| Tuesday, January 25, 2022 |
| Lawmakers sponsor bill to create car tag commemorating Bulldogs' 2021 National Championship | |
 | If lawmakers pass one bill, Mississippi State University fans will be able to celebrate the Bulldogs' baseball national championship every time they renew their car tags. Several lawmakers have signed on to sponsor S.B. 2223, which would create a license plate commemorating MSU's 2021 National Championship in college baseball. If approved, the tag would cost an additional $30 on top of a customer's regular car tag fee, with $24 of each sale going to the Mississippi State University Foundation. One dollar from each sale would go to the Mississippi Burn Care Fund; $2 of each sale would go to the state highway fund and $1 of each sale would go into a special fund created by the state to administer the program governing special license plates. The bill was authored by Rankin County Sen. Josh Harkins and was co-authored by an additional 18 senators, including Sens. Walter Michel, Joey Fillingane and David Blount. The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. |
| MSU invites agricultural producers to advisory meetings | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) will conduct educational programming and research with agriculture advisory groups across the state next month. According to organizers, there will be three regional meetings that offer agricultural producers the opportunity to share their needs for the upcoming year with the MSU Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. The Northeast Mississippi producers will meet on February 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center. The central region will hold its meeting on February 23, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center. Producers in the coastal region will meet on February 24, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Coastal Research and Extension Center. The deadline to register is February 18. Each meeting will begin with registration followed by a general session, and individuals will discuss their needs in breakout sessions. |
| Arboretum's annual Forge Day features blacksmiths, metalworking demonstrations | |
| Now in its fourteenth year, Forge Day has always been an event that is eagerly awaited at the Crosby Arboretum. The activities offer the public a unique experience through numerous blacksmithing and metalworking demonstrations and is held on the last Saturday in January. January often brings some warm weather, and in recent weeks we have certainly seen some extremes. We have our fingers officially crossed for "reasonable" weather on January 29, meaning, we hope it is not raining, not too hot, without stiff winds, and the morning will be just cool enough so that the heat of the forges will provide some welcome heat. Even in years that have brought inclement weather, Forge Day is an experience that is not soon forgotten, with its range of metalworkers who showcase a wide variety of styles and skills. One of the attractions of the Forge Day event is that some demonstrators allow the public to try their hand at the forge. If you want a sneak peek, search online for the Farm Week video on Crosby Arboretum's 2016 Forge Day. If observing the practice of blacksmithing and metalcrafting "sparks" your desire to learn more, you'll discover that most of the demonstrators are members of one or more area organizations that hold regular "hammer-ins" that offer opportunities for learning more about the practice of these traditional crafts. Forge Day is a "spin-off" from the Arboretum's Piney Woods Heritage Festival in November. |
| Beef Cattle Field Day to be held in Newton | |
| The Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service will be hosting the Beef Cattle Field Day for people interested in beef cattle on March 31. Topics of the event include herd improvement, weed control, grazing cover crops and variety selection of grazing and hay crops. The Field Day is open to beef producers, hay producers, government personnel, agricultural industry personnel and the general public. The event will be held at the MSU Coastal Plain Branch Station at 51 Coastal Plains Road in Newton from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Those who wish to participate must register by March 25. Onsite registration begins at 9:30 a.m. or call Jenna Mosley at (601)-683-2084 or email her at jlt205@msstate.edu to register. |
| IPSF 2022: How to recruit students into the poultry science department | |
| Peyton Taylor, a graduate student at Mississippi State University, shared recent research regarding how to recruit more Poultry Science graduates by recruiting from within universities on Monday at the 2022 International Poultry Scientific Forum held in conjunction with IPPE in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Recruitment in Poultry Science departments is necessary to aid in meeting industry demand for qualified employees. Research from Mississippi State University's lab utilized data mining techniques to assess lowest retention rates in departments within colleges of agriculture at the six universities with poultry science departments. Data identified Animal Science and Biochemistry to have the lowest retention rates, suggesting a potential target for internal recruitment practices. The objective of the study was to determine if non-Poultry Science majors from these universities would be receptive to completing poultry coursework. Undergraduates from these previously determined departments were surveyed (n=582) to assess if students would take an introductory poultry course, what factors influenced their current major choice, and if they would be interested in majoring in Poultry Science. Additionally, faculty members within the same departments were also surveyed (n= 110) to assess if they would be willing to advise students who are changing their major to consider poultry, and would they allow poultry guest lecturers in their class to expose students. This data suggests there is a disconnect between students and faculty in reference to Poultry Science curriculum. |
| Coming fast charging stations mark important step in EV infrastructure | |
 | Until recently, charging your electric vehicle at a public charging station was sort of like a full-time job. Although the charging time varies, the average time required to fully charge an electric vehicle (EV) at those stations is eight hours. That's changing -- and rapidly, you might say. On Monday, Starkville Utilities Department announced it will be adding two fast-charging EV stations, one downtown near its office and another near the Starkville Sportsplex. The stations are a part of a Tennessee Valley Authority program designed to install fast-charging stations at 50-mile intervals along interstates and major highways in TVA's service area. The stations should be operational in the fall. Kemp said TVA plans to install fast-charging stations in Columbus, Tupelo and Batesville, but Starkville will be the first in the region to add the stations, which can provide approximately 100 miles in driving range from a 20-to-30-minute charge. "This represents a milestone in supporting Starkville's transition to electric transportation," said Starkville Utilities General Manager Terry Kemp. "We've seen steady growth in EV use since installing charging stations in 2019 and now we're taking another step into the future." A report by Bloomberg projects nearly 60 percent of all vehicles sold by 2040 will be electric. As of the end of 2021, EV sales since 2010 have reached 2.3 million. |
| Oktibbeha sets plan to split bond money between districts | |
| Oktibbeha County has decided to split its $10 million worth of bonds between all five districts rather than using it on the county as a whole. Oktibbeha County technically operates as a unit system, meaning the board sets one budget and operates as one, rather than a beat system in which separate road budgets are set and each district supervisor acts as an independent road manager when the county receives any road money -- either from local taxes or state aid. It divides the money evenly among the districts and lets each supervisor set the road and bridge repair priorities for each district. The county recently issued $10 million worth of bonds for capital improvements. After a work session Monday, the Oktibbeha County board of supervisors outlined how it would spend the bond money, prioritizing a few overall county needs and splitting the majority of funds evenly amongst all five districts. Interim Mississippi State Aid district engineer Jerry Gilliland approached the supervisors in December, encouraging them to address the most pressing needs county-wide rather than dividing the money evenly between districts, but supervisors feared doing so would be disruptive. The county purchased a $1.8 million building on Lynn Lane in December, and the board decided to fund it with the bond money. The department of human services, child protective services and the Oktibbeha County office of Mississippi State University Extension, who all currently reside at the previous Felix Long Hospital, will move to this new location, allowing the county to demolish the old building. |
| Oktibbeha County to hold public hearing on redistricting plans | |
| Oktibbeha County has narrowed the decision down to two plans for redistricting the county. Oktibbeha County's population stands at 51,728, which is up roughly 4,000 residents since 2010, according to the 2020 census. Even though the population overall has risen, each district has not increased evenly, meaning the county must redraw its district lines. After a few proposed plans from Golden Triangle Planning and Development District Geographic Information Systems Director Toby Sanford over the past few months, the Oktibbeha County board of supervisors has chosen two plans for the public and will let residents choose which one they prefer at a public hearing Feb. 21. Sanford presented plans 1A and 1B at Monday's work session, both of which are identical except for one area in the county still under debate. The area of Mississippi State University's campus west of George Perry Street would move from District 2 to District 3, which includes roughly 700 residents -- all students. The area between Catherine Drive and Mae Street would move from District 2 to 3 as well. The public hearing will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 21 in the Oktibbeha County chancery courtroom. |
| Starkville Attorney Lee Ann Turner running for newly created County Court | |
 | Oktibbeha County's newly created County Court is already drawing interest from candidates wanting to be first on its bench. Governor Tate Reeves signed a proclamation last week creating county courts in Oktibbeha and Lafayette Counties. The formation of the new court means that there will also be a new judgeship. So far, 3 candidates have qualified to run for the post. Starkville Attorney Lee Ann Turner believes her experience uniquely qualifies her for the bench. "Counties that have a county court, that serves as the Youth Court for that county. And to me, it is so important for us to protect our children, our families, and our citizens of Oktibbeha County. I feel like I'm uniquely qualified to run for the race because I have more than 13 years of judicial experience as a youth court referee. That's what we have in counties that don't have county courts. And so I've had the judicial training as well as experience of being on the bench more than 13 years." Oktibbeha County Justice Court Judge C. Marty Haug and Charles Bruce Brown have also qualified. |
| MSU professor explains layout of Columbus government | |
| Even though the city of Columbus operates under a special charter, it functions like most municipalities throughout the state, John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development Executive Director Joseph "Dallas" Breen told a gathering of approximately 20 people Monday night. Breen spoke at the Lee Home and Museum in downtown Columbus at a public event organized by A Better Columbus, giving insight on how municipal governments work. In addition to his role at the Stennis Institute, Breen is also a Mississippi State University Assistant Research Professor in Political Science and Public Administration. In the state of Mississippi, a city's organizational structure is determined by its city charter. At the development of the Mississippi Constitution in 1890, cities were given the opportunity to choose to keep their current charter or adopt a standard charter, in which Columbus chose to keep its private charter. "If you're a special charter, my suggestion, pretty much my only suggestion, would be to check your town charter (for rules of operation)," Breen said. "If you've got a question about how this is run, you need to go to your city charter... Some of the things you may hear Starkville or Jackson or Gulfport doing, (Columbus doesn't) fall under those same conditions." Cities can always change their charters with a majority vote from its elected officials. Breen said no one form of government is perfect --- it is just up to the city to decide what is best. The only way to ensure governments run effectively and efficiently, he said, is for the mayor and council to find ways to cooperate. |
| Rising lumber prices can be tracked to a host of issues in Canada | |
| One of the biggest impediments to home construction recently has been the availability and cost of raw materials. Lumber, in particular, has been getting a lot more expensive lately -- prices are up almost 30% since last September. A lot of what's been going on with lumber prices has to do with the supply of Canadian lumber. "Canadian pine is highly sought after for homebuilding because of its strength," said Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American. And in November, a major storm hit British Columbia, washing out the rail lines that lumber mills rely on. At almost the same time last year, a 40-year, ongoing trade dispute with Canada came to a head, said Rachel Brewster, a professor at Duke Law School. "The core of the dispute between the United States and Canada is whether or not Canada's subsidizing their lumber industry," she said. And in November, the Commerce Department doubled its tariff on Canadian softwood lumber imports to almost 18%. "Doubling the tariff rates, I mean, that is going to increase the price of lumber," she said. This is also happening while the Canadian lumber industry is dealing with another, older problem: A beetle infestation that's been devastating pine forests in Canada since the 1990s, leaving behind millions of dead trees and the risk of wildfires. |
| Secret Acres: Foreign-owned agricultural land inaccurately tracked by government | |
 | American soil is becoming less and less American when it comes to ownership. Foreign companies are snapping up land across the country, including millions of acres of farmland. But the conversation about foreign agricultural policy is difficult to have, according to some farmers, lawmakers and researchers, because the true level of overseas ownership is largely unknown. "We should know, based upon whether it's a national security issue, a food security issue... who's going to be the next generation of farmers and feed our neighbors," said farmer and former Missouri Democratic lieutenant governor Joe Maxwell. "We should know who's buying up America's farmland and for what purpose they're doing it." Despite a federal law requiring foreign transactions of agricultural land be reported to and recorded by the federal government, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's database appears to be missing significant acres of land. Records of who owns what don't match. Reconciling federal, state and county records on land ownership is all but impossible. It is unclear whether the discrepancies originate from the companies' reporting, the forms or the USDA's recording of the land. "If we don't have accurate information on who holds the title or who holds the deed, then we're no longer even upholding the basic system of property rights in the United States," said Loka Ashwood, a professor at the University of Kentucky who studies agricultural policy and rural trends. State and federal lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have pushed for changes – from locking down the sale of agricultural land to foreign entities to forcing increased transparency and mandating more accurate record-keeping. |
| U.S. stocks slide as market volatility continues | |
 | U.S. stock indexes opened sharply lower on Tuesday, signaling another day of volatility as investors tracked corporate earnings and agitated about the Fed. The Dow Jones industrial average shed 360 points, or nearly 1.1 percent, while the broader S&P 500 index tumbled 1.6 percent and the technology-rich Nasdaq lost 1.7 percent. Markets had pinged wildly Monday, with the Dow plunging more than 1,115 points only to end the session with a slight gain. The broader S&P 500 index, meanwhile, staged its biggest intraday comeback since the 2008 financial crisis. Investors have been spooked by expectations that the Federal Reserve -- which begins its two-day policy meeting Tuesday -- could tighten monetary policy more aggressively than originally planned to combat decades-high inflation. Policymakers are expected to cease the emergency bond-buying program that ginned the markets in 2020 and 2021. They also are expected to raise interest rates in March, with more increases to come. Several leading investment banks believe the market volatility is unlikely to push the Fed off its game plan. Goldman Sachs and Bank of America have both signaled in recent days that they expect a more hawkish central bank, which could tighten monetary policy even further, according to CNBC. |
| MDOT Executive Director Brad White talks Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, MDOT updates | |
 | On Monday, Brad White, Mississippi Department of Transportation Executive Director, spoke at the Stennis Capitol Press Forum. White discussed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and updated attendees on the status of MDOT. White said that the thing that helped MDOT tremendously was the Legislature recognizing the need for further investment in Mississippi's transportation system over the last couple of years. Programs such as the Emergency Road and Bridge program and the Lottery Fund have helped communities across the state as well as the Department. President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law in November 2021. The legislation provided a historic investment in the country's infrastructure priorities: roads and bridges, rail, transit, ports, airports, the electric grid, water systems, and broadband. White said that he was concerned due to the awarding of many economic stimulus packages, relating to COVID-19, in the last couple of years that people believe that it was purely an economic stimulus package. The Executive Director said that this was not just a "windfall" of money, but instead the funds do come with strings attached and MDOT does have to follow the federal guidelines. However, it will help to narrow the Department's funding gap and meet the needs around the state. |
| MDOT faces staffing shortages | |
 | The federal infrastructure relief package passed last year renews Mississippi's 5-year contract with the Federal Highway Administration to conduct road maintenance across the state, and increases the available funding for these projects. In years past, these contracts have allocated the state around $2.6 billion, but this recent bill raises the budget to $3.3 billion for the next five years. Brad White is Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation. "So while it's good that we have extra funds, this wasn't just a windfall of money that we can do with what we want. It does come with strings attached," says White. "It does come with the guidelines that we have to follow through federal highway. But it will help us to narrow that gap, once again, in dealing with the needs that we have around the state." White says the state is prepared to undertake many projects in the coming years to update the state's roadways. But many engineers have left the department for higher paying jobs at private firms or out of state. He says the state must hire private contractors to fill these roles, which can sometimes cost three times as much. White says "For example in the last 12 months we've lost 30 engineers. And by virtue of having that loss, it leaves us where the same amount of work is still being required to be done. It's done by less people which increase stresses. We're just simply not equipped to the level that we need to be to be able to ensure our ability to provide the services to the taxpayers that they deserve." |
| Mississippi governor giving State of State speech outdoors | |
 | Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves will discuss his policy priorities during his State of the State address. The speech is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday on the south steps of the Capitol. The Republican governor has said he supports cutting taxes and giving a pay raise to teachers this legislative session. Reeves said in a tweet Monday that he also will discuss infrastructure, crime and critical race theory. Governors usually give their State of the State speeches in the state House chamber, with legislators and other officials sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. This will be the third year in a row for Reeves to deliver the speech outside. In 2020, Reeves gave his State of the State on a platform that had been built outside the Capitol for his inauguration. Reeves was inaugurated inside the Capitol because of bad weather. Days later, the speech provided an occasion for the platform to be used. In 2021, the speech was outdoors because of the coronavirus pandemic. The governor's office did not immediately announce a reason for the open-air setting this year. |
| Mississippi working on plans for pandemic relief money | |
| Mississippi senators are taking the first steps toward spending some of the $1.8 billion the state is receiving from the federal government for pandemic relief. Senators passed bills Monday to put $104.6 million into the state Department of Mental Health, $59.1 million into the Department of Child Protection Services, $10.4 million into the Mississippi National Guard and $3.2 million into the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The bills will move to the House for more work. Other bills are expected to come up for debate during the next several weeks. A Senate committee held hearings in the fall to consider wish lists from a long list of state agencies. Republican Sen. John Polk of Hattiesburg said they requested $8.3 billion -- more than four times the amount available. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Briggs Hopson, a Republican from Vicksburg, said Monday that legislative leaders want "generational, transformational" projects from money the state is receiving. The biggest chunk of money recommended by the Mississippi Senate is $750 million for water and sewer projects. That proposal has not yet come up for a vote. |
| Senate places emphasis on water, sewage upgrades in ARPA spending plan | |
 | Mississippi Senators have agreed to spend around $177 million in federal coronavirus stimulus money to improve the operations of four state agencies and several community mental health centers. Of the $1.8 billion the state received from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Senate voted on Monday to give $86 million to the Department of Mental Health, $18.5 million to community mental health centers, $10.3 million to the Mississippi National Guard, $3.1 million to the Mississippi Emergency Management Association and $59.1 million to Child Protection Services. No senator objected to the appropriation bills, but some Democratic senators voted present, which is not voting or against the measure, after raising questions about what the agencies would spend the money on. "We have $1.8 billion to spend," said Sen. John Polk of Hattiesburg, the bills' author. "And in anybody's mind you would think that was plenty. But we had $8.3 billion in requests." The bills will now head to the House for consideration. House leadership thus far have not revealed any plans or suggestions on how they intend to spend the stimulus funds. The lion's share of the funds would go to the Department of Mental Health, which is currently locked in a contentious legal battle over how patients seeking mental health care are being treated. |
| Senate unveils plan for spending $1.8 billion in federal pandemic stimulus | |
| The Mississippi Senate almost unanimously approved spending $177.3 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act money Monday with the only questions and votes of "present" coming from Democratic lawmakers who wanted more specificity about the spending. Senate leaders also outlined to the 52-member chamber their plan to spend the rest of the state's $1.8 billion in ARPA money. Senate Appropriations Chair Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, said bills to spend the bulk of the funds will be presented to the chamber in the coming days. But the spending must also be agreed to by the House, which has yet to release its own plan for the spending. The largest expenditure in the Senate plan is $750 million to match spending by cities and counties in Mississippi, who are directly receiving about $900 million in ARPA funds. The state match would be available for cities and counties spending their own allocations on water and sewerage infrastructure, and for rural water associations. Sen. Angela Turner Ford, D-West Point, was among a handful of Democrats who voted present on some of the bills. She said she wanted more detail on just how the agencies could spend the funds and what would occur when funds allocated for recurring expenses, such as for hiring additional personnel, were exhausted. |
| Mississippi governor signs bill for congressional remap | |
| Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Monday signed a bill that redraws the boundaries of the state's four congressional districts to account for changes in population. The Republican governor said weeks ago that agrees with the plan in House Bill 384, which was passed by the Republican-controlled state House and Senate. The NAACP or other opponents could still ask a federal court to consider whether the new districts dilute the influence of Black voters. The plan expands the territory of the state's only majority-Black U.S. House district because the 2020 census showed the district -- the 2nd -- lost population during the previous decade. But it does so in a way that the incumbent, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, did not want. Thompson is Mississippi's longest-serving current member of Congress, having held the 2nd District seat since winning a 1993 special election. The district stretches through the Delta and into the city of Jackson. The 3rd District stretches diagonally across the central part of the state. The seat is held by Republican Rep. Michael Guest, first elected in 2018. Republican Rep. Trent Kelly has held the 1st District seat in northern Mississippi since winning a 2015 special election. Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo was first elected to the 4th District seat in the south in 2010. |
| Another loophole in medical marijuana bill could allow out-of-state residents, non-citizens to grow and process marijuana | |
| A bill that would create a medical marijuana program in Mississippi would allow out-of-state residents and even non citizens to own cultivation and processing operations if signed into law. Starting at line 1,404 of Senate Bill 2095 (known as the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Act), the bill spells out the requirements for owners of marijuana cultivation and processing facilities. Applicants would be required to either have been a resident of the state and a U.S. citizen for three years prior to their application or a business entity with 35 percent of their ownership held by those that met the three-year residency and citizenship requirement. The bill's requirements for cultivators and processors expire at year's end. This would allow both out-of-state and potentially non-citizens from owning processing and growing facilities. State Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picayune, is a long-time opponent of the bill and said that the loophole invites foreign criminals to grow marijuana in the state. She was one of five no votes against the bill when it was passed by the Senate on January 13. "You can't make this this stuff up," Hill told the Northside Sun. "Sounds like Chicago-style politics. Rolling out the red carpet for the foreign criminal cartels doesn't make walking-around sense." |
| McLendon bill would allow MDOT commissioners to adjust salaries | |
| State Sen. Michael McLendon (R-Hernando) has introduced a bill that would allow Mississippi Transportation Commissioners to have their salaries adjusted so they could still, at the same time, be able to receive PERS benefits. McLendon has authored SB 2475 to allow that in an amendment change to current legislation. All three Transportation Commissioners, including Northern District Commissioner John Caldwell of Nesbit, have had a public service background. Caldwell was a DeSoto County Supervisor and worked in the DeSoto County School District before his election. The other two commissioners were both state legislators before their election. Willie Simmons was an official in the Department of Corrections. The main part of the bill comes in amending Mississippi Code Section 65-1-7 to read that they commissioners "would be entitled to receive as compensation for their services salaries fixed by the Legislature." Transportation commissioners received $78,000 annually. Supporters say it would save the state money but similar actions have struggled to get through the legislature in the past. |
| Legislatures move to limit governor powers after pandemic | |
 | Across the nation, legislators are moving to limit the authority of governors who have issued unprecedented orders in the face of a deadly pandemic. Legislators in at least 28 states have introduced bills this year to alter a governor's authority, or to give themselves more oversight of declared emergencies, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Many of those bills come from Republicans, even in red states. In Indiana, legislators have advanced a bill limiting a governor's executive orders obsolete after 180 days unless the legislature itself approves an extension. Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) said he opposes the bill, which he worries could have impacts beyond the pandemic. Georgia legislators have introduced four bills to limit Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) authority. In New Hampshire, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) faces eight bills that would limit his power, at least two of which have passed one chamber. But a growing number of Democrats are signing on, signaling a new interest in rebalancing powers after an emergency that tilted authority toward executives. Legislators have been working to rein in emergency orders since the earliest days of the pandemic. In 2020, even before the rollout of a vaccine against the coronavirus, ten states -- including Democratic-controlled Colorado and Hawaii -- passed measures clarifying a governor's authority. In 2021, every state except South Dakota, Iowa and Vermont considered similar proposals. |
| Anti-abortion groups are raking in fundraising as Supreme Court decision looms | |
| In the nearly two months since a conservative majority of justices on the Supreme Court indicated openness to dramatic new restrictions on abortion, money has poured into the political fundraising arm of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List. The organization secured $20 million in pledged financial contributions, five times more than it has had at the outset of an election year over its 30-year history, according to figures shared with The Associated Press. Before the recent surge, the group had already signed off on its largest-ever political budget, $72 million, for 2022. That's nearly $20 million more than it spent in 2020, a year that included a presidential election. The cash pile virtually guarantees that the Supreme Court's abortion ruling, anticipated by the summer, will do little to quell what has become one of the most animating issues in the United States. Abortion opponents say they will pump their newfound resources into the November elections. Once a decision is issued, "there will be a lot of focus on all the states and the midterm elections," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony List. A Supreme Court decision is "really just the beginning of the work," said Terry Schilling, president of the socially conservative American Principles Project. "Groups have actually been really well-connected with state leaders and investing in campaigns at the local level in these swing states, trying to win control in divided governments." |
| Supreme Court Rules for Northwestern Employees in Retirement-Plan Case | |
 | The Supreme Court said Monday that employers must regularly review their retirement offerings, unanimously ruling for Northwestern University employees who argued the school's defined-contribution plan offered a confusing number of expensive investment options. Separately, the court added several significant cases to its fall docket, including a suit that could limit federal power to combat water pollution by narrowing the definition of wetlands covered by the Clean Water Act. The court also rejected House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R., Calif.) suit against proxy voting rules that Democrats, who have a House majority, instituted to stem the spread of Covid-19. As is typical, the court's brief order provided no explanation for declining to hear the case. Federal district and appeals courts in Washington dismissed the suit, finding that the Constitution precluded challenging voting rules the House adopted for its own proceedings. In the Northwestern case several current and former employees claim that the university mismanaged their retirement accounts by exposing them to funds that charged excessive management and record-keeping fees. The case now returns to the lower courts for a fresh look under Monday's decision. |
| Biden caught on hot mic swearing at Fox News reporter | |
| President Joe Biden responded to a question about inflation by calling a Fox News reporter a vulgarity. The president was in the East Room of the White House on Monday for a meeting of his Competition Council, which is focused on changing regulations and enforcing laws to help consumers deal with high prices. Reporters in the room shouted questions after Biden's remarks. Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Biden about inflation, which is at a nearly 40-year high and has hurt the president's public approval. Doocy's network has been relentlessly critical of Biden. The president's comments were captured on video and by the microphone in front of him. Doocy laughed it off in a subsequent appearance on his network, joking, "Nobody has fact-checked him yet and said it's not true." Doocy told Fox News' Sean Hannity that Biden called him later to the clear the air. Doocy said Biden told him, "It's nothing personal, pal." The White House has insisted repeatedly that it is focused on curbing inflation, with Biden reorienting his entire economic agenda around the issue. But the president has also shown a willingness to challenge a media that he deems to be too critical, especially Fox News and Doocy. |
| Fulton County judges approve special grand jury for Trump Georgia election probe | |
| The judges on Fulton County's Superior Court bench on Monday cleared the way for a special grand jury to be used for District Attorney Fani Willis' investigation of former President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. Chief Judge Christopher S. Brasher wrote that a majority of the judges had agreed to the request issued by Willis' office late last week. The special grand jury will be impaneled May 2 and can continue for a period "not to exceed 12 months," Brasher wrote in an order. "The special purpose grand jury shall be authorized to investigate any and all facts and circumstances relating directly or indirectly to alleged violations of the laws of the State of Georgia," Brasher wrote. Willis' criminal probe, launched nearly a year ago, is centered on the Jan. 2, 2021, phone call that Trump placed to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he urged the Republican to "find" the 11,780 votes to overcome Joe Biden's win here. The veteran prosecutor has indicated that her team is also examining the abrupt resignation of former Atlanta-based U.S. Attorney BJay Pak; a November 2020 call U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., placed to Raffensperger; and false claims made by Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani during a hearing before the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee. |
| Virginia's education wars emerge in Florida governor's race | |
 | Florida is learning the political lessons of Virginia. Democrat Rep. Charlie Crist, fearing the new culture wars over education could strain his bid for Florida governor, is appealing directly to parents over an issue that has rattled Democrats across the county. "Parents for Crist," a group he unveiled last week, will shape his campaign in coming months. Crist's move is a clear attempt to boost his chances in the wake of Virginia's big November upset, where Republican Glenn Youngkin trounced Democrat Terry McAuliffe in part by tapping into parents' anger with local school boards over issues like mask mandates and critical race theory. Now, with 36 governorships on the ballot this year, that Virginia playbook is being put into practice by Republicans -- and Democrats like Crist will have to be on the offensive. Education has emerged as one of the most heated political or policy issues of the Covid era. Parents have clashed over how their children are taught, where they're taught and what they're taught, and have fought against issues like critical race theory and book-banning. Gov. Ron DeSantis too has made education one of his top priorities and regularly blasts "wokeness" in schools while attempting to wrestle control of education from school boards. The latest front in Florida's politically-tinged education battles played out in the Florida Senate last week when a key education panel advanced along party lines the DeSantis-championed "Stop Woke Act," which supporters say will crack down on teaching critical race theory. |
| UMMC awarded $3 million to address employee stress, burnout from COVID-19 | |
| Health care workers at UMMC have worked continuously over the past two years helping COVID-19 positive cases on top of those with injuries and serious diseases. Many health care workers said they have been burnt out for some time. Throughout the pandemic, health care workers decided to leave the profession. UMMC has been awarded a $3 million federal award as a part of the Biden-Harris Administration's $103 million American Rescue Plan funds to reduce burnout and provide mental health and wellness among health care workers. Dr. Joshua Mann is a professor and chair of the UMMC's Department of Preventive Medicine, grant's principal investigator and directs the Office of Well-being. The office of well-being secured the $3 million grant. "This is very intentionally designed to reach every category of health care staff. It's not just about doctors and nurses," Mann said. UMMC plans to create new programs through the Office of Well-being to alleviate stress and mental health challenges and to keep those entrusted with patient care on the job. UMMC said the money will also be used to enhance and expand some current programs, including the RISE (Resilience in Stressful Events) team. RISE offers a workplace support system for caregivers whose stress can become or has become traumatic, hindering their ability to deliver safe and compassionate care. |
| USM increases enrollment for Nurse Anesthesia program | |
| The College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has received approval to increase the customary number of students in the Nurse Anesthesia program from 20 to 25 for the spring 2022 semester. Studies estimate that the U.S. will see a shortage of approximately 3,500 to 4,000 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in the next three to five years. More than 22 percent of the currently practicing 40,000-plus CRNAs are above retirement age. Dr. Nina McLain, USM's Nurse Anesthesia Program Administrator, said that Mississippi has 800 CRNAs practicing, with about 160 above the retirement threshold. "We are excited to be able to increase the number of students we are graduating to help fill the imminent void, and we hope to increase in size consistently. Mississippi has large rural service areas and many of the facilities in those areas have CRNA-only practices where they collaborate with surgeons and other physicians to provide anesthesia," said McLain. |
| Northeast Mississippi Community College plans career-technical education complex, conference center at former Corinthian Furniture location | |
| Northeast Mississippi Community College is expanding its footprint in Booneville with the purchase of the former furniture plant. The college announced plans, Monday, to transform the former Corinthian Furniture building, located on West Chambers Drive, into a career-technical education complex and conference center. NEMCC purchased the 350,000-square-foot facility and the 43-acre property on which it sits for $7.2 million. Community college officials say the newly acquired property will be used for much more than adding additional classroom space and bolstering enrollment. "It enables us to create more opportunities for the people of Northeast Mississippi to enhance their skills and for us to better contribute to economic development because with this building, we can also provide extensive, specific workforce training to area industry and help our economic developers recruit more industry to this area," NEMCC president Dr. Ricky G. Ford said. College officials began looking into purchasing the vacant building about three years ago. Once the facility is open, the school plans to offer flexible training with timeframes ranging from four weeks to two years. NEMCC will also operate a conference center with a commercial-style kitchen for students in the college's culinary arts program to gain experience providing food services for all events held in the center. |
| Louisiana governor proposes teacher raises, new bridges, higher education budget increases | |
| Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards' budget proposal is packed with plums for teachers, professors, pre-school students, adult community college students, business owners and others as the state finds itself flush with revenue from federal relief funding and higher-than-expected tax collections. Edwards is also recommending major funding for new bridges in Baton Rouge and Calcasieu Parish and the completion of the I-49 Lafayette Connector. "I think we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity in some respects to move our state forward -- all of our communities, leaving nobody behind," Edwards said during a press conference Monday. "I'm proud of this budget. My intention is to do something transformational." Though the governor is required to present a budget proposal, the Legislature will ultimate craft the final draft. Among the highlights: $31.7 million for higher education faculty pay raises and $97.2 million in other higher education funding increases like Go Grants and Title IX. Edwards said education -- and particularly teacher pay raises -- should be at the front of the line. "How do we get off bottom of lists?" Edward said. "The single most important thing is education. Education cures a lot of ills." |
| UF offers conflicting information on isolation dorms, leaving students frustrated | |
| When Juan Esquivel, a 19-year-old freshman, tested positive for COVID-19 Jan. 12, he wasn't offered a quarantine option. UF told him he didn't have an alternative to leaving campus. Esquivel said he distinctly remembers the disrespectful tone of the UF housing and residency employee's voice. "I let her know that I'm going to try to find a place to stay, and I get told that trying is not enough," Esquivel said. "I need to get out of there by 5 p.m. or there'll be serious consequences." As cases rise and a UF study forecasted a January peak in the state's reported cases, students have expressed their disenchantment with the current on-campus policy regarding COVID-19 positive students. UF will no longer provide isolation dorms for students who live on campus for a "proper quarantine or isolation length," according to UF Health's Screen Test & Protect. No further information on how long these periods last is available. Isolation dorms are only available in extenuating circumstances, wrote Sara Tanner, director of the Division of Student Affairs. A limited number are provided to students on the basis of availability, she wrote. Tanner and UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan did not respond to questions regarding a recent Tweet by @AprilMRubin detailing an experience at an isolation dorm this semester and whether it is an accurate representation of current policy in time for publication. They also did not respond to The Alligator in time for publication regarding isolation statistics and policies. |
| Mizzou research examines why COVID-19 omicron variant is so transmissible: 'It can escape' | |
 | The omicron variant of COVID-19 has evolved mutations that allow it to evade many antibodies humans have developed, a key to its increased transmissibility, University of Missouri research has found. The research analyzed protein sequences from South Africa, Botswana and the United States. "Existing antibodies cannot stop this variant because there are so many mutations," said lead researcher Kamlendra Singh, professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. He's also assistant director of the MU Molecular Interactions Core and Bond Life Sciences Center investigator. Antibodies usually bind to the spike protein of the virus to prevent infection, but the omicron variant has evolved 46 mutations, including 23 mutations to its spike protein. "The virus mutated in such a way that it can escape the antibodies," Singh said. "The virus possibly has another route of entering the cell, but we don't have proof." The research indicated antibodies have some effect, Singh said. "Vaccinations did help, but somehow the variant escapes it or infects people who are already vaccinated," Singh said. |
| Colleges lead on COVID-19 testing as Omicron surges | |
 | Since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, colleges and universities have played a key role in providing testing and other health resources---not just on campuses but in their local communities. With cases spiking as the start of the third pandemic year approaches, many colleges are leveraging their resources and brainpower in innovative new ways to increase their support of local communities struggling to survive an ever-evolving disease. One crucial component in the fight to contain COVID-19 has been testing, which has prompted numerous colleges to develop testing sites on campus or in the broader community, including historically underserved areas that often have populations of exposed essential workers. The effects of the coronavirus were felt in many college towns in the early days of the pandemic as colleges shifted to remote instruction en masse, leaving some cities devoid of a population that serves as a vital economic engine. The importance of the town-gown connection has perhaps never been more obvious as restaurants and storefronts in college towns struggle to rebound. But beyond the economic spark, experts note that colleges offer value to local communities in many other ways, particularly as resource centers and partners in the health of the region. |
| Colleges update systems to include preferred pronouns, names | |
| The Common App began asking students what name and pronouns they use during the current admission cycle, meaning about 900 colleges now receive applications from students who are identified by names and pronouns of their choosing in addition to their legal names and genders assigned at birth. This shift is a sign of the times, but it's not one all colleges are ready to contend with, particularly since technology hasn't caught up to the zeitgeist. But students are increasingly asking for these changes, which has spurred colleges to act. Genny Beemyn, director of the Stonewall Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, which provides advocacy and cultural and educational programming on LGBTQIA issues, called the Common App's policy change a significant step forward but noted that while more than 200 institutions now allow students to list the names and pronouns they use in campus information systems, many more do not. Beemyn, who is also the coordinator of Campus Pride's Trans Policy Clearinghouse, blamed technological friction for the slow pace of progress. "There are definitely hiccups," Beemyn said. "There are very different systems on college campuses, and they all don't speak to each other." |
| The SAT is going digital and getting much shorter. Say goodbye to No. 2 pencils on testing day. | |
| The SAT college admission exam will soon go fully digital, ditching paper test booklets and answer sheets, and get much shorter, shrinking from three hours to two. Those changes and others announced by the College Board on Tuesday will take effect at international test sites next year and domestic sites by spring 2024. There are no plans to offer the digital test to students at home. The third major overhaul of the SAT within the past 20 years comes amid mounting challenges, unprecedented in modern times, to the relevance of standardized testing in college admissions. Prominent colleges and universities across the country have halted or ended testing requirements during the coronavirus pandemic, and some competitive schools, including the University of California, have gone a step further and declared they won't consider scores from the SAT or rival ACT at all when choosing a class. Backers say the tests help uncover and confirm academic potential. Critics say they are biased toward the privileged and pose an unnecessary hurdle in the application process. Disruptions to testing schedules and other aspects of education since the public health crisis emerged in early 2020 have allowed, in effect, a massive experiment to see who's right. Now the College Board, the nonprofit organization that owns the SAT, has a new response to these debates. It says the test will be streamlined through the computer format, while keeping the iconic perfect score of 1600 and remaining a powerful force in the pathway to higher education. |
| The Supreme Court Has Upheld Race-Conscious Admissions Again and Again. Will This Time Be Different? | |
 | In the end, Edward J. Blum got what he wanted -- another chance to take down race-conscious admissions programs. On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases brought by Students for Fair Admissions, known as SFFA, against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Blum, a conservative activist who leads the group, said in a written statement that he hoped the Supreme Court, which has consolidated the two cases, would use them "to begin the restoration of the colorblind legal covenant" by ending the consideration of race in admissions at all public and private colleges in the land. Blum has lost every legal battle in his most recent campaign against race-conscious admissions. But is he poised to win the war? Yes, a slew of pundits have proclaimed. After all, conservative justices hold a 6-to-3 advantage on the Supreme Court, which, it's fair to assume, will look skeptically upon even the limited consideration of applicants' race in admissions. But the end of race-conscious admissions is not a foregone conclusion, Arthur L. Coleman, co-founder and managing partner at EducationCounsel, told The Chronicle on Monday. "People are once again saying, 'The sky is falling.' Stop. We don't know yet," he said. "I'm not about to predict with any degree of certainty that this is the death knell for the consideration of race in admissions." |
| Universities and academics offer advice to Supreme Court | |
| In taking the affirmative action cases involving Harvard and UNC Chapel Hill, the Supreme Court will decide whether colleges can consider race in admissions. The advice on what to do is already pouring in. By Scott Jaschik January 25, 2022 PeskyMonkey/Getty Images The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear two cases on affirmative action in college admissions: one involving Harvard University and the other the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. When the justices consider the cases later this year, they will return to the issue they last faced in 2106 of whether colleges---public or private---can consider race in admissions. The justices may decide to put limits on affirmative action, but not to ban it, as the plaintiffs in the case are seeking. The decision to hear the cases represents a chance for opponents of affirmative action to reverse not only the Harvard and UNC decisions but many others that have upheld the use of affirmative action since the Supreme Court ruled in the Bakke case in 1978. The decision comes at a time when the composition of the Supreme Court differs significantly from the last time it upheld the use of affirmative action in college admissions, in 2016, in a case involving the University of Texas at Austin. That 2016 decision was 4-to-3 because of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, an opponent of affirmative action, and the recusal of Justice Elena Kagan, who worked on the case as solicitor general before she joined the Supreme Court. The three justices who were in the minority in that case -- Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito Jr. and Justice Clarence Thomas -- remain on the court, and they have been joined by three conservative justices. |
| U. of Rhode Island revokes honorary degrees for Giuliani and Flynn | |
| The University of Rhode Island is revoking honorary degrees bestowed upon two once-prominent advisers to former President Donald Trump: retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. The university's board of trustees voted Friday to revoke the degrees following internal deliberations that included a recommendation by URI President Marc Parlange. The president said in a statement that Flynn and Giuliani "no longer represent" the values and standards they demonstrated when they first received the honors. "As a civic institution, URI has the privilege and responsibility to sustain and preserve American democracy by inspiring and modeling good citizenship," Parlange said. "Revoking these honorary degrees reinforces our values and allows us to lead with truth and integrity." Giuliani, who served as one of Trump's top legal advisers, was awarded the Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa in 2003 based on his leadership in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to URI. Flynn, who briefly served as Trump's national security adviser before resigning following reports he misled Trump officials about his contacts with Russia, was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2014. The university board cited a number of findings by URI's honorary degree committee, which is made up of faculty, staff and students, that led to its decision. |
| Firings of Top Lawyers at UVa and George Mason Raise Questions of Political Interference | |
| The dismissal of two Virginia universities' lawyers by the state's new Republican attorney general is raising questions of political interference in higher education. Attorney General Jason S. Miyares fired Timothy J. Heaphy, counsel for the University of Virginia, and Brian Walther, counsel for George Mason University, shortly before the AG was sworn in on January 15, The Washington Post reported. Heaphy was on leave from UVa to work for the U.S. House of Representatives on the investigation into the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Heaphy and Walther were among roughly 30 staffers whom Miyares dismissed. Both are Democrats. UVa's and GMU's university-counsel websites both specify that the state attorney general appoints lawyers in their offices. The removals follow another controversial education decision by the state's new leadership. On his first day in office, Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who highlighted education in his candidacy, issued a directive prohibiting state agencies -- including institutions of higher education -- from requiring employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Public colleges, including the University of Virginia and George Mason, have rescinded their vaccination mandates for employees. Victoria LaCivita, Miyares's spokeswoman, has not responded to The Chronicle's phone and email requests for comment; she told the Post it is common for the incoming attorney general to appoint lawyers that share his "philosophy and legal approach." |
| Inside Jerry Falwell Jr.'s Unlikely Rise and Precipitous Fall at Liberty University | |
| On the morning of August 18, 2021, Liberty University's freshman class began arriving on campus in Lynchburg, Virginia, for the start of Welcome Week. The kickoff to the fall semester had the exuberance of a pregame pep rally. An outdoor sound system blasted Gary Glitter's glam rock anthem "Rock and Roll Part II." Student greeters in navy Liberty T-shirts whooped and cheered when a new arrival's car pulled up to the dorms. Buildings all over the Jeffersonian-style campus were festooned with banners that read: "Liberty University: 50 Years of Training Champions for Christ." For 49 of those years, a member of the Falwell family had run Liberty, the country's most influential evangelical university. But the day before orientation started, Jerry Falwell Jr., the son of the late televangelist Jerry Falwell Sr. and the school's president and chancellor from 2007 to 2020, was nowhere near campus. He was driving a white Jeep Wrangler along a dirt road on his 500-acre farm about 20 miles west of Lynchburg. "That's the tallest mountain in Virginia," he said, pointing at the Appalachian peaks rising in the distance. Ahead of us, black Angus cattle grazed in fenced pastures. At the edge of the property stood a 19th-century chapel no larger than a one-room schoolhouse. "Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant both worshipped in that church on different days," Falwell said in his laconic drawl. On August 24, 2020, Falwell resigned from Liberty in the wake of a sensational tabloid scandal that could have been dreamed up in the writers' room of The Righteous Gemstones. Viewed in hindsight, the scandal was the combustion of a self-immolating fire that Falwell had been stoking for months, if not years. |
| 'In the End, You're Treated Like a Spy,' Says M.I.T. Scientist | |
 | When Gang Chen returned to his laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday, the day after the government had dismissed charges of lying on grant applications, he was surrounded by well-wishers, offering hugs and congratulations. There were invitations, too. Colleagues were asking him to join funded research studies, resuming the work that has occupied his adult life. Dr. Chen studies heat transfer; he hopes to develop a semiconductor that could convert heat from car exhaust into electricity, or fabric for clothing that could cool the body. During the year since his arrest, that had been the hardest thing, tearing himself away from research. Dr. Chen said thank you, but no. After the experience of the last year -- the early-morning arrest, the handcuffs and shackles, being described, in a news conference, as loyal to China -- he is uncertain if he will ever feel safe applying for U.S. government funds for research again. "You work hard, you have good output, you build a reputation," Dr. Chen said, in a three-and-a-half-hour interview at his M.I.T. office, the first he has given about the case. "The government gets what they want, right? But in the end, you're treated like a spy. That just breaks your heart. It breaks your confidence." During his years at M.I.T., he added, he had often dissuaded scientists who were being recruited to take their research out of the United States. The prosecutions of scientists in the United States have shaken him so deeply, he said, that he isn't sure he would do that again. |
| Are Mississippians getting fed up over the lack of Medicaid expansion? | |
| Daily Journal Executive Editor Sam R. Hall writes: Peggy Wildman is fed up with the state of health insurance. The 72-year-old Fulton resident is all but begging for someone to do something to provide relief. Sitting in my office, she was animated and frustrated, and while not hopeless, she seemed more resigned than hopeful over the prospect of help coming anytime soon. Her oldest brother, 71, is having a bone marrow transplant. His troubles started about a year ago when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Then it spread to his knee. He is also diabetic and has developed myopathy exhibited as a loss of feeling in his hands and feet. For 42 years, her brother has worked for the same company. He's continued to drive a truck most of the past year because he can't afford to lose his insurance, for which he still pays about $170 per month. How long he can continue to work now becomes a real question. Then there is an additional insurance supplement that costs another $140 per month. Together, medicines are still outrageous and medical bills continue to stack up. Wildman says she and her husband and her other two brothers pay similar amounts for insurance and carry additional supplements. And while it helps, it is still more expensive than what friends and family in other states pay. What's more, Wildman and her family are considered the lucky ones. They can still afford insurance, if only barely and for now. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State men's basketball looking to delay another John Calipari accolade | |
| Mississippi State's Ben Howland has a great deal of respect for Pittsburgh native John Calipari, the Kentucky men's basketball head coach. As a guy who cut his teeth in coaching with a head coaching stint at Pittsburgh from 1999-2003, Howland saw the high regard many in the area and industry had for Calipari. Calipari has taken three different programs -- Massachusetts, Memphis and Kentucky -- to the Final Four. He led Kentucky to a national title in 2012. He is seventh among active head coaches in all-time wins and is No. 41 all time. Howland, a coach himself who has made three Final Four appearances, has seen Calipari's success firsthand in the SEC the past seven seasons. In seven regular season SEC meetings against each other, Calipari has won them all. Howland finally got MSU in the win column in last season's conference tournament. He's looking to make it back-to-back wins against Kentucky when MSU travels to Lexington on Tuesday -- where Howland also hopes to keep Calipari's 799 career wins at that mark. "He's got a lot left in him. I'll be happy for him when he gets to 1,000," Howland said. "But I would like to hold off 800 at least one more day." |
| Trap game? Kentucky says Mississippi State's too good for that label | |
 | Kentucky associate coach Orlando Antigua brought a surprising twist to the Zoom teleconference previewing Tuesday night's game against Mississippi State: an opening statement before taking questions. "This game could be looked at as a trap game," he said. Kentucky lost at No. 2 -- now No. 1 -- Auburn on Saturday. UK plays at No. 5 Kansas on Saturday. "You can forget about this kind of game," Antigua said of playing Mississippi State. "And it's something we're not doing." Later on the Zoom teleconference, Jacob Toppin voiced surprise that it could be considered a trap game. "I don't know why you'd consider it a trap game," he said. "They're a very good team. I don't know their record (13-5 overall, 4-2 in the Southeastern Conference), but they have been winning games. They're very physical. I don't think it's a trap game at all. We've got to go out there and fight for 40 minutes. And that's what we're going to do." Antigua called for fans to attend the game and lend their support. Recalling the atmosphere for UK's rout of Tennessee in its last home game, Antigua noted "how much our players appreciated the energy in the building. ... We want to make sure we have that same kind of energy, that same kind of support." Opponents gained similar vocal support in the last two games: at Texas A&M and at Auburn. "Auburn was very loud," Toppin said. "They were into the game. ... But I know the BBN is going to be there. ..." |
| Kentucky basketball to face former commit whose father called UK coaches 'unprofessional' | |
| Almost four years after committing to Kentucky basketball as a junior in high school, Mississippi State forward D.J. Jeffries will finally play in Rupp Arena Tuesday. Jeffries committed to Kentucky in March 2018, shortly after leading Olive Branch High School to a Mississippi State championship. He was the first commitment in a UK 2019 recruiting class that would eventually include Tyrese Maxey, Keion Brooks, Johnny Juzang, Dontaie Allen and Kahlil Whitney. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward remained committed to UK for four months before becoming the first player in the John Calipari era to decommit from Kentucky. The situation quickly grew ugly when Jeffries' father ripped Kentucky coaches in a Memphis radio interview for how they handled the news. "They kind of shocked me," Corey Jeffries told the Jason & John Show on 92.9 FM in Memphis. "They were kind of unprofessional. So, if they come (back), they come. If they don't, we're fine with that too. "They didn't handle it the way I expected them to handle it, being professionals. I thought it would be handled better, but we're not going to get into a mud-slinging contest with them. We'll take the high road. That's the way we were raised." Calipari has turned over his entire coaching staff since Jeffries' recruitment. In an interview with the Memphis Commercial Appeal after the July 2018 decommitment, Corey Jeffries clarified that it was assistant coach Tony Barbee, D.J.'s lead recruiter at Kentucky, and not Calipari who took the news badly in the initial phone conversation. |
| SEC Coach Of The Year Julie Darty Dennis Signs Contract Extension | |
| On the heels of leading Mississippi State volleyball to its best season in program history, head coach Julie Darty Dennis has signed a contract extension. The reigning Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year has been extended through the 2025 season. "I'm super excited and grateful that [MSU Director of Athletics] John Cohen and the administration have confidence in me, and they want me to stick around and keep building something special here with our program," Dennis said. "I think the historical run that we made this season was certainly a sign that things are moving in the right direction. Now, this is the fun part. We really get to see if we can sustain this thing and compete at the level that we know we're capable of." The Bulldogs have risen in the SEC standings each season since Dennis' first at MSU in 2018. Then, this past year, State took a massive leap forward. The Bulldogs finished 2021 with a 25-6 overall record, including a 16-2 mark in league play. They closed the regular season on a 13-match winning streak, finishing second in the SEC. State earned the school's first-ever national ranking and first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. "Julie has already taken Mississippi State volleyball to new heights, leading us to the NCAA Tournament last season," Cohen said. "She has raised the bar for our program, and we're thrilled for our future under Julie's continued guidance." Along with Dennis' contract extension, her assistant coaches were rewarded as well. Depending on potential offseason movement around the conference, Mississippi State's total salary pool for its coaches is set to put the Bulldogs among the Top 5 highest paid staffs in the SEC. |
| Mississippi State volleyball coach Julie Darty Dennis earns two-year extension | |
| After a record-breaking season that saw Mississippi State volleyball reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, coach Julie Darty Dennis received a two-year extension on her contract, tying her down through the end of the 2025 season. Dennis joined Mississippi State in 2018, and the Bulldogs have improved mightily since then. They rose from 5-15 in 2020 to a 25-5 record with a 16-2 SEC mark in 2021. The details of Dennis' deal were not disclosed in a release, but a university spokesperson said Dennis and her staff received raises. Dennis' previous contract amendment went into effect in 2020 and ran through the end of 2023, with a base salary of $130,000, according to a public records request. She earned several performance-based incentives, too, based on that contract. For winning the SEC's coach of the year award, Dennis earned a $5,000 bonus. She made $10,000 because Mississippi State finished in the top three of the conference standings. The 25 wins overall earned her another $5,000. The initial contract stipulations called for an 8.3% raise for making the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The latest contract announced Monday includes a raise, although the exact amount isn't immediately available. According to a release, the contract amendments for Mississippi State's assistant coaches put the Bulldogs among the top-five highest-paid staffs in the SEC. |
| Baseball America Ranks Dawgs No. 3 in Preseason Poll | |
| Mississippi State Baseball received yet another top five ranking on Monday (Jan. 24) after it was announced the Dawgs will open the 2022 season ranked No. 3 in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25 poll. The No. 3 ranking marks the fourth preseason top-10 ranking entering the 2022 campaign with the Diamond Dawgs also coming in at No. 4 by D1Baseball, No. 6 by Perfect Game and No. 9 by Collegiate Baseball. The SEC leads all conferences with eight teams in Baseball America's Top 25 poll, while the ACC ranks second with six teams featured in the preseason rankings. Mississippi State is coming off a season that saw the Dawgs capture the program's first national championship with a 50-18 overall record. The 2022 season gets underway on Feb. 18 when the Diamond Dawgs host Long Beach State in a three-game series at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville. Mississippi State's 56-game schedule features 32 home games, 20 road contests and four neutral site matchups. The schedule features a pair of lengthy homestands, as Dudy Noble Field hosts an 8-game homestand to open the campaign (Feb. 18-March 1) followed by a nine straight home games from April 5-19. |
| Where Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Southern Miss rank in preseason college baseball polls | |
| The four major college baseball polls are out, and Mississippi's most prominent programs are all featured. Less than a month remains until Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss begin their 2022 baseball seasons on Feb. 18. In advance of the opener, all three teams are ranked in at least one of the four major preseason polls, with defending national champions Mississippi State and Ole Miss both figuring into the top 10 of nearly every ranking. Fresh off their first national championship in program history, Mississippi State is reloaded and figures to contend again. The Bulldogs rank No. 4 in the D1 Baseball top 25, No. 3 in the Baseball America top 25, No. 6 in the Perfect Game top 25 and No. 9 in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's top 50. The Bulldogs return a number of contributors from last year's championship team. Kamren James, Logan Tanner, Luke Hancock and Brad Cumbest headline the returning bats while Jackson Fristoe, Preston Johnson, Brandon Smith and All-America closer Landon Sims return on the mound. |
| Ole Miss group announces business to aid NIL opportunities | |
| Mississippi's first business whose stated purpose is to create Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) opportunities for college football players will soon be up and running. University of Texas boosters made news in December when they announced "Horns with Heart," a non-profit group that will pay Longhorns offensive linemen $50,000 a year. In return, the linemen will participate in charitable causes that impact both the university and the Austin, Texas, community as designated by the organization. The Grove Collective is different. It's a for-profit LLC founded by Jackson-area businessmen David Nutt, Crymes Pittman, William Liston, Matt McDonald, Lawrence Deas and Paul Hurst. It aims to use Mississippi's NIL law, which went into effect July 1, to benefit Ole Miss football. "We've created an entity that will seek to leverage and capitalize on the commercial value that those student-athletes create by virtue of their participation in athletics at Ole Miss and utilize that value to build a program that really the ultimate No. 1 goal is to just be something that serves the best interests of Ole Miss student-athletes," Liston said. The Grove Collective has been in the works for about five months. The group is not currently a part of any NIL deals but expects that to change soon. |
| Alabama athletics operates at $9.6 million surplus in 2021 thanks to bailout for each SEC school | |
| Alabama athletics operated at a $9.6 million surplus during the 2021 fiscal year but would have been in the red if not for a SEC-wide bailout of $23 million for each school, according to the annual report obtained by The Tuscaloosa News/USA TODAY through a public records request. The Crimson Tide's operating revenue was $179.8 million during the 2021 fiscal year, which spanned from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. Operating expenses were $170.2 million. During the 2020 fiscal year, Alabama operated at a surplus of $16.14 million. The Crimson Tide brought in less money largely due to COVID-19, but it also managed to cut costs by about $3 million. The SEC gave each member school a $23 million supplemental revenue distribution to help with the financial impact of the pandemic. It was a one-time advance based on projected revenue from a lucrative TV contract beginning in 2025. The SEC borrowed that money and is expected to pay it back with future increases in media rights revenue. The first year of repayments will occur in 2025, when ESPN will receive the football games CBS currently holds. The supplemental revenue distribution was part of the SEC conference distribution section not tied to media rights and bowl revenue. From this part of the report, Alabama brought in $30.47 million in revenue that was not related to media and football bowl earnings. That's a considerable jump from $3.83 million the previous fiscal year. |
| Four Gator athletic teams will receive new or revamped facilities for their 2022 seasons | |
| Four teams, four shiny new facilities. Phase three of the UF athletic facilities master plan is expected to be completed this Spring, fostering a fresh start for four Gator sports teams. The final stage of the nearly eight-year plan includes the creation of the James W. "Bill" Heavener Football Training Center and a soccer team facility. There will also be upgrades to the lacrosse facility and tennis complex. About 8% of the plan's $93 million budget will go towards an upgrade for the women's soccer and lacrosse teams' shared facility. The soccer team will upgrade in April from a portable trailer to their own wing of the lacrosse facility, Donald R. Dizney Stadium, Howard wrote. The $7.4 million will add 13,800 square feet to the building and renovate 2,000 square feet of existing space. The lacrosse facility developments will include a reception area, lounge, storage, team film room and coaches' offices. The other 91% of the budget will go towards the football Gators team. "I think we are all going to be grateful for what we have and understand that 'to whom much is given, much is expected,'" Kyle Engel, a Gators quarterback said.The Gators football team is looking forward to a new beginning in the 2022 season, welcoming Billy Napier -- the former Louisiana coach -- into The Swamp and making use of their upcoming state-of-the-art football training center. "It's kind of ironic how everything is going to be new: new coaching staff, new facility. I think it's going to help the new staff bring their own culture into this program," Engel said. |
| Dawn Staley explains decision to cancel UConn game, face Ole Miss instead | |
 | Canceling the Gamecocks' Thursday matchup with UConn in favor of hosting Ole Miss on the same date was about choosing a conference game over a non-conference game, South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley said. In a press conference following the Gamecocks' 55-point win over Vanderbilt on Monday, Staley discussed the thought process behind her decision to reach out to UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and call off the Huskies' previously planned trip to Colonial Life Arena this Thursday. "When you know you've got to play the (Ole Miss) game and make it up, you try to figure out where," Staley said. COVID-19 issues in the Ole Miss program postponed the Jan. 2 game against South Carolina. The Gamecocks then found an opponent for that date, electing to slide Mississippi State up earlier in the schedule from Feb. 6. The decision to make up the Ole Miss game on Thursday was based on logistics, Staley said. South Carolina had the Feb. 6 date open on its schedule . But Ole Miss, which also had to postpone a game against Arkansas scheduled for Dec. 30, had been discussing using that Feb. 6 spot for the game against the Razorbacks, Staley said, instead of South Carolina. Staley said the resolution came when she found out Ole Miss would be off this Thursday. She sent Auriemma a text message last Friday, and the two talked on the phone Saturday. The decision was made public Sunday night. "That's how it came about," Staley said. "It wasn't anything besides us choosing our conference game over a non-conference game." |
| ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale to take rest of season off in preparation for vocal surgery | |
| College basketball analyst Dick Vitale will not return to ESPN's airwaves this season as he continues to rest his voice and prepares for surgery to treat dysplasia and ulcerated lesions of the vocal cords. In a story posted to ESPN Front Row on Monday, Vitale wrote that he had a follow-up visit with Massachusetts General Hospital throat specialist Dr. Steven Zeitels and was advised to give his voice "an even longer 'T.O., Baby!'" in anticipation of undergoing surgery in the near term. "While I'm heartbroken that I won't appear on ESPN for the rest of this season, I'm encouraged by the progress," Vitale said, noting that going on vocal rest the past three weeks reduced the inflammation in his throat by 60 percent. Once the inflammation heals, a date will be set for surgery. "My throat's condition is clearly moving in the right direction, and Dr. Z. is very optimistic that this can be successfully treated to have me strong for the 2022-23 season on ESPN," Vitale wrote. Vitale had undergone cancer treatments last year. |
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