| Monday, November 8, 2021 |
| Mississippi State encourages students to take part in Winter Express classes | |
 | Mississippi State University will continue the Winter Express condensed class session for students this year. This year, students will have over 200 online class options that begin on December 14th and end on January 14th. Enrollment opens on November 8th. "Winter Express is an important part of our offerings that will move students another step closer to realizing their life and career dreams," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. MSU encourages students to participate in the session to get ahead of the Spring 2022 semester, finish core course requirements, explore new subject areas or concentrate on difficult courses. |
| Riley Foundation awards MSU-Meridian students through scholarship program | |
 | Nine talented Mississippi State University-Meridian students are receiving scholarship support from the Riley Foundation Scholars Program. The competitive scholarship program provides two-year awards. Eligible students must have completed at least two years of study at a local community college with a grade-point average of 3.25 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale), as well as provide an essay and personal statement with their application. "We are grateful The Riley Foundation is so invested in providing a top-ranked education for the area's best and brightest students. Ultimately, the goal is to keep talented young people here, so they eventually contribute to prospering our community," said Terry Dale Cruse, associate vice president and head of the MSU-Meridian campus. Chartered in 1998, The Riley Foundation works to improve the quality of life for Meridian and Lauderdale County citizens through charitable grants. Its partnership with MSU-Meridian has led to many advancements including the developments of the MSU Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts, the I. Alfred Rosenbaum Building, and the Robert B. Deen Jr. Building, all located downtown at the MSU Riley Campus. For more information about establishing scholarships at MSU-Meridian, contact Jack McCarty, executive director of development for the MSU Foundation, at 662-325-9580 or jmccarty@foundation.msstate.edu. |
| MSU Partners with Mississippi Museum of Art | |
 | The Mississippi Museum of Art and Mississippi State University recently announced a new partnership that will offer expanded educational opportunities and professional growth for MSU students. The partnership will grant free unlimited admission to MMA for all students with a valid student ID, free gallery visits and group tours for classes. MSU Department of Art head and professor Critz Campbell is also joining MMA's Board of Trustees as part of the partnership. Campbell is also a trustee on Penland School of Craft's board and a recent recipient of the 2019 Jane Crater Hiatt Fellowship from the Mississippi Museum of Art. He is one of 14 new trustees joining MMA's board this year. Through the partnership, MSU faculty will have access to MMA archives and education services to extend learning and research beyond the classroom, a release from MSU says. MSU will also be able to make use of MMA's program of exhibitions, public programs, community engagement and educational initiatives. MMA is also offering paid post-baccalaureate fellowships for recent MSU graduates. |
| MSU cheese holiday shipping sales suspended | |
| Mississippi State has reached capacity for shipping holiday cheese. With two weeks remaining for ordering of MSU cheese for holiday shipping, a software system failure brought ordering to a halt. While still working to restore the customized system, pending orders have now placed shipping at full capacity. The MAFES Sales Store has suspended holiday shipping orders. It is anticipated that online sales will resume in January 2022. "We extend a heartfelt apology to our loyal customer base. Mississippi State University cheese has long been a holiday tradition, and this situation is disappointing to all of us at Mississippi State," said Keith Coble, vice president for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine and MAFES interim director. "We expect to be back online in the new year, providing our signature farm-fresh dairy products to our long-distance customers." The 15,000-plus orders already placed will be delivered as expected. For now, cheese is still available for purchase locally. In addition to the MAFES Sales Store, MSU cheese is available for in-store purchase at the Bulldog Shop in Meridian. |
| Arnold sentenced to 55 years for attempted kidnapping, assault | |
 | John B. Arnold Jr. will spend 55 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections for attempting to kidnap a former family friend's child. Arnold, 48, of Starkville attempted to check out a 6-year-old child from Sudduth Elementary School in February 2018 without the parents' permission. He attempted again days later, and after his second arrest, assaulted an officer in a failed attempt to break out of Oktibbeha County Jail. An Oktibbeha County Circuit Court jury found Arnold guilty on Thursday of both attempted kidnapping counts, as well as attempted escape from jail and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. Judge James Kitchens, who is presiding over the case, heard arguments Friday from the state and defense regarding Arnold's sentence. After listening to testimonies from both of the child's parents and phone calls Arnold had with his father while incarcerated, Kitchens decided Arnold will serve 25 years for the first count of attempted kidnapping, 25 years for the second with five years suspended with post-release supervision, five years for the attempted escape and five years for assaulting the officer. All sentences will run consecutively. While Arnold is not required to pay a fine for his crimes, Kitchens said after Arnold is released from prison, he is to have no contact with the family, never own a gun and must notify an officer every time he is in Oktibbeha County. Kitchens said he hopes Arnold's 55-year-long sentence will give him remorse for his actions and rehabilitation. |
| Two arrested in connection with October murder at Highlands Plantation | |
| Sheriff's deputies have arrested two suspects in connection with an Oct. 20 murder at Highlands Plantation. Portia Manning, 32, is charged with capital murder, aggravated assault and carjacking in the case. Exzuctica Brownlee, 22, is charged with accessory to all of Manning's charges. Both suspects are from Starkville and were arrested Friday. Capt. Brett Watson with the sheriff's office said Manning fatally shot Ti'Hyree Davis, 28, and injured another victim at a house on Kirk Cauldy Drive at about 9 p.m. Manning left the scene in a stolen car. Brownlee aided Manning after the fact, Watson said. Manning was denied bond for capital murder. Her bonds on the other two charges are $50,000 each. Brownlee's bond for accessory to capital murder is set at $100,000 and $50,000 each on her other two accessory counts. Both suspects are being held in Oktibbeha County Jail. |
| October Mississippi state revenues up $55.9 million over estimates | |
 | The October report from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee shows that Mississippi state revenues continue to tick upwards. Total revenue collections for the month of October in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 are $55,889,751 or 10.58% above the sine die revenue estimate. Fiscal Year-to-Date (YTD) revenue collections through October 2021 are $314,213,329 or 16.42% above the sine die estimate. Fiscal YTD total revenue collections through October 2021 are $160,154,166 or 7.75% above the prior year's collections. The FY 2022 Sine Die Revenue Estimate is $5,927,000,000. October FY 2022 General Fund collections were $47,312,335 or 8.82% over October FY 2021 actual collections. Sales tax collections for the month of October were above the prior year by $15.9 million. Individual income tax collections for the month of October were above the prior year by $33.7 million. The one area that was down year-to-year was corporate income tax collections. Corporate collection for the month of October were below the prior year by $4.2 million. |
| Analysis: Mississippi faces big decisions on relief money | |
 | Mississippi is running behind many other states in deciding how to spend billions of federal dollars for pandemic relief. Congress allocated $1.8 billion for Mississippi through the American Rescue Plan, and the first half of the money arrived in the state treasury in May, weeks after legislators finished their 2021 session. The federal government says American Rescue Plan money may only be spent on certain expenses. Those include public health, including COVID-19 mitigation; addressing economic harms that the pandemic has caused for businesses; replacing state government revenue that was lost because of the pandemic; providing premium pay for essential workers; and investing in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure. Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said it's imperative that the money go to "transformational projects." "The legacy for the Legislature this year, and for everybody that's in it or works there, is how we spend that money," Hosemann said Oct. 28 at Hobnob, a gathering hosted by the state Chamber of Commerce, Mississippi Economic Council. Cities and counties are also receiving millions of federal dollars for pandemic relief. Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn has made clear that he also wants the pandemic relief money to go toward projects that provide long-term improvements -- not short-term fixes. |
| Mississippi physicians urge flu, COVID-19 vaccination before holidays | |
 | With Thanksgiving less than three weeks away, Mississippi health officials urge residents to get vaccinated before gathering to avoid a COVID-19 resurge. While COVID-19 cases have tapered in Mississippi, with nearly 70% fewer cases in October than in September, health officials reminded Mississippians the virus has not disappeared. Daniel Edney, chief medical officer and regional health officer for the Central Public Health Region, said Friday COVID-19 infection counts are still "significantly above" those before the COVID-19 delta variant swept the state this summer. Before the delta variant, coronavirus cases were at their lowest, with daily case counts between 50-200 infections. Recently, counts have ranged between 300-500 cases a day. "We're still seeing lots of (COVID-19) out there," State Epidemiologist Paul Byers said Friday. "We'll probably will see a bit of an upswing when we get into the holiday months." Byers said it will be unlikely COVID-19 cases and deaths will rise to the same level they did last winter. During Thanksgiving and Christmas 2020, daily case counts shot up to the thousands, and deaths followed. There was no vaccine available to fend off the coronavirus. Mark Horne, Mississippi State Medical Association's former president, said people were gathering at Thanksgiving and then burying their loved ones, severely ill with COVID-19, by Christmas. "Last Thanksgiving and Christmas, it was not good," Edney said Friday. "Grandparents, children and grandchildren want to be together. Now we have a vaccine and families can safely get together if they're vaccinated." |
| Biden appoints Fairley as USDA Farm Service Agency MS State Executive Director | |
| Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint individuals to serve in key regional roles at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). One of those is a Mississippians working for Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS02). Thaddeus Fairley is being appointed as the State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in the Mississippi area. The USDA's Farm Service Agency implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster, and farm marketing programs in each U.S. State. Its mission is to equitably serve all farmers, ranchers, and agricultural partners through the delivery of effective, efficient agricultural programs for all Americans. State Executive Directors oversee this work, ensuring the needs of local constituents are met and that USDA resources are distributed equitably and fairly. Fairley is a non-profit professional from Sunflower, MS, presently residing in Indianola. He currently serves as a Field Representative for 2nd Congressional District Congressman Bennie Thompson, who is the current chair of the Committee on Homeland Security. During his time with Congressman Thompson, Fairley has served as an expert on broadband initiatives and constituent services, including issues from farmers. He is a graduate of Mississippi Valley State University and Louisiana State University at Shreveport. |
| Federal court blocks Biden administration's vaccination mandate | |
 | A federal court in Louisiana has blocked the Biden administration's mandate that millions of workers get vaccinated against Covid-19 or be tested weekly, ruling in a suit filed by several states, companies and conservative religious groups. "Because the petitions give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate, the Mandate is hereby STAYED pending further action by this court," a panel of judges for the New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Saturday. The states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Utah are among the plaintiffs. More than two dozen states have filed multiple legal challenges in federal court against the Biden administration's vaccinate-or-test mandate for private businesses, arguing that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn't have the authority to issue the requirements. Broadly, the lawsuits argue that the Department of Labor lacks the authority to issue a rule and that it did not follow the proper procedure in issuing the emergency temporary standard. The court gave the government until 5 p.m. Monday to respond to the plaintiffs' request for a permanent injunction. |
| Pelosi Wins Infrastructure Bet, but Rest of Biden Agenda Still in Play | |
 | For Democrats, it's roughly $1 trillion down, about $2 trillion to go. Even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated the House's approval of a generational infusion of funding for roads, bridges, broadband and water systems on Friday, delicate negotiations were taking place within her caucus over the separate social-spending and climate bill she had wanted to pass the same day. The California Democrat is leading the narrowest House majority in decades as she works to deliver key planks of President Biden's agenda. On Friday, the House passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill, sending it to the White House. But Mrs. Pelosi settled for a procedural vote on the second bill, short of final passage, as she works to bring her members on board by later this month. "Welcome to my world," she told reporters on Friday evening. "This is the Democratic Party." Mrs. Pelosi has 221 members to 213 for the Republicans and can only lose three votes if all Republicans are opposed. She is navigating demands from centrist members facing tough re-election races, progressive members who see Democratic control of Washington as a time to be bold, and concerns from Black, Hispanic and Asian members about how the bills would affect minority communities. Should the speaker succeed in bringing her caucus together to pass the social-spending bill, it is likely to be changed significantly in the Senate, and then return to the House where she will have to rally support again. |
| U.S. lifts the pandemic travel ban and opens the doors to international visitors | |
| The U.S. lifted restrictions Monday on travel from a long list of countries including Mexico, Canada and most of Europe, allowing tourists to make long-delayed trips and family members to reconnect with loved ones after more than a year and a half apart because of the pandemic. Starting Monday, the U.S. is accepting fully vaccinated travelers at airports and land borders, doing away with a COVID-19 restriction that dates back to the Trump administration. The new rules allow air travel from previously restricted countries as long as the traveler has proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test. Land travel from Mexico and Canada will require proof of vaccination but no test. Airlines are expecting more travelers from Europe and elsewhere. Data from travel and analytics firm Cirium showed airlines are increasing flights between the United Kingdom and the U.S. by 21% this month over last month. The change will have a profound effect on the borders with Mexico and Canada, where traveling back and forth was a way of life until the pandemic hit and the U.S. shut down nonessential travel. Malls, restaurants and Main Street shops in U.S. border towns have been devastated by the lack of visitors from Mexico. On the boundary with Canada, cross-border hockey rivalries were community traditions until being upended by the pandemic. Churches that had members on both sides of the border are hoping to welcome parishioners they haven't seen during COVID-19 shutdown. |
| Veterans Day Programs: Air Force's Bridges to speak at The W's Veterans Day program | |
| Senior Master Sgt. Melissa D. Bridges, superintendent, 14th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, Columbus Air Force Base, will speak about her perspective on Veterans Day at 10 a.m. Thursday, at Mississippi University for Women. The program, which will be held at Pioneers Plaza (next to Welty Hall) is open to students, faculty, staff and the community. The rain location is Carrier Chapel. It is one of several activities being held in the Golden Triangle in connection with Veterans Day. Mississippi State's Center for America's Veterans will host its first annual Veterans Week Golf Tournament Tuesday at the MSU golf course. Opening ceremony at 8 a.m. and a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $250 for a team, $65 for individuals. Proceeds support the center's scholarship fund. To sign-up, visit veterans.msstate.edu. Mississippi State's Student Veteran Association will host a pancake breakfast from 7-10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Center for America's Veterans. The public is invited. Visitors are encouraged to bring a toy for "Toys 4 Tots." Cost is $5, which will help SVA attend the national conference. Mississippi State's Center for America's Veterans will have a veterans recognition ceremony at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Drill Field. MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum will give remarks. Mississippi State's Center for America's Veterans will host Lunch with Legends at noon Friday in the center's multipurpose room. The guest speaker will be Randy Jones, U.S. Army veteran and West Point resident, who was a movie contributor to "Black Hawk Down." Mississippi State will host Tennessee State in a football game on Nov. 20, which is a military appreciation game. Mississippi State's Student Veterans of America will host the Veterans Tribute Run 5K/10K at 3 p.m. Nov. 21. To sign-up, visit veterans.msstate.edu. |
| Political veterans discuss problem solving in a divided country | |
| Two of Mississippi's major political figures of the modern era used their decades of combined experience recently to share lessons with more than 100 University of Mississippi students about solving problems in a divided nation. Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who served from 2004 to 2012 and was also chairman of the Republican National Committee, and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, the state's senior senator, spoke to students gathered Oct. 22 in the Ole Miss Student Union auditorium. Their talk, "Solving Problems in a Divided Country" gave students a chance to hear from two of Mississippi's most notable elected officials from the last 50 years. Barbour, who holds a Juris Doctor from Ole Miss, is the namesake of the Haley Barbour Center for the Study of American Politics, part of the UM Department of Political Science. The current climate is unusual, he said. "I have been doing this for 53 years and I can tell you we are at a time I find very unusual, very strange, unique; say whatever you will," Barbour said. "Historically, when we are at parity, meaning equal strength between the two parties, and it's happened from time to time, usually, except this time alone, we are all kind of bunched up in the middle. Right now, we are at parity, but there is no middle." |
| Emmy Award-Winners Headline Southern Miss Symphony Concert | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra welcomes the Emmy Award-winning artistry of Time for Three in a one-night-only concert event, Thursday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium. Remaining tickets are available at the Southern Miss Ticket Office, 800.844.8425, 601.266.5418, or southernmisstickets.com. The group will also perform a free educational livestream on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. on the School of Music's YouTube page, youtube.com/usmmusic1. "Time for Three performs everything from the Beatles to Guns n' Roses to Mahler," said Dr. Michael Miles, music director of the Symphony. "Add to that Strauss' dynamic and exciting Don Juan performed by our USM Symphony Orchestra, and I guarantee there will be something for everyone in this program." Defying convention and boundaries, Time For Three stands at the busy intersection of Americana, modern pop, and classical music. To experience Time For Three (TF3) live is to hear the various eras, styles, and traditions of Western music fold in on themselves and emerge anew. Bonded by an uncommon blend of their instruments fused together with their voices, Charles Yang (violin, vocals), Nicolas "Nick" Kendall (violin, vocals), and Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals), have found a unique voice of expression to share with the world. |
| Local political science professor breaks down legal battle over Biden's vaccine mandate | |
| The Biden Administration's vaccine mandate isn't in full effect yet, but it's already caught up in the courts. Saturday, a U.S. federal appeals court temporarily halted the mandate for private businesses. Mississippi was one of the states that filed a lawsuit to block it Friday. The mandate would require workers at U.S. companies with 100 or more employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing. Dr. Maruice Mangum, the chair of Jackson State University's Political Science Department, said, politically, the lawsuit challenging Biden's mandate is significant due to the sheer number of governors and attorneys general involved. But, legally, he said it doesn't hold a whole lot of weight. "The thing about the Biden Administration's [mandate] is that you can get tested weekly if you refuse to get vaccinated," he said. "So if you don't want to get vaccinated, there is an option for you." He added that it also allows for exceptions for religious or health reasons. Mangum said he's not too surprised by Saturday's ruling to put a freeze on the mandate because the appeals court judges who made the ruling were all appointed by Republican presidents. However, if the Biden Administration moves forward with fighting for the mandate in the courts, Mangum thinks it could be upheld at a higher level. "We've had required vaccines in this country before. We don't talk about polio much because it was a required vaccination," he said. "At that time, there were some people who were opposed to it, but they weren't given platforms like they are today when it comes to COVID-19." |
| Jazz festival, costume designer among arts awards recipients | |
| A university jazz festival, a costume designer, producer and a gospel group will be among the recipients of the Mississippi Arts Commission's annual governor's art awards early next year. The governor's arts awards are presented annually to people and organizations in Mississippi who are doing outstanding artistic work and promoting arts-based community development. "These recipients have had incredible, storied careers in the arts and have made lasting impacts in their fields and in the state," Sarah Story, executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, said in a press release. The more than four-decades-old Alcorn State University Jazz Festival in Vicksburg will be honored with the "Arts in Community" award. The festival is always free of charge and open to the public and aims to educate attendees through workshops with the performing artists. Holly Lange, founder of the Mississippi Book Festival, will receive the "Governor's Choice Award." The arts awards ceremony will be held in person on Feb. 10, 2022, in downtown Jackson. |
| Hinds Community College maritime program, facility prepares students to work on the river | |
| Cris Reeves bounced around from one job to the next for a few years after high school before he found the deckhand program at the Hinds Community College Vicksburg-Warren Campus. "I worked lawn care, retail, pipelines, a lot of things," Reeves said. "Main thing was, I was trying to make some money doing just about anything." In 2017, he completed the weeklong program at the Vicksburg-Warren Campus and was hired at Yazoo River Towing. Now a First Mate and Steersman, Reeves, 25, originally from Searcy, Ark., has job skills and a steady career on the waterway. "Being part of the program here has given me special skills to work on a towboat, even things like cooking," he said. Reeves told some of his story before those who gathered Oct. 28 to launch the Maritime Training Center, located across MS 27 from campus. The facility will be renovated and will allow the deckhand program to expand to add training for a wider variety of higher-paying jobs on the waterway, including tankermen and pilots, plus safety training and other maritime jobs. The 15,700-square-foot building will house a large circular commons area, four classrooms, training labs, office and meeting space, galley and dining area, living quarters for 14 students and two instructors as well as other accommodations that simulate living full-time on a river barge in a working environment. The academy is the focal point of a partnership between Hinds and several private and public entities with an interest in the maritime industry. Those are Golding Barge, Magnolia Marine, Yazoo River Towing and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. |
| Auburn provost Bill Hardgrave poised to be next U. of Memphis president | |
| Bill C. Hardgrave of Auburn University in Alabama is poised to become the next president of the University of Memphis. During a committee meeting Friday, board members issued their own recommendations for president. Hardgrave was the unanimously preferred finalist by the trustees, including the faculty and student trustee. In their recommendations, both Black trustees -- Cato Johnson and Marvin Ellison -- said they came to their conclusion on Hardgrave, who is white and oversees an overwhelmingly white university -- by securing personal commitments from Hardgrave on diversity. Trustee Carol Roberts, head of the search committee, made the formal recommendation, which Johnson seconded. The board is scheduled to vote on the recommendation at a Tuesday meeting at 3 p.m. Hardgrave was one of three finalists, which included Cammy Abernathy, a dean of engineering at the University of Florida and Teik Lim, interim president at the University of Texas at Arlington. Each of the finalist visited the campus for interviews between Tuesday and Thursday. Trustee Doug Edwards, the chair of the board, said he was "pleased" by the common conclusion to a decision he described as the "most consequential thing" the board would ever do. Created in 2017, the U of M board is making its first selection of a university president. |
| Florida Looks at Raising the Stakes on Post-Tenure Review | |
 | Amid "renewed interest" from Florida lawmakers into how tenured professors' performance is judged, a post-tenure review proposal is circulating at state universities. The draft set off alarm bells for some faculty leaders, who say in its current form, it would hobble tenure protections by giving too much power to administrators. Florida professors were already on edge about academic freedom. News broke a week ago that three political-science professors at the University of Florida had been barred from offering paid testimony in a voting-rights lawsuit against the state. A reason given was that, because the university is a state actor, litigation against the state is "adverse to UF's interests." The university used the same reasoning when it barred a pediatrician who supported mask mandates in Florida schools from participating in lawsuits against state agencies, The Chronicle previously reported. W. Kent Fuchs, president of the University of Florida, said on Friday that he had asked the campus's conflicts-of-interest office to reverse its decisions on recent expert-witness requests. News of the post-tenure review proposal -- first reported by the Tampa Bay Times -- also comes shortly after a revised post-tenure review policy sparked strong dissent at Georgia's public universities. University System of Georgia regents approved the revisions over the objections of faculty members who said the changes would severely weaken tenured professors' job security. |
| UF says professors can be paid experts. They're suing anyway | |
 | Backing down completely from its earlier refusal to let three professors serve as expert witnesses in a voting rights case against the state, the University of Florida said Friday the professors may participate, even if they're paid. In a partial concession to the professors and the university's growing list of critics, the university had already said the professors could testify if they did so pro bono. In announcing the full reversal, Florida president Kent Fuchs also said he'd appointed a task force and charged it with recommending how the university should respond "when employees request approval to serve as expert witnesses in litigation in which their employer, the state of Florida, is a party." Fuchs set a preliminary recommendation deadline of Nov. 29. (Fuchs had already announced he was forming a task force to review the university's general conflict-of-interest policy, which was last updated a year ago.) The three professors of political science who'd asked to be involved in the voting rights case -- Sharon Austin, Michael McDonald and Daniel A. Smith -- responded to Fuchs with their own announcement: they're suing him, Provost Joe Glover and the university's Board of Trustees, in federal court for violating the First Amendment. While the university changed course in this particular case, "apparently as a matter of discretion," the lawsuit says, the "unconstitutional policy" on conflict of interest that blocked them from testifying in the first place remains in effect. To this point, the lawsuit names multiple other university professors who have recently revealed that the university denied their own requests to offer expert opinions in legal challenges to other state laws, including one involving Florida's ban on mask mandates in schools. |
| U. of Arkansas project cost increases by $7M; donors to cover rise in expenses for Anthony Timberlands Center | |
| A $26.5 million building with a unique, sloped roof and a wood-centered design from a renowned Irish architecture firm will showcase efforts to use the state's forests in construction, University of Arkansas officials said last week. But the estimated project cost for the new Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation has increased by $7 million compared with what the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees approved in September of last year. Construction is set to begin a few blocks from the main UA campus in early 2022, at a site considered a part of UA's Windgate Art and Design District, essentially a city block that also includes a new visual arts building that's under construction. The Anthony Timberlands center is being designed by Grafton Architects, a Dublin-based firm whose co-founders won last year's prestigious Pritzker Prize. Peter MacKeith, dean of UA's Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, said in an interview that the amount of university dollars to be used on the project -- $7.7 million, as stated in trustees board documents from last year -- is remaining the same, with cost increases reflecting the construction market in Northwest Arkansas. "This is endemic now in our region, given there's so much that's under construction and a shortage of skilled labor, and really a premium on subcontractors and skills that they can provide," MacKeith said. Private donors will pay for the added costs, MacKeith said. He said that the design has been reviewed with construction costs in mind. |
| Of U. of South Carolina's 50 presidential contenders, half are women or people of color, search chair says | |
 | The University of South Carolina has 50 candidates to be the school's next president, half of whom are either women or people of color, a search official said Friday. The demographic information on USC's presidential search came from Presidential Search Committee Chair Thad Westbrook during a public meeting Friday. Westbrook is also the vice chair of USC's board of trustees. Lack of diversity in the 2019 presidential search, both in the four candidates named finalists and the people choosing finalists, drew criticism after only one person of color and no women were named finalists. Harris Pastides, the school's longtime president, is serving in an interim role after the abrupt resignation of former president Robert Caslen in May. After Caslen's resignation, USC set up a search committee that promised to be different from the controversial 2019 search that ended with Caslen's hiring. To do that, the board of trustees overhauled the search committee process and established a search committee that was more diverse than the 2019 presidential search committee, The State reported previously. |
| Bomb threats evacuate Ivy League campuses after similar calls to Miami University, Ohio University | |
 | Multiple Ivy League college campuses were evacuated on Sunday following reports of bomb threats, days after several Ohio universities received similar threats. Cornell, Columbia, and Brown Universities all issued emergency alerts after receiving bomb threats Sunday afternoon. They each evacuated buildings and cautioned students to stay away from campus. In Ithaca, New York, Cornell police cordoned off the center of campus on Sunday after receiving a call that bombs were placed in four buildings. In New York City, Columbia University police issued a campus-wide emergency alert after receiving bomb threats at university buildings at about 2:30 p.m. James Brennan, a 25-year-old Cornell law student from the Town of Greece, said he was relaxing in his Ithaca apartment when the first alert came. He and other law students joined an online group chat, trying to sort out fiction -- there were initial erroneous rumors of an active shooting incident -- from fact, he said in a telephone interview Sunday. Eventually, the campus alerts clarified the threat, Brennan said. He said the law school is not particularly active on a Sunday, but "does get a few people in there." In New Haven, Connecticut, on Friday afternoon, a non-emergency communications line received a call alerting authorities to a bomb that referenced specific locations around the Yale campus, according to the Hartford Courant. On Saturday, Ohio University received a similar threat. University police determined that it wasn't credible, and also said in a tweet that the source of the threat is "the same as several other false bomb threats recently made to other universities across the country." |
| Survey offers ways colleges can recruit first-generation students | |
| First-generation students are among the most highly sought in higher education, and they could be about to be sought even more. If the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear the appeal of Harvard University's affirmative action case and rules against Harvard, colleges may be hard-pressed to continue race-based affirmative action. But first-generation students include all races and ethnicities. So a college could, in theory, favor them in admissions and financial aid. If colleges do go for first-generation students, what strategies should they use? A new survey by Niche (a company that helps students find colleges and colleges find students) suggests that price will be crucial -- and that colleges may not be prepared for the kinds of issues they will face in recruiting first-generation students. First, who is in the survey? Niche obtained results from 10,969 high school seniors who said they plan to go to college and their parents did not have a college degree. "A wide majority (76 percent) of first-generation students eliminated colleges from consideration based on the sticker price and they are much more likely to be price sensitive," said a report published by Niche. "Less than half said they would consider applying to a college with a total published cost of over $30,000 per year. While only 8 percent of their peers said they would only consider colleges with a total published cost of less than $10,000 per year, for first-generation students, it increased significantly to 18 percent." |
| Higher Ed's Jobs Recovery Sputters | |
| While higher education recovered, in the first six months of this year, nearly half of the cumulative jobs it had lost since the pandemic's start, growth sputtered during the most recent quarter. Even after the federal government plowed billions of dollars in pandemic-related aid into the coffers of America's public and private institutions of higher education, academe significantly trailed the broader economy in its share of cumulative jobs recovered since the beginning of the pandemic, according to preliminary, seasonally adjusted estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last December clocked in as the darkest month of the pandemic for higher ed, with an estimated 661,000 jobs cumulatively lost in the private and public sectors since the previous February -- a reduction of nearly 14 percent. Put another way, one out of every seven employees on the payroll in February 2020 had disappeared from higher ed's work force by Christmas. This year, higher ed had seemed to be showing signs of a rebound. Over the first half of 2021, higher ed's labor force grew cumulatively by an estimated 318,900 jobs. The percentage change in estimated job losses since February 2020 shrank to a 7.2-percent loss in August 2021. But the third quarter of 2021 didn't maintain the same momentum as the first six months of the year. What's clear is that the labor forces of the U.S. economy and of higher ed not only endured the pandemic's ugliest days on different schedules, but also are recovering out of sync. |
| Legislation aims to tackle mental health concerns in higher ed | |
| College students and campuses across the country are facing growing mental health challenges that have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Education recently offered a federal response to the crisis, and now, members of Congress are adding to the conversation, as institutional leaders and advocates consider what more should be done to help struggling students. Last month, Representative David Trone, a Democrat from Maryland, and Senator Bob Casey, the Democrat from Pennsylvania, introduced a bipartisan bill that would establish a national commission to study mental health concerns at institutions of higher education. The commission would provide an "environmental scan" of the institutional policies and services available to students, said Laurel Stine, senior vice president of public policy at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. That overview would lead to a road map of what specifically can be done to improve mental health services on campuses. The bill is cosponsored by several Democratic senators, including Tim Kaine from Virginia and Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota, and Republican representatives John Joyce and Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania. "The pandemic was a disaster for the mental health of all Americans, but especially our college students," Trone said in a release. "Untreated mental health issues at a young age can affect folks throughout their entire lifetimes. We must ensure that our colleges and universities are providing top-notch mental health care for students. This bipartisan bill will make that happen and set our students up for success." |
SPORTS
| Walk's Sparkling Performance Lifts Volleyball To 20th Win | |
| Mississippi State's volleyball team took another important step on its journey towards program history as the Bulldogs captured their 20th victory of the season during a grind-it-out style 3-1 triumph over Missouri [25-16, 25-27, 25-15, 25-23] on Sunday afternoon at the Hearnes Center. The Bulldogs (20-5, 11-2 SEC) extended the SEC's longest winning streak to eight straight matches and dialed up their program-record 11th conference victory to pull within a half-match of No. 5 Kentucky for the top spot in the SEC standings. The 20 overall wins equal the third-highest total in program history for a single-season and the most for the Maroon and White since the 1989 squad secured a 20-14 mark. "The Volley Dawgs had a will to win today, you could feel it," head coach Julie Darty Dennis said. During a season where State has showcased its balance and its depth, it was Rebecca Walk's turn to shine. The sophomore was unstoppable with a blistering 14 kills on 18 errorless swings for a scorching .778 hitting percentage and tacked on a quartet of blocks from her middle blocker post. The .778 attack ratio was the second-best for a SEC player with at least 12 kills during a match in 2021. "Rebecca was unbelievable," Dennis said. |
| 'A happy tired': Ramskogler doubles as tennis player, ace athletics staffer | |
| On Sept. 18, Mississippi State was "thrown a curveball" -- during a football game. The Bulldogs' athletics communications staff found out midway through the contest at Memphis that the host Tigers weren't going to transcribe MSU coach Mike Leach's postgame interview, something the visitors had expected. So assistant director of communications Brian Ogden put out a call in the GroupMe of student assistants, hoping for someone to step in. Gregor Ramskogler was the only one who responded. native Austrian, English is Ramskogler's second language. Still, he transcribed Leach's interview, flagging any words he didn't recognize for Ogden to note and clean up. "It's harder for him, but he's the first one to volunteer to do it," Ogden said. Since he began working with the athletic department in spring 2020, Ramskogler has been game for anything. He's pored over box scores, slaved over spreadsheets and spent long hours in the Bryan Building. Oh, right, and he's also a Mississippi State tennis player, fitting in work with MSU athletics whenever he can find the time. And there's not always a lot of it. "I'm very tired every single day when I get home, not going to lie," Ramskogler said. "I'm very tired, but it's a happy tired. Everything I do here with tennis and school and the internship here, I love doing it." |
| Broska Closes Fall Season With A Championship | |
| The Atlanta Braves were not the only team in town celebrating a championship over the weekend. Mississippi State's Florian Broska claimed a title as well after posting a 3-0 singles record to win the GT Invite. Broska never lost a set during the three-day event and closed out his championship with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Georgia Tech's Keshav Chopra on Sunday. "I thought he was outstanding mentally all weekend," said head coach Matt Roberts. "He kept his mental composure and showed a lot of resilience when he had to dig deep against some strong opponents. Coming away with three wins gives him feedback for what he's been working on mentally." The 27th-ranked Broska began the tournament by beating Ole Miss' John Hallquist Lithén 6-2, 7-6(7) on Friday and followed up with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Chen Dong of the Yellow Jackets the next day. Broska also had his share of success in doubles as well, posting a 2-1 record on the weekend with partner Gregor Ramskogler. The sixth-ranked duo closed out a 6-3 victory over Dong and Ángel Guerrero Melgar on Sunday. In all, the Bulldogs tallied six wins on the day with No. 36 Nemanja Malesevic and No. 54 Davide Tortora each posting a singles win and combining for a doubles victory as well. Mississippi State will start its spring season with a six match homestand starting with Tennessee Tech on Jan. 14. |
| AP source: Florida fires veteran assistants Grantham, Hevesy | |
| A person familiar with the decision says Florida fired defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and offensive line coach John Hevesy on Sunday, parting with the two assistants one day after a 40-17 loss at South Carolina. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Gators (4-5, 2-5 Southeastern Conference) hadn't made the moves public. Coach Dan Mullen is scheduled to address the staff changes Monday afternoon. The Athletic first reported the firings. Grantham and Hevesy were in the final year of their contracts at Florida. Grantham made $1.8 million annually, and Hevesy was getting $620,000. Hevesy had been coaching alongside Mullen for the past two decades. They were together at Bowling Green (2001-02), Utah (2003-04), Florida (2005-08), Mississippi State (2009-17) and Florida (2008-21) again. Grantham spent the last five seasons with Mullen, including the 2017 season at Mississippi State. Offensive line and defensive struggles have been among the most glaring issues for the Gators, who have lost three in a row and eight of their last 10 against Power Five opponents. |
| NCAA releases draft of streamlined constitution that would give power to schools | |
| The NCAA on Monday set the stage for a dramatic restructuring of college sports that will give each of its three divisions the power to govern itself. The nation's biggest and most influential governing body in college athletics released a draft of an 18½-page constitution, cut down from 43 pages over the last three months at the direction of president Mark Emmert. The rewritten constitution focuses more on the NCAA's broader goals of athlete welfare than the previous version, which took a more granular approach. Most important, it would provide Division I -- the highest level of college sports that includes major college football and the 351 schools eligible for the lucrative men's basketball tournament -- the autonomy to reshape everything from how revenue is shared to how rules are made and enforced. "Once we got into this, we really found out that many of the issues were the Division I level," West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons, who is the chairman of the Division I Council and a member of the constitution committee, told AP. The goal is to have changes in place in less than a year. The next phase figures to be more contentious, at least at the highest level of college sport. Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey and Ohio University athletic director Julie Cromer will lead the Division I Transformation Committee, which has already begun exploring ways to restructure. |
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