of $2.74 million. Competitive Balance Round A pick No. 35, the previous tail end of Bednar's range, is worth $2.096 million. |
| Former Venice standout Scotty Dubrule has fairy-tale end to college baseball career | |
| Scotty Dubrule has proven time and time again that he is a top-notch high school and college baseball player. The former Venice High standout still holds the school record for consecutive hits (16), career hits (137) and career batting average at .405. Also the owner of a sports business degree from Jacksonville University, Dubrule left that school as the all-time leader in career hits with 249 and started 194 of 197 games for the Dolphins over four seasons. But after passing all of his baseball exams with flying colors, we need to investigate this guy's psychic skills. How else can you explain why he ended up playing a key role in Mississippi State University winning the College World Series last week as a fifth-year graduate student? "It's kind of weird how it all came about," Dubrule said after he and his Bulldog teammates were treated to a parade along a six-mile stretch in Starkville, Mississippi, following the first-ever national championship in a team sport in the school's 143-year history. "I was watching Mississippi State play in a 2019 regional on TV. I saw that they had this great atmosphere. I had no idea it existed (but) I knew I wanted to play in that kind of atmosphere." "These guys were talking about winning a national championship," Dubrule said. "It was easy to believe in. But what are the odds? And then it all happened." |
| Grace Dabbs gives back to hometown with softball camp featuring former Mississippi State players | |
| Grace Dabbs wanted to give young softball players from her hometown an opportunity she didn't have when she was growing up. Tuesday at Northside Park in Philadelphia, Dabbs and several other former Mississippi State softball players hosted a camp for young players looking to improve their skills. The morning session focused on hitting, while the afternoon session dealt with defense and pitching. Approximately 60 children were on hand for the morning session, with about 40 sticking around for the afternoon session. "Me and a bunch of friends just retired and are done playing, so we wanted to get back into the swing of softball and help the kids out," Dabbs explained. A Philadelphia native and 2017 graduate of Leake Academy, Dabbs played college softball at Mississippi State for two seasons before transferring to Samford, and as a late bloomer in the sport, she said she hoped Tuesday's camp would help develop skills in young players earlier than they developed in her. "When I was younger I never had anything like this," Dabbs said. "I was absolutely terrible and had to go to lessons to get better. There weren't any types of camps. We had team practices, but there's only so much you could do at this age where you have to teach the fundamentals, and it takes four hours to learn some of this stuff. I wasn't good until I was 16, so being able to pour back into the community is great." |
| Mississippi State's Curtis Thompson excited to compete for USA in Olympics | |
| At the 2016 Olympic Trials, Curtis Thompson missed going to Rio by 12 centimeters. He would go on to have a decorated career throwing the javelin as a Bulldog, which included an individual national championship, graduating with his degree in math in 2020, and now in 2021, he's going to Tokyo. "It feels awesome," he said. "Mississippi State is definitely part of my chapter of my career of my life that I'm definitely grateful for. And then on top of that just USA in general, it's an awesome feeling that's it's hard to put into words." Thompson joins five other Mississippi State alums in the 2021 games. We'll be chatting with more Olympians throughout the month as we lead up to the Tokyo Olympics which start on July 23rd on NBC/WTVA. |
| Podcast: The Mississippi lady who changed baseball stadiums | |
| Jackson native Janet Marie Smith, a Mississippi State University-educated architect, designed Camden Yards in Baltimore, renovated Fenway Park in Boston, and most recently has renovated Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Her hardhat is in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, and she may be, too, some day. |
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