| Thursday, July 8, 2021 |
| Knowing how heat and humidity affect your body can help you stay safe during heat waves | |
 | JohnEric W. Smith, an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Mississippi State University, writes for The Conversation: Less than a month into North America's official summer, heat waves are blistering much of the West. California and the Southwest are facing excessive heat watches for the second time, after a mid-June heat wave pushed temperatures above 100 F (38 C). And in late June an intense heat dome settled over the Pacific Northwest for four days, setting all-time temperature records in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The effects were most evident in Lytton, British Columbia, which reported a temperature of 121 F (49.5 C) on June 29, far above its average high for the date of 76 F (24.4 C). A day later, the town was engulfed by a wildfire. As an exercise physiologist, I know that the human body is an amazing machine. But like all machines, it functions effectively and safely only under certain conditions. People frequently debate whether wet heat in places like Florida or dry heat in desert locations like Nevada is worse. The answer is that either setting can be dangerous. Hot desert climates are stressful due to extreme temperatures, while humid subtropical climates are stressful because the body has trouble removing heat when sweat doesn't evaporate readily. As recent events have shown, hot is hot. |
| MSU Extension uses USDA grant to help Mississippi farmers | |
 | Mississippi State University's Extension Service is working to enhance direct sales, farmers markets, and local food development in northeast Mississippi as part of a new project "From Gravel Roads to City Streets" funded by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. The MSU Extension Service, Mississippi Main Street Association, West Point Growth Alliance, Aberdeen Main Street, Itawamba County Farmers Market, Columbus Main Street, and Noxubee Alliance, are collaborating to create economic opportunity, foster food entrepreneurship, improve access to healthy foods, and strengthen the capacity of regional food systems in these counties. The project also provides cold storage enabling the Aberdeen Farmers Market to offer more commodities and host educational cooking workshops in a renovated depot adjacent to the market space. |
| Starkville aldermen approve contractual agreement with Bird | |
 | Starkville residents might again see Bird scooters operating in town. Aldermen approved with a 4-3 vote Tuesday an agreement with Bird for the company to provide motorized commercial scooters for rent under the board's jurisdictional limits. The board will hold two public hearings to discuss the particulars of an ordinance to regulate the scooters. This comes 11 days after the board banned the scooters a second time by overturning Mayor Lynn Spruill's veto to keep the vehicles in town. The original ban for the scooters came after several complaints from Starkville residents of misuse of the devices, such as riding them down highways and sidewalks and users operating them under the influence. Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk, who has consistently supported having the scooters in town, was joined in approval of the proposed contract by newly elected aldermen Jeffrey Rupp and Mike Brooks, of Ward 3 and 4 respectively, as well as Ward 7's Henry Vaughn, who previously voted to overturn Spruill's veto and ban the scooters. Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver, Ward 5 Alderman Hamp Beatty and Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins, who represents Ward 6, opposed the contract. While the aldermen approved the agreement, they still will consider an ordinance to regulate the scooters in town. They will hold two public hearings on July 20 and Aug. 3 to discuss community concerns and potential rules and regulations. |
| Wildlife Dominion to take over old East Oktibbeha High property | |
| Wildlife Dominion Management LLC will take over operations at the old East Oktibbeha County High School property after county supervisors approved a land swap agreement by a 3-2 vote. The board's vote was required to approve the contract between the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and Wildlife Dominion Management LLC, an electronics manufacturer from Lowndes County. The matter will be sent to the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce for final authorization. In April, the school board approved a land swap with Wildlife Dominion, in which the company would take control of the property in exchange for 199.7 acres of timberland. Both properties are valued at $300,000, and SOCSD can generate additional revenue from the timberland by leasing it to harvesters. By law 16th Section land cannot be sold outright to a private entity but it can be swapped for land of equal value. While Wildlife Dominion will manage the property, a community nonprofit educational group felt it should be in control of the old school. County supervisors ultimately voted in favor of the negotiation with Wildlife Dominion as they felt it would generate additional revenue for the school district, positively impacting the children in the community. |
| Columbus leaders hope rebuilding historic downtown buildings into luxury apartments can help attract new residents and new business | |
 | After standing empty for years, the five buildings near the corner of 5th Street and 3rd Avenue in downtown Columbus are undergoing renovations to become luxury apartments with spots for new stores below. "It looks ragged right now, but it's going to be new and it's going to be exciting," says contractor Chris Chain. New Orleans-based de la Tour Holdings, a development and investment business specializing in restoring historic properties, purchased the buildings from Chain earlier in 2021 and began work on the Stone Hotel Project back in June. "We're going to put a new face on it that's going to resemble exactly what it was back in the days when it was built," says CEO Bill Legier. Chain has a long history of working with Legier and says that construction alone could create as many as 300 jobs. New mayor Keith Gaskin toured the construction site Wednesday afternoon and hopes the Stone Hotel Project can be the first of many for the city. "I was just pleased to be a small part of maybe helping encourage others to think about doing this type of work in Columbus," he says. "I'm excited to do this type of work going forward." |
| Cal-Maine, one of largest U.S. egg producers, moves HQ to Ridgeland | |
| Cal-Maine Foods, the largest producer and distributor of shell eggs in the United states selling under brands including Egg-Land's Best and Land O' Lakes, has moved its headquarters. The Madison County Economic Development Authority made the announcement on June 17 that Cal-Maine had moved its headquarters to Ridgeland from Jackson. The company will share a building with Harper Rains Knight & Company accountants at 1052 Highland Colony Parkway. MCEDA Executive Director Joseph Deason said that Cal-Maine decided to move to Ridgeland on their own, although MCEDA officials have had meetings with company officials. "This did not originate with us but we are excited they decided to move their headquarters," Deason said. "They are a good company with a good brand and we are happy to welcome them to the county and specifically to the city of Ridgeland." Since becoming a public company in 1996, Cal-Maine has continued to grow through the acquisition of other egg farms across the country and has maintained its position as the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the United States. In 2014 the Company achieved a milestone by selling over one billion dozen eggs in one year. Cal-Maine eggs are sold mostly in mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, Southeastern, and Southwestern states accounting for approximately a quarter of US egg consumption. |
| U.S. weekly jobless claims unexpectedly rise to 373,000, as job growth slows | |
| Initial filings for unemployment insurance unexpectedly rose last week, a possible hint that the rapid job growth seen in the first half of 2021 could face hurdles in the months ahead, the Labor Department reported Thursday. First-time jobless claims totaled 373,000 for the week ended July 3, compared with the 350,000 Dow Jones estimate. The previous week's level was revised up by 7,000 from 364,000 to 371,000. The level of continuing claims, the measure of ongoing benefits, decreased to 3.34 million, down 145,000 from the previous week's revised level. Despite the uptick in first-time applicants, the decreased number of continuing claims represented the lowest level for insured unemployment since March 2020. The four-week moving average for continuing claims, which smooths weekly volatility, fell by 44,500 to 3.44 million, also the lowest since March 2020. The jobless claims data came less than a week after the government published its much-anticipated June 2021 jobs report, the latest iteration in its monthly updates on the broader U.S. labor market. Though that report showed nonfarm employers added a better-than-expected 850,000 last month, it also revealed that the U.S. unemployment rate ticked higher to 5.9% compared with the 5.6% estimate. |
| Mississippi's Sales Tax Holiday Set for End of July | |
| Just in time for back to school shopping, Mississippi's 2021 Sales Tax Holiday will take place between 12:01 A.M. Friday, July 30th and Midnight Saturday, July 31st. According to the Mississippi Sales Tax Holiday, Miss. Code Ann. Section 27-65-111(bb), passed in the 2009 Legislative Session and amended in 2019 Legislative Session, sales tax is not due on the sale of articles of clothing, footwear, or school supplies if the sales price of a single item is less than one hundred dollars ($100.00). In addition, sales of eligible items ordered by mail, telephone, or the internet are not subject to sales tax if the purchaser orders and pays for the items during the Sales Tax Holiday and the items are less than the $100.00 threshold. |
| Lawmakers far from consensus on fixing Mississippi ballot initiative process | |
| The devil will be in the details as legislators attempt to revive the state's ballot initiative process that was killed by the Mississippi Supreme Court in May -- and lawmakers appear far from a consensus on how, exactly, to get there. At the heart of the issue is whether the ballot initiative process should be used to try to amend or change the Mississippi Constitution, general law, or both. When a proposal is added to the Constitution, it is much more difficult to change. "I hope we spend some time researching that and find something that works for everyone. We need to make sure we get this right," said Sen. Chris Johnson, R-Hattiesburg, who as chair of the Constitution Committee most likely will play a key role in any effort to revive the ballot initiative process. Most legislators agree that they need to pass a resolution to place on the ballot a proposal to re-establish the state's ballot initiative process. But there are sharp differences in how that resolution should be crafted. For instance, House Speaker Philip Gunn believes that the ballot initiative process should be changed so that it can be used to alter general law and not the Constitution. Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, argues that the Legislature should re-create the initiative process as it was with the only exception being fixing the language that resulted in the Supreme Court striking down the process. |
| Drew Snyder says Medicaid expansion could get pushed as lawmakers look at rate freeze in 2022 | |
 | In the 2021 Mississippi Legislative session the Medicaid Technical amendments bill, set to be good for three years, was passed by lawmakers. However, more changes could be on the horizon come the 2022 session. On Wednesday, Director of the Division of Medicaid Drew Snyder interviewed on SuperTalk Radio's, Gallo Show, to discuss the current state of Medicaid, the provider rate freeze and of course continued rumors and pushes for Medicaid expansion. In the 2021 tech bill, lawmakers froze provider rate reimbursements for the foreseeable future. Snyder said this has caused some concern and issues among providers since it was implemented on July 1. "I think we are going to have to fix this rate chokehold that was put in that was freezing rates. I don't think that is sustainable," said Snyder. Whether or not lawmakers will attempt to draft legislation for expansion is still unclear. Some, like Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and Governor Tate Reeves, have come out admittedly against any sort of expansion claiming it is not conservative policy. Snyder emphasized that expansion is a far cry from what the Medicaid program was created to be. It was intended to be a transitional health insurance program for individuals until they can secure work or better insurance. But it has shown that many people get on Medicaid and never roll off. |
| U.S. Department of Agriculture offers $307 million for rural water projects | |
 | The U.S. Department of Agriculture will issue up to $307 million in grants and low-interest loans in an effort to modernize rural water infrastructure, officials announced Wednesday. The programs are aimed at towns with less than 10,000 people in 34 states and the territory of Puerto Rico. Officials made the announcement at a wastewater treatment center in the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, north of Santa Fe, where employees have worked to keep the aging plant running for its thousands of residents along the Rio Grande. "Every community needs safe, reliable and modern water and wastewater systems," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement ahead of a tour at the plant run by the Indigenous tribe in New Mexico. The announcement is part of a multistate push by President Joe Biden and his administration to gain more support for a $973 billion infrastructure package that includes more than a half-trillion dollars in new spending. Among some minority communities, Vilsack has been the target of criticism for how he handled discrimination complaints during his tenure as agriculture secretary in the Obama administration. The "USDA takes complaints of discrimination seriously and seeks to ensure all programs are administered equitably," agency spokeswoman Kate Waters said in a statement Wednesday. |
| 'Now our people are at risk,' Rep. Bennie Thompson says of Mississippi's failure to take government funding for vaccination efforts | |
| While nearly 70 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, Mississippi has among the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with just under one million residents -- about a third of the statewide population -- fully vaccinated, according to statistics provided by the state's health department. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., points the blame squarely on the state's Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. "Our governor refused to take the FEMA money to go out and identify those vulnerable areas," Thompson told PBS NewsHour anchor and managing editor Judy Woodruff in an interview Tuesday. He said that several counties in his congressional district did not have any vaccination sites, despite the fact the federal government would have paid the cost for them. "Those numbers reflect the fact that we didn't accept the money. And so now our people are at risk," Thompson said. This discussion came after a larger interview Woodruff had with Thompson on Tuesday, six months since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week named Thompson as the chair of a new select committee to investigate the attack. |
| President Biden to target noncompete clauses, wage collusion | |
 | President Joe Biden wants to make it more difficult for employers to collude to suppress wages -- the latest piece of a sweeping executive order on competition policy that is being unveiled in pieces by the White House during a generally quiet Fourth of July holiday week. The executive order will include language pushing the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to try to curb collaboration on wage rates between competing employers, according to a person familiar with the order. Such practices can be used to suppress wages. Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council, said in a series of tweets Wednesday that the intention is to make sure that employers do not share with one another wage data with one another that is not also available to employees. Deese said that when markets are healthy "employers compete for labor, giving workers more opportunity to earn better wages and benefits." He also said that obstacles "to this kind of competition have grown across time" and that Biden "will act to go at those barriers directly." The order will include a focus on limiting noncompete clauses in employment contracts, as well as limiting burdensome occupational licensing regulations. Deese pointed out that differing licensing standards can complicate employment for many military spouses who work as teachers. |
| Democrats race to push bipartisan infrastructure bill through Senate | |
 | The White House's long sought-after bipartisan infrastructure deal could hit the Senate floor as early as the week of July 19, according to multiple House and Senate Democratic sources with knowledge of the conversations. White House legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell and deputy legislative affairs director Shuwanza Goff told Hill Democrats on a call Wednesday that the administration is working alongside the Senate to have the bipartisan infrastructure bill ready for floor consideration as early as the next two weeks, said two sources on the call. But some Democrats cautioned that the bill's substance remains fluid and that leaders and the White House are navigating a delicate situation as they try to appease Democrats eager for a big Democrat-only reconciliation package. The call was the latest indication that after months of negotiations, Democrats increasingly feel a sense of urgency to move an infrastructure package through Congress. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has vowed that if there is a bipartisan bill to consider, it will happen before the Senate leaves for August recess. The group of more than 20 senators that pieced together the framework for the infrastructure deal -- consisting of centrists in both parties -- is laboring to turn its proposal into legislative language over the current recess. They have split into specific sub-groups focused on pieces of policy like broadband or financing and are moving rapidly to turn that into legislative language. |
| Stalled Covid Vaccination Campaign Turns to One-on-One Outreach | |
 | As the pace of vaccinations in the U.S. stalls, health officials have embarked on a painstaking effort to get shots to undecided or isolated Americans. That often requires bringing vaccines directly to the unvaccinated and talking to them one by one. Health officials are using pop-up and mobile clinics and financial incentives. And they are turning to community leaders to make introductions to the skeptical. Pastor Barry Braan Jr. was doing just that kind of outreach last month at a Juneteenth festival in northeastern Tennessee, where two pop-up vaccination stations were set up amid the food trucks and face-painting stalls. A few months earlier, Mr. Braan himself had been reluctant to get vaccinated. He had recovered from a bout with Covid-19, he said, and he was skeptical reliable vaccines could have been developed so quickly. A conversation with a local health official helped change his mind, and now he wants to do the same for others. "Having those one-on-one conversations that address their individual concerns are paramount," he said. "Getting to a place where you can do that, I'm finding difficult." “We’re beyond large-scale, mass-communication campaigns,” said Brooke McKeever, a University of South Carolina associate professor who has researched vaccine hesitancy and health communications. “It’s more about individual-level conversations and figuring out what the reasons are and addressing them with real empathy.” |
| New clinical trial hopes to alleviate widespread blood shortage | |
 | Standard blood banking procedure is to store platelets at room temperature. Since the risk of infection is higher when stored at room temp, platelets are only good for up to five days before they expire and have to be thrown out. But what if platelets were also kept in a blood bank refrigerator? Could refrigeration allow platelets to remain on the shelf longer in order to keep up with supply and demand? Dr. Matt Kutcher, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, says these questions are the subject of the Cold Stored Platelet Early Intervention for Hemorrhagic Shock trial -- or Crisp-HS for short. "One trauma patient who is critically injured could use upwards of 100 units of blood product and survive, but when we don't have those blood products available you know we would never want to be put in the place to make a decision about stopping trying to save somebody's life because we've run out," said Kutcher. Another focus of the study is whether cold platelets could be given to patients sooner, as opposed to the standard medical practice of waiting to give room-temperature platelets until later. Kutcher says they're trying to figure out whether using platelets early in injured patients with major bleeding will help stop the bleeding faster. The trial will enroll more than 200 people aged 15 and older. |
| Ole Miss Band Needs a New Practice Field | |
| The Pride of the South Marching Band was established in 1928 and currently occupies a building on the outskirts of campus. Since then, they've practiced on a field just south of the building adjacent to Swayze Field. What makes the Pride of the South's practice field stand out is its poor quality compared to fields of similar schools. Band member Katie-Rose O'Quinn said that the field is not up to the standard that the Pride of the South deserves. "My high school band had a better practice field than our Ole Miss band," O'Quinn said. Since Director of Bands David Wilson started at UM, it's been a primary concern of his to work on getting the Pride of the South a practice field on the same level as those of other nearby schools. "It would be nice to have artificial turf or something to go over it like the other bands in the state do," Wilson said. "Mississippi State and Southern both have turf fields. Other SEC schools such as Georgia and Alabama, also have turf fields. And, you know, I remember someone asked me about like, 'Well, wouldn't that be worse when you get too hot?' And I was like, you can drink water and cool down. But if it's a rainy day, that's a whole day of practice we could use, and then also shoes that don't get destroyed because I have lost a good number of shoes to the mud." |
| District 4 Supervisor Mitch Brent appointed to USM Master Campus Facility Planning Committee | |
| Lamar County District 4 Supervisor Mitch Brent has been appointed to the University of Southern Mississippi Master Campus Facility Planning Committee, where he will represent the county in studying the future of the campus of Southern Miss and its buildings. The appointment was made by unanimous 5-0 vote at a recent board meeting, held in the Pete Gamble Chancery Courthouse in Purvis. "I feel good about it," Brent said. "Any time Southern Miss is trying to move forward with something, it gets me excited because I'm alumni of Southern Miss. My wife is also, and my kids and my mom, so it's an honor to be asked to help push it forward. I had no idea there was even a committee for that, so it happened kind of quick, really." The Campus Facility Planning Committee deals with property and the footprint of the campus, while another committee is in charge of design and space of the buildings. The committee's 29 members review and coordinate land use, land density patterns and infrastructure needs. "My first interest, quite frankly, has always been athletics, so if there's anything in that field, I would be very interested to work on those projects. Certainly I know that academics are supposed to be the main focus, and that's the way it should be, but as far as specific things, I don't know yet. I haven't been informed what their immediate plans are." |
| Health care milestone: William Carey's School of Pharmacy earns full accreditation | |
| The pharmacy school at William Carey University is now fully accredited. The university, in a news release Tuesday, announced its School of Pharmacy received full accreditation last month from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. William Carey's pharmacy program is considered an "accelerated program," meaning students can complete it in two years and 10 months instead of the usual four years. "Receiving full accreditation from ACPE strengthens our goal to ensure that our pharmacy graduates are prepared to make a positive difference in the lives of the people and communities in which they serve," said Cassandra Conner, dean of WCU's Tradition campus in Biloxi, where the pharmacy school is located. As with other doctoral-level programs in healthcare-related fields, accrediting agencies do not consider granting full accreditation until a program's first class has graduated. The WCU School of Pharmacy opened in July 2018; its first class graduated in April. "The full accreditation of the WCU School of Pharmacy, without any requirements, is another major step in William Carey's goal to become the premier institution in the Gulf South for providing programs in the healthcare field," said WCU President Tommy King. |
| Tech jobs in high demand for East Mississippi Community College students | |
| East Mississippi Community College is working to meet industry demands for technology based careers. The Communiversity says they just can't produce enough students for the number of jobs in the fields of technology and trades. Many companies in the Golden Triangle offers incentives to graduating students. EMCC wants high tech industry knowledge more accessible so local students know what's available to them. "We train students everyday go to work in everything from HVAC to systems based automation to electrical to mechatronics and engineering technology" said Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development Courtney Taylor. "It's important that they see that the world today looks very different from when their parents or their grandparents' generation. All of these new plants that are being built and these new employers, they all require high technology. Even our new construction equipment has a GPS on it. So kids today that like to play on their phones and their computers, if they want to go to work, they'll be able to find a job." |
| Natchez native Melton King named new chairman of Copiah-Lincoln Community College board | |
 | Adams County native Melton King has been elected the new chairman of the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Board of Trustees during a June board meeting. He and other officers and administrators assumed their new positions on July 1. King has served on the Co-Lin Board of Trustees for over 33 years and is the first trustee from Adams County to be elected as Chairman. King received a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and is the owner of Melton King & Associates, LLC. In addition to electing new board officers at the June meeting, Co-Lin officials also made several administrative changes. Dr. Dewayne Middleton was transferred from Vice President of the Simpson County Center to Executive Vice President and will oversee college operations on all three campuses. Jackie Martin was transferred from Associate Vice President of Instructional Services to Vice President of the Wesson Campus, where she will oversee instructional programs and student services. Samantha Speeg was named the College Registrar and will also continue to serve as Director of Enrollment Services for the Wesson Campus. |
| Northeast Mississippi Community College offers free tuition for career tech students starting next semester | |
| Students taking career and technical courses at Northeast Mississippi Community College will get free tuition. The announcement comes after the college had already decided to take care of tuition for summer school students. Todd Morgan is helping run a CNC machine at NEMCC during his precision manufacturing machining class. He is able to use what he learns at school on the job at NU Way Trucks in Bonneville. "Put me right into a good job," Morgan said. It's students like Morgan that the "Northeast Promise Scholarship" is made for. "This gave us an opportunity to allow students to come in and be a part of one of our twenty-plus career tech programs, get free tuition, free fees, and everything would be paid for," said Dr. Ricky Ford, President of NEMCC. The scholarship is a last-dollar scholarship, which means that it will fund any remaining tuition or mandatory fee balances after all other forms of aid have been applied. Students can receive Northeast Promise funds until they earn an associate degree or certificate, or for up to four semesters, whichever comes first. |
| New Tiger Cards ready for pickup by Auburn University students | |
| This year, Auburn University students will have the opportunity to receive new Tiger Cards. With this new card, the University hopes to provide its students with a more convenient way to navigate purchases and entries on campus. Purchases and entries will now be contactless, with new card readers installed across campus. To access a campus event -- including athletic events -- students will simply place the card within an inch of the center of the card reader. The new cards will also replace Ignited Cards. Only new incoming students are allowed to submit photos for their card; previous cardholders will receive a new card with an identical picture. Old Tiger Cards must be turned in in order to receive a new one at no charge, otherwise, you'll be charged $25 to your e-bill. Currently, there is no deadline to retrieve your new Tiger Card, and payments and swipe access will still work with them. However, once new card readers are installed on doors around campus, old cards will no longer be read. |
| UGA program provides leadership, entrepreneurship training for Clarke County students | |
 | Clarke Central High School student Kayleigh Sims wants to be a veterinarian and open her own practice. A University of Georgia program is helping her learn the leadership, entrepreneurship and problem-solving skills she will need to be a success. Sims, a rising junior, is one of 21 high school students from the Clarke County School District to participate in UGA's inaugural InnovateU program. InnovateU is part of UGA's ongoing efforts to partner with the school district, and its primary goal is to empower youth to solve real business challenges through leadership and innovative problem solving with the help of peers and local business professionals. "InnovateU provided me with insights on how to pursue my future goals," Sims said. "It was cool to meet local business owners and learn from them. It has opened my eyes to knowing that I want to open my own practice." Faculty with the UGA Entrepreneurship Program, located within the Terry College of Business, led the students through a design thinking process that helped them develop innovative solutions through a client-centered process focused on the needs of the people they were trying to help. |
| Black students, faculty: UNC needs self-examination on race | |
| When the University of North Carolina first declined to vote on granting tenure to journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, kicking off a protracted battle marked by allegations of racism and conservative backlash over her work examining the legacy of slavery, Black students and faculty at UNC saw yet another example of the institution's failure to welcome and support scholars and students of color. For years, Black students and faculty at UNC have expressed frustration with the way they are treated, from disproportionate scrutiny by campus police to the dearth of Black professors and staff. Without meaningful self-examination and change, they said, UNC risks its ability to recruit and retain students and faculty of color and continues to alienate its Black community. UNC's Black student and faculty groups presented a list of demands to the institution at a news conference Wednesday. Many centered on eliminating structural barriers Black students face, such as formalizing access to resources that many only learn about through word of mouth. The groups also urged the university to hire Black counselors and support staff in offices that work with students. In a statement Wednesday, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said that he has reviewed the list of changes sought by the Black Student Movement and is asking the university's leadership team to develop a plan to address those and other concerns. |
| Student persistence dropped by 2% from fall 2019 to fall 2020 | |
 | College and university leaders have been understandably obsessed with student enrollment figures in the 16 months since the coronavirus pandemic upended higher education. The regular reports from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center have revealed overall drops in enrollment, particularly for first-time students and for those from various groups already underrepresented in American colleges. New enrollments are only a piece of the puzzle, though, and most colleges in recent years have begun paying increasing attention to their ability to ensure that students stay enrolled (retention, from the institution's standpoint, and persistence from the student perspective). Which makes a new report today from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center all the more important -- and troubling. The rates at which newly enrolled students persisted in higher education last fall fell by two percentage points, to 73.9 percent in 2020 (for those who entered in fall 2019) from 75.9 percent in 2019 (for those who entered in fall 2018). The national persistence rate had risen from 72.4 percent in 2009, when the clearinghouse first started measuring it, and this year's mark represented the lowest rate since 2014. The persistence rate for students starting at four-year public colleges, by contrast, barely budged, dropping by less than half a percentage point. The retention rate for those at four-year public universities actually rose by nearly a percentage point, from 79.2 percent for students who entered in fall 2018 to 80.1 percent for those who entered in fall 2019. |
| White House pledges Black colleges won't be left out of President Biden's infrastructure deal | |
 | The White House is promising Black colleges they won't be left out of the president's legislative agenda this year amid hand-wringing in Congress over what counts as infrastructure. A group of senators and the White House agreed to compromise legislation that includes some, but not all, of the proposals in the jobs plan that President Joe Biden put forward. That bipartisan proposal focuses on traditional infrastructure and does not mention historically Black colleges and universities or the resources the schools say they need in order to compete with better-known institutions for sustained, private investment and enrollment. But the White House says that funding for those schools, known as HBCUs, will be part of the legislative package it is splitting into two bills in order to boost the odds of success in Congress. The second bill will include parts of the Biden jobs plan that do not make it into the bipartisan infrastructure legislation and initiatives that are currently in the president's families plan, Cedric Richmond, a senior adviser to Biden, said in an interview. "I think that all of us are wondering what the specifics will be in the American Jobs Plan, the compromise version," said Lodriguez Murray, senior vice president of public policy at United Negro College Fund. |
| Fitch raises higher ed outlook but sees growing gaps between colleges | |
| Fitch Ratings raised its outlook for U.S. colleges to stable Wednesday as institutions plan for mostly in-person instruction in the new academic year, revising what had been a negative view of the sector. The credit ratings agency cited improving application numbers, a solid state budget picture and the possibility that auxiliary and student fee revenue could improve as campuses reopen. But Fitch expects highly selective and flagship research universities to be better positioned to handle future challenges than smaller institutions, which may have fewer financial resources and face weaker demand in some markets. The upgrade to stable bodes well for colleges seeking to borrow money and for the financial health of the sector generally. Fitch expects institutions to largely be resilient despite ongoing operating stresses. Still, the move can't be taken as a sign that every college is on a clear upward financial trajectory. At the end of June, about 5% of Fitch's ratings outlooks -- which signal the direction of an institution's credit profile -- were positive, 13% were negative and the rest were stable. That's better than the end of the 2020 calendar year, when only 1% of the agency's actions had a positive rating outlook. However, the ratings agency considers private colleges with few financial reserves as most vulnerable to consolidation and closure. Certain regions are also facing challenging demographic trends. |
| 'Financially Hobbled for Life': The Elite Master's Degrees That Don't Pay Off | |
| Recent film program graduates of Columbia University who took out federal student loans had a median debt of $181,000. Yet two years after earning their master's degrees, half of the borrowers were making less than $30,000 a year. The Columbia program offers the most extreme example of how elite universities in recent years have awarded thousands of master's degrees that don't provide graduates enough early career earnings to begin paying down their federal student loans, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Education Department data. Recent Columbia film alumni had the highest debt compared with earnings among graduates of any major university master's program in the U.S., the Journal found. The New York City university is among the world's most prestigious schools, and its $11.3 billion endowment ranks it the nation's eighth wealthiest private school. For years, faculty, staff and students have appealed unsuccessfully to administrators to tap that wealth to aid more graduate students, according to current and former faculty and administrators, and dozens of students. Taxpayers will be on the hook for whatever is left unpaid. Lured by the aura of degrees from top-flight institutions, many master's students at universities across the U.S. took on debt beyond what their pay would support, the Journal analysis of federal data on borrowers found. |
SPORTS
| Tanner Allen gives back to Mississippi State with NIL trading cards, T-shirts | |
| Tanner Allen is making money and giving back to Mississippi State in the process. On Wednesday, the Bulldogs outfielder and Southeastern Conference player of the year took advantage of new name, image and likeness legislation, announcing personalized trading cards and T-shirts. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Mississippi State Foundation, according to Allen's website. "The four years in Starkville will be with me forever, and giving back to the good people at Miss St. is something I'm honored to do," Allen wrote. "GO Dawgs!" The senior right fielder will not be returning for a final season in Starkville, choosing to sign with a professional team after being selected in this weekend's MLB First-Year Player Draft. Round 1 is Sunday, Rounds 2-10 are Monday, and Rounds 11-20 are Tuesday. His trading cards, some of which are autographed and most of which have already sold out, are the first of their kind among amateur athletes. The clothing includes a shirt featuring the likenesses of Allen and center fielder Rowdey Jordan with "Legends of Starkville" printed on it and maroon and white shirts bearing a cartoon of Allen's face -- including his trademark sunglasses. Also for sale? Shirts with the outline of the state of Mississippi with an X over the home of rival Ole Miss and the words "Except Oxford," referring to Allen's comments after the Bulldogs' title-sealing win over Vanderbilt. "I couldn't be more happy for a team, a town, a fan base, the whole state of Mississippi ... except Oxford, of course," Allen said. |
| Mississippi State's Tanner Allen makes history, sells autographed cards | |
 | After his Mississippi State baseball team won the school's first national championship, senior outfielder Tanner Allen is making more history this week. With college athletes now able to profit from their "name, image and likeness," Allen has begun offering autographed trading cards and some other "TA5" merchandise at his website, www.tannerallen5.com. According to sports business reporter Darren Rovell, Allen is the first college player to produce autographed trading cards for sale to the public. The SEC and national player of the year, Allen is expected to be a early-round pick in next week's MLB Draft. When fans buy from the site, Allen said he plans to give back to his school. "A portion of all proceeds will go to the Mississippi State Foundation," Allen writes on his website. "The four years in Starkville will be with me forever, and giving back to the good people at Miss St. is something I'm honored to do." Six styles of T-shirts on the site are all priced at $24.99, including a "National Champs" design and a "Legends of Starkville" design that depicts him walking away arm-in-arm with fellow MSU senior Rowdey Jordan. |
| Senator Harkins requests bill to create a Mississippi State Baseball National Championship car tag | |
| State Senator Josh Harkins has announced that he has requested a bill to create a Mississippi State Baseball National Championship car tag in honor of their victory last week. Harkins explained that currently there are specialty car tags for a host of different entities whether it's universities or hospitals whether or not you have a non-profit, etc. There are all sorts of specialty tags that are out there and there's a fee that you pay to get a specialty tag and the fee goes to that organization or university or that hospital. A couple of years ago when LSU won the national championship, an LSU national championship car tag was created so that fans living in Mississippi could purchase to show support for their school. Since it was an out of state entity, the money raised would go to the Children's of Mississippi Hospital. Senator Harkins explained that requesting a bill to create a Mississippi State Baseball National Championship car tag was intended to memorialize the first national championship that Mississippi State has earned. "Currently Mississippi state has a car tag and I believe that a lot of people that would purchase one already have a Mississippi State tag so these proceeds would benefit the scholarship fund at the university," stated Senator Harkins. There are several things that have to happen before these specialty tags become available. |
| 2 complete strangers drove to Omaha together to watch MSU play ball. Now they're best friends. | |
| Two complete strangers from Mississippi who rode to Omaha, Nebraska together in order to watch State play in the College World Series are now best friends. Eric Kendrick told the story in a Facebook post which has now garnered over 1,000 likes and has been shared over 300 times. "Did I ever tell y'all about the time I rode 11 hours to Omaha with a complete stranger to watch Mississippi State play in the College World Series? If not, well let me tell you," the post began. Kendrick said he had been going back and forth on whether he should make the trip to Omaha. His wife, Kayla, was the one to finally convince him to go, saying it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Unfortunately, none of his friends could make the trip with him so he reached out to a man on Twitter. "We had never had a conversation or even followed each other until 4 days ago," Kendrick explained. "We reached out to each other and decided to give this trip some real consideration." Kayla was understandably concerned with her husband wanting to go on a spur-of-the-moment trip with a complete stranger. Her worries were semi-subdued after she had a FaceTime conversation with the stranger's wife. After that, the trip was on. |
| Greg Eiland preparing for NFL season | |
| Greg Eiland is back in Philadelphia for most of July after spending the past couple of months working out with the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. Eiland was in familiar territory last week. He is working out daily in the same Philadelphia Tornado weight room where he played his high school football. A graduate of Philadelphia High School, Eiland went on to play on Mississippi State's offensive line for four seasons in the Southeastern Conference. This past spring, Eiland signed as a free agent with the Seahawks. The 6-foot-8, 321 pounder is listed as a tackle on the offense. He has been in Seattle the past couple of months, working out and learning the system. "They gave us a month off but they expect us to continue training," Eiland said. "We will go back July 25." Eiland said the team put the rookies up in a hotel while they were in Seattle. A typical day started around 6 a.m. First, all players were tested for COVID-19 daily. From there, it was meetings, training and workouts until 4 p.m. "It was a lot of hard work," Eiland said. "I'm not sure where I am on the depth chart," Eiland said. "I will figure that out when we get back. I think playing four years in the SEC got me ready for this." |
| Ole Miss' Ron Rychlak named secretary for 2021-22 SEC Executive Committee | |
| Ole Miss Faculty Athletics Representative Ron Rychlak will continue to serve as secretary for the SEC Executive Committee for 2021-22, the Southeastern Conference announced Tuesday. University of Georgia President Jere Morehead will begin a two-year term as the President of the SEC's Executive Committee beginning July 1. Morehead moves into the role of president after a two-year term as vice president. University of Florida President Dr. Kent Fuchs will begin a two-year term as Vice President of the committee, while Rychlak will continue in his officer role as the secretary. Joining the committee is University of Alabama President Dr. Stuart Bell, who will become Vice President in 2023. Continuing members of the committee are Vanderbilt University Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics, Dr. Candice Storey Lee; University of Missouri Senior Deputy Athletics Director, Chief Operating Officer & Senior Woman Administrator, Sarah Reesman; and University of South Carolina Faculty Representative, Dr. Val Littlefield. The SEC Executive Committee is comprised of the three officers of the Conference and four individuals elected at the regular annual conference meeting. The elected members are composed of a Chief Executive Officer, Director of Athletics, Senior Woman Administrator and Faculty Athletics Representative. |
| LSU's marching band will resume road game travel except for UCLA, director says | |
 | The LSU Tiger Marching Band is scheduled to resume traveling to road games with the football team this season with the exception of the season opener against UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 4, band director Kelvin Jones said Wednesday. The Golden Band from Tigerland did not travel to road games last year, a season that was shortened to 10 Southeastern Conference-only games due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Jones said LSU's near full return this season is a promising step toward normalcy, although it won't involve traveling to one of the school's most anticipated road games. The Rose Bowl is a classic venue, perhaps the most iconic in college football lore. It's also a stadium that LSU has never played a football game in despite its own rich history. Still, as recent as a month ago, there remained questions about what the Rose Bowl's stadium logistics and capacity limits would be when the season began. UCLA and Southern Cal released simultaneous announcements on June 15 that its football venues will welcome back full-capacity crowds for the 2021 football season. By then, Jones said, LSU's band department and athletic department had already made the in-house decision not to travel to the Rose Bowl. The decision came down to a combination of the remaining unknown factors and budget concerns. |
| First week of NIL nets over 40 endorsement deals for Gators athletes | |
| More than 40 student-athletes from the University of Florida reached various endorsement agreements during the first week of the name, image and likeness era in college athletics. Quarterback Emory Jones, wide receiver Jacob Copeland, running back Malik Davis, defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and defensive back Trey Dean all designed their own apparel, though Copeland and and Davis have yet to release any merchandise online. Copeland, who has the largest social media following on the football team, is being cautious as he looks to capitalize on his name, image and likeness. "I want to thank all my Gator fans for the tremendous support with NIL. I will be dropping merchandise, but would like to hold out for now to do things the right way for the fans and not rush the process," Copeland tweeted. "Remember at the end of the day you have to produce on the field or else those deals mean nothing." Anthony Richardson and a few of his teammates have joined Dreamfield, a platform for players to offer their time to fans. Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral made headlines last week by charging $10,000 to spend one hour with him. Richardson's hourly fee is $500, the highest among the UF seven players on Dreamfield. Richardson also signed an endorsement deal with Gopuff, promoting the company on Twitter last Saturday. |
| R.C. Slocum steps down from College Football Playoff committee | |
| Former Texas A&M head football coach R.C. Slocum is stepping down from his position on the College Football Playoff committee due to health reasons, according to a release from the CFP. Slocum, 76, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma late last month. "I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the committee," Slocum said. "While I will miss the conversation and debate with my fellow committee members, I will always have fond memories of my two years with the group. I know college football is in good hands with them moving forward." Slocum was named to the 13-member committee in January of 2019 and his three-year term was slated to end February of 2022. In 2019, the committee selected LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma for the playoff. In Slocum's second season, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame made the four-team field. The Aggies finished fifth in the final 2020 CFP rankings, getting nudged out by Notre Dame. Slocum had to recuse himself from any discussions the committee had concerning A&M. Former Stanford, Notre Dame and Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham will take Slocum's place. |
| Congress Asks NCAA to Provide Info Regarding Gender Disparities | |
| The chairwoman of a congressional committee and two other lawmakers are seeking documents over troubling reports regarding gender inequality within NCAA sporting events. Three Democratic women U.S. House members penned a four-page letter to NCAA president Mark Emmert Tuesday, expressing their concerns over the disparate treatment of men's and women's championship events, and requesting documents connected to those championships. Sports Illustrated obtained a copy of the letter, which can be read in full here. Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney (D., N.Y.), Jackie Speier (D., Calif.) and Mikie Sherrill (D., N.J.) wrote to Emmert as members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, which they note is the principal oversight committee of the House of Representatives that "holds broad authority to investigate any matter at any time." The House members set a July 21 deadline for Emmert to send to them requested documents about NCAA championship events including tournament site details, complaints filed by participating teams, budget documents for men's and women's events and any reviews of gender disparities at such events. Lately, the governing body of college sports has been subject to intense criticism for differences in how it operates and budgets for women’s events compared to men’s events -- a shift that corresponds with the sweeping Me Too movement against sexual abuse and harassment. |
| Tokyo Olympics to be held without fans after new COVID-19 state of emergency declared | |
 | There will be no fans at the Tokyo Olympics. The announcement Thursday followed the declaration of a new state of emergency, which takes effect Monday and goes through Aug. 22. The Games begin July 23 and end Aug. 8. "The priority will be to determine safe and secure Games," Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto said at a news conference following a meeting with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the government of Japan, the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee. "We wanted to full stadium so community people could get involved in welcoming the athletes so we could have a full presentation of the power of sports," she added. "However, now faced with COVID-19 we have no other choice but to hold the Games in a limited way." The announcement is a blow for Tokyo organizers and will add to the cost of the Games for the Japanese people. Local organizers get the revenue from ticket sales, and Tokyo 2020 had originally budgeted that to be $800 million. The shortfall will now have to be made up by the Japanese. The official cost of the Games is already $15.4 billion, but it's believed to be much higher -- perhaps twice as much. |
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