| Thursday, April 28, 2022 |
| County offices move into new building on Lynn Lane | |
 | Every time a master gardener dies in Oktibbeha County, the Mississippi State University county Extension office plants a magnolia in their honor at the Oktibbeha County Memorial Garden. This tradition, though, will soon end. Extension, along with a few other counties offices, is in the process of moving to its new location on Lynn Lane. While the agency is receiving a new bed to grow plants and flowers, it will not have the space or capability to plant the classic magnolias, master gardener Jim McKell said. The club has started moving what plants it can to the new office. "The magnolias are just going to be gone," McKell said. "That's a shame. You can only do what you can do, but we're going to attempt to save a few of them to put in other places. "There are some real special things at the garden," he added. "We had over 200 plants at the old location, and we are looking to see what we can do moving forward at the new location." Oktibbeha County purchased a new building in December to house some of its offices. The property, located at 48 Lynn Lane, is 10,820 square feet with 37 offices, two meeting rooms and a large corporate conference room. Because of the need for additional room and the rundown state of the Felix Long Memorial Hospital property, where Extension is currently housed, Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors Attorney Rob Roberson said buying this property was the best solution, rather than buying land and constructing a building. Along with Extension, the Oktibbeha County Department of Human Services, Child Protective Services and some offices within the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District (which are now located in the old Oktibbeha County School District office building on Main Street) will move to the Lynn Lane location. The offices have until May 31 to be out of their old buildings and into the new one. |
| Business Brief: Golden Triangle Development LINK announces staff changes | |
| The Golden Triangle Development LINK is pleased to announce the following staff additions and changes: Leah Howard has been hired as the Director of Finance. Howard will be responsible for accounts payable and receivable; budgeting for The LINK and the Lowndes County Industrial Development Authority; and managing grant funding, including new grants received and the $7.1 million in grants the LINK has recently secured. Howard was previously employed with the LINK as an intern for two years while completing her Bachelor of Accountancy and Master of Professional Accountancy degrees at Mississippi State University. Maggie Wilson will assume the new role of Economic Development Administrative Support, as well as remain the Executive Assistant to the CEO. She will provide administrative support to the economic development team. Meryl Fisackerly has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. She will be charged with organizational operations in her new role and will continue her work with economic development projects. Betsy Young has been promoted to Vice President of Economic Development. In this new role, Young will lead industrial recruitment, workforce development, and business retention and expansion, as well as be responsible for all organization marketing. |
| Joint federal, local crime eradication program nets 700 arrests across north Mississippi | |
 | A joint operation between federal law enforcement agents and local law enforcement agencies netted more than 700 arrests across Northeast Mississippi in the month of March. The results of Operation MPACT (Mississippi Partnering Agencies Coming Together), announced during a press conference on Wednesday in Oxford, included more than a few arrests in Tupelo and Lee County. The operation targeted known offenders in what law enforcement officials said was an effort to deter crime and improve community relations. The 350 felony arrests over four counties included drug possession, weapons, aggravated assault, sexual assault, robbery, arson and even homicide. The operation also seized 38 guns, $50,720 in cash and drugs with a street value of nearly $135,000. "We didn't help with traffic citations; we were there to help with serious crimes," said Danny McKittrick, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Mississippi. "These were extremely high-risk individuals." Officials said large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl and even heroine were seized. "In the last couple of weeks, we had a fatal overdose from fentanyl at Ole Miss," Joyner said. With an overall rise in crime across the region, authorities said they've noticed several organized criminal groups operating out of Memphis and Chicago headed south to Mississippi along Interstate 55. |
| US economy shrank by 1.4% in Q1 but consumers kept spending | |
 | The U.S. economy shrank last quarter for the first time since the pandemic recession struck two years ago, contracting at a 1.4% annual rate, but consumers and businesses kept spending in a sign of economic durability. The economy's overall decline in the January-March quarter does not mean a recession is likely in the coming months. Most economists expect a rebound this quarter as solid hiring and wage gains sustain growth. Instead, the steady spending by households and companies suggests that the economy will likely keep expanding this year even though the Federal Reserve plans to raise rates aggressively to fight the inflation surge. The first quarter was hampered mainly by a slower restocking of goods in stores and warehouses and by a sharp drop in exports. "The report isn't as worrisome as it looks," said Lydia Boussour, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. "The details point to an economy with solid underlying strength that demonstrated resilience in the face of Omicron, lingering supply constraints and high inflation." The Commerce Department's estimate Thursday of the first quarter's gross domestic product -- the nation's total output of goods and services -- fell far below the 6.9% annual growth in the fourth quarter of 2021. And for 2021 as a whole, the economy grew 5.7%, the highest calendar-year expansion since 1984. |
| Why this economy may be sturdier than it looks | |
 | From inflation to the war in Ukraine, there seem to be plenty of reasons to worry about the economy these days, but things are looking pretty good for the busy Hotel Haya in Tampa, Florida. Even with gasoline prices topping $4 a gallon, people are making the drive from neighboring states and flocking to the hotel. "They've been saving their money during the pandemic, and now they want to get away, wherever it takes them," says the hotel's general manager, Peter Wright. That may not be obvious from a new economic report card. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the nation's gross domestic product shrank at an annual rate of 1.4% in the first three months of this year -- a marked contrast from the final months of 2021, which saw some of the fastest growth in decades. But economists say that's not as worrisome as it might seem. Consumers continue to spend freely, and businesses are still investing, despite the sharp drop in headline GDP growth. "We should not take that as a signal of the direction of the economy," says Ben Herzon, senior U.S. economist with S&P Global Market Intelligence. He notes that GDP was dragged down by a drop in exports, inventories and government spending. "If we peel back a couple of layers and just look at underlying domestic demand, the economy looks to be picking up a little bit of steam," Herzon said. That's not to say the economy is without challenges. Supply chains are still tangled, and employers are still struggling to find enough staff. |
| Reeves vetoes $50M for improvements to UMMC adult hospital | |
| Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has vetoed part of a budget bill for the University of Mississippi Medical Center, saying he objects to spending $50 million for improvements to the adult hospital in Jackson. The Republican governor issued the partial veto of Senate Bill 3010 on Tuesday. Legislators specified the $50 million would come from Mississippi's pandemic recovery money from the federal government. UMMC declined to comment on the partial veto, spokesperson Marc Rolph said Wednesday. Reeves wrote on Twitter that UMMC's academic functions -- teaching physicians, nurses and other health care professionals -- are largely funded by the state, but the hospital is not. "They are responsible for their own operational budget -- just like other hospitals," Reeves wrote. The governor wrote that UMMC receives "competitive advantages" over other hospitals and physician groups because it does not need the Health Department's approval for new facilities or large equipment. However, UMMC does need approval from the state college board. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves vetoes $50M appropriation to UMMC | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves announced Tuesday he had partially vetoed an appropriations bill for the University of Mississippi Medical Center, citing the state-owned hospital's ongoing contract dispute with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. Reeves' partial veto of Senate Bill 3010 withholds $50 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act funding appropriated to UMMC by the state Legislature for the completion of capital improvements to the patient care facilities and operating suites of UMMC's adult hospital. The governor justified the veto by arguing that while UMMC's teaching center is largely funded by the state, the hospital is not. He accused the hospital of "willingly" turning away patients on private insurance, a reference to UMMC's contract dispute with Blue Cross that has resulted in the hospital going out of network with the insurer. Though Blue Cross insurance is not currently accepted at UMMC, the hospital is not turning away patients covered by that insurer. Instead, those patients must pay for their care out of pocket, but at a discounted rate. While the governor vetoed the appropriation for UMMC, which is tasked with treating many of the state's uninsured, he did approve a $7 million appropriation for Gulfport Memorial Hospital. Reeves has publicly clashed with Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor of health affairs and medical school dean at UMMC, over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, Kent Nicaud, the chief executive officer of Memorial Hospital of Gulfport, hosted a fundraiser at his home for the governor in the midst of a surge in the pandemic. At the time of the event, health care experts were urging caution during social gatherings as most hospitals in the state were filled to capacity. |
| Many Mississippi officials receiving pay raises next term | |
| The Mississippi governor and many other elected officials will receive substantial pay raises during the next four-year term. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves decided this week to allow House Bill 1426 to become law without his signature. He is expected to seek a second term next year. Here are the current salaries, followed by the salaries beginning in January 2024: Governor: $122,160 to $160,000. Attorney general: $108,960 to $150,000. Auditor and insurance commissioner: $90,000 to $150,000. Secretary of state, treasurer and agriculture commissioner: $90,000 to $120,000. Transportation commissioners and public service commissioners: $78,000 to $95,000. Lieutenant governor and House speaker: $60,000 to $85,000. Other legislators are not receiving pay raises under this plan. |
| Bomgar won't seek 3rd term | |
| Republican state Rep. Joel Bomgar will not seek a third term, he announced on Tuesday. The qualifying deadline for the 2023 legislative elections is nearly a year away. "I wanted to let you know that I will not be running for re-election during the upcoming 2023 legislative elections," Bomgar wrote on Facebook. "Even though the qualifying deadline is not until February, I wanted to make this announcement now so that anyone interested in serving would have enough time to make that decision." Bomgar continued on to say while he enjoyed his time at the statehouse he was entering a new chapter in his life and he wanted to shift focus back to the private sector. Bomgar previously founded the Bomgar Corporation where he spent 11 years. Bomgar, who represents District 58 in Madison, defeated opponent Bruce Bartley the last two election cycles. Bomgar currently serves as vice-chair of the Drug Policy committee. |
| Hyde-Smith stresses need for fairness for U.S. cattle producers | |
 | On Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing to receive testimony on the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2022 (S.4030) and the Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022 (S.3870). U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) stressed that American cattle producers deserve to compete in a fair marketplace. Senator Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of both bills, S.4030 and S.3870, which seek to address the growing price disparity between producers, packers, and consumers. "Producers are such hard workers and all we ask for is a fair market that we can compete in," Hyde-Smith said. "An increasingly consolidated industry structure has given rise to anticompetitive practices that harm independent cattle producers, especially the small, mom-and-pop operations." The "Big Four" meatpackers control 55% to 85% of the hog, cattle, and chicken markets. The four major meat companies in the U.S. include: Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS, and National Beef Packing. "Something in the system is broken. Meat packing companies are bringing home tremendous profits while producer earnings are declining. The 'Big Four' have increased gross profit shares by 120 percent while net income has surged by 500 percent. How do we explain these skyrocketing profits, while input costs are rising?" Hyde-Smith continued. At the hearing, William "Ricky" Ruffin of Ruffin Farms in Bay Springs testified on behalf of the United States Cattleman's Association. Ruffin said that without bold action, the United States risks losing its independent livestock producers, which represents a significant loss to the security of our nation's food supply. |
| Can Alondra Nelson Remake the Government's Approach to Science and Tech? | |
 | If Alondra Nelson has found the last few months head-spinning, she doesn't let on. I ask if she finds it strange to be sitting here, the round rug near her feet emblazoned with the seal of the Executive Office of the President. "A little, sure," she says. It's not that she's the first Black woman to lead the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy in its 45-year history -- or, at least, it's not just that. Nelson is used to being around groups of people who look different from her. She grew up in science and tech, her mother a cryptographer. It's that Nelson's a sociologist. This job shaping the United States' mammoth, multi-trillion-dollar science and technology complex has been most often held by physicists. The pattern was tweaked only slightly by the last occupant of this office: a geneticist who abruptly resigned in February. Nelson's still moving in, the only decoration on the 18-foot walls of this Eisenhower Executive Office Building space a poster-size photo of the James Webb Space Telescope gifted to Nelson by NASA. Sitting in her office, Nelson says her time at OSTP is informed by the idea that "we have to have a frank historical accounting" about how decisions about the country's use of science and technology "have not always been good." "And if we want to do it better," she continues, "if we want to do it in a way that benefits more people and includes more people, you have to have that conversation." |
| War in Ukraine could affect food and energy prices through 2024, World Bank says | |
| The World Bank is forecasting further disruptions to global supplies of food and energy this year as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine and says prices could remain elevated through 2024. The bank's latest Commodity Markets Outlook report says wheat prices could increase more than 40% this year and energy prices more than 50% -- which would exacerbate global inequities, according to World Bank President David Malpass. "It's hitting people in the poorest countries hardest, but it also goes along with the other crises that people were facing," he said in an interview with Marketplace's David Brancaccio. And rising commodity prices increase the risk of stagflation, or a confluence of inflation and slow growth -- although likely not to the extent of the problem seen in the 1970s, according to Malpass. "In the 1970s, the world had been on the gold standard up through 1971 and then suddenly fell off the gold standard, so there was a giant devaluation of the dollar. That's not present now. And so I think there are some scenarios where production will go up, and that will help the inflation rate come down more quickly than what occurred in the 1970s and 1980s," he said. |
| Biden will ask Congress for money to combat global hunger | |
 | President Joe Biden's next supplemental spending request for Ukraine will include money to deal with a spiraling global food crisis, the United States' No. 1 diplomat said in testimony before a Senate panel Wednesday. "This is a very, very dramatic problem that already existed of course," Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken told the Senate State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, where he was testifying about the Biden administration's fiscal 2023 budget request. "It has been exacerbated by Russia's aggression, by the invasion." Blinken did not offer an estimate on the amount of money that Biden would request for food aid. As the secretary was testifying before the Senate panel, the Biden administration announced it was contributing $670 million in additional humanitarian assistance to address the global food crisis impacts of Russia's invasion, and the new funds would go beyond that. Hunger is increasing due to climate change-induced drought and changing weather patterns, ongoing conflict in places like Afghanistan, Yemen and Ethiopia, and supply chain constraints created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia's February invasion of Ukraine, one of the world's biggest producers of wheat, is exacerbating the problem, particularly in the developing world. Lindsey Graham, the ranking Republican on the Appropriations subcommittee overseeing foreign aid, added his voice to those supporting emergency funding for international COVID-19 assistance and food aid. "The World Food Program is under siege," the South Carolina Republican said. "So, there's a lot of talk in the building about another supplemental. Count me in." |
| Corn and Soybeans Near Record Prices, Push Food Costs Higher | |
 | Corn and soybeans prices have risen nearly to records, signaling higher food inflation to come. Global food prices had already reached records when Russia invaded Ukraine in late February and jeopardized big slices of the world's grain and oilseed supplies. Poor harvests in South America, inclement planting weather in the U.S. and rising biofuel demand threaten to stretch inventories even thinner and push prices higher. The price of soybeans, which are fed to cows, chicken and salmon and crushed into oils, has gained 27% so far this year. Futures are trading above $17 a bushel for the first time since a hot, dry summer baked American farms and ruined crops in 2012. Until recently, that drought a decade ago was the only time that corn cost more than $8 a bushel. Corn futures, up 37% this year, settled Wednesday at $8.15, about 24 cents shy of the all-time high. If corn and soybeans notch new highs, they will be the latest raw materials to do so in the broadest and sharpest commodities rally of the modern trading era. Vegetable oils, oats and wheat already reached records in 2022. The rise in these key ingredients is spilling over into the cost of producing foods ranging from pork chops to Pepsi, eating away at Americans' purchasing power and adding another challenge to the postpandemic economic recovery. Food companies say shoppers have so far kept up. But analysts say there are signs, such as stronger private-label sales, that show consumers are responding to the pinch. |
| Ideas on mute? Study: Remote meetings dampen brainstorming | |
| Video meetings dampen brainstorming because we are so hyper-focused on the face in that box that we don't let our eyes and minds wander as much, a new study found. Staring isn't good for creativity. While it's rude to stare at someone in real life, it's expected when on a video call, researchers said. When it comes to evaluating those new ideas, though, that focus, at least in one-on-one chats, seems to make remote meetings slightly better than in-person chats, Wednesday's study in the journal Nature said. Researchers watched 745 pairs of engineers in five different countries try to come up with creative ideas for using a Frisbee or bubble wrap. Those in the same room generated on average one more idea, which is about 17% more than those in remote meetings. And those in-person ideas were judged by outside experts to be more creative, the study found. Study author Melanie Brucks, an applied psychology professor at Columbia University's business school, said it was the outcome she expected -- but not the reason she expected. At first she figured it had to be the social and physical distance -- maybe the two people just didn't connect as well or people didn't know who speaks when. But several different tests for social connectedness found that the remote meeting pairs were connecting with each other in the same way as people in the same room. |
| Investments being made for foster youth in Mississippi | |
 | The State of Mississippi and a major non-profit organization are investing in the future of the state's foster youth. Two programs will focus on helping children over the age of nine who face much lower adoption rates. House Bill 1313 has been signed into law, creating the Kinkade Scholarship Fund. It's named after former foster youth Bill Kinkade, who now serves in the state Legislature. Child Protective Services Commissioner Andrea Sanders says college seems out of reach for many foster youth because of the high costs. "It's designed to really meet all of the costs of getting an education so that they're not trying to hold down three jobs and still show up for class. Not worried about where they're going to sleep right after exams end," says Sanders. "It's a holistic approach to really giving them that financial support." 26-year-old Andanella Lawyer of Jackson entered the foster care system at age 4 and paid her own way through college by taking on debt. She says the scholarship can help open doors for futures of foster children. Lawyer says "I tell youth that's younger than me all the time that they can take everything else away from you, but they can never take your knowledge away from you." Additionally, a donation has been made through the Dave Thomas Foundation to encourage more adoptions for older youth. President and CEO Rita Soronen says children over the age of 9 are just as worthy of being adopted as a newborn. "So they implement this evidence-based model. They begin to build this caseload of 10-15 children who have been in foster care the longest, says Soronen. "They do a deep dive into their case file and find potential adoptive contacts. And then they begin to make those matches happen. They stay with the child until permanency happens, and they stay with the child post-permanency." |
| Six Mississippi HCBUs recipients of Retool Your School grants | |
| Votes for The Home Depot's Retool Your School program are in, with six Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Mississippi announced as grant winners. The HBCUs that will receive the grants -- which vary from $20,000 to $75,000 -- are Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Tougaloo College, Rust College, and Coahoma Community College. This year, the Retool Your School program will distribute approximately $1 million of funds in three clusters to 30 HBCUs, continuing the 13-year goal to grant money for the improvement of campuses across the nation. "Since its launch in 2009, The Home Depot's Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant Program has provided support to almost 70 percent of the nation's HBCUs through more than 180 grants," Derek Bottoms, chief diversity officer for The Home Depot, said. "Grants from The Home Depot have helped HBCUs make more than $5 million worth of improvements, including the creation of outdoor eco-classrooms, renovation of health facilities, revamping of residence halls, and more." |
| UM chemistry professor, diversity official honored for student service | |
| Two University of Mississippi employees who have demonstrated dedication and passion for helping students succeed have been honored with a campus-wide award for student service. Norris "EJ" Edney, assistant vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, and Eden Tanner, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, have been selected as this year's Frist Student Service Award honorees. They were chosen from dozens of nominations submitted by students, faculty and staff. A committee appointed by the chancellor weighs nominations and selects faculty and staff winners each year. "As one of the highest honors on our campus, it is not surprising that EJ Edney and Eden Tanner were selected as this year's Frist Award winners," Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. "These deserving recipients embody and exemplify the caring nature of our campus community. "I commend and thank them for their extraordinary and sincere focus on upholding our universitywide commitment to serving and supporting our students." Any full-time faculty or staff member, except previous winners, is eligible for the award, which includes a $1,000 prize and a plaque. The honorees also will be recognized during the end-of-the-semester faculty meeting. |
| Blue Cross, UMMC agree to mediation to settle contract dispute | |
| Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and University of Mississippi Medical Center have agreed to utilize a mediation process to settle the contract dispute that has left the state's largest hospital out of network with its largest insurer. The decision comes after Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney sent them a letter on April 21 urging them to agree to mediation. The arbitration process involves bringing in an expert and impartial mediator who can preside over new contract negotiations. Chaney told Mississippi Today on Thursday that he'll be providing several recommendations for prospective mediators by next week. Blue Cross and UMMC used the same mediation process to settle their last contract dispute in 2018, and it took around ten days to strike a deal, Chaney said. At that time, Blue Cross agreed to remove language that made the contract evergreen, meaning the insurance company could no longer change the contract terms at any time. UMMC claims that between 2014 and 2017, Blue Cross made annual changes to their reimbursement rates that decreased the overall reimbursement UMMC received to care for Blue Cross patients.·UMMC received an overall 1% increase as part of the 2018 negotiations, but no changes have been made to their reimbursement rates since then. Chaney's involvement stems from concerns that UMMC not being in Blue Cross' network runs afoul of state network adequacy regulations due to UMMC providing services that cannot be found elsewhere in the state, such as its organ transplant unit and children's hospital. |
| Missing JSU student Kamilah Fipps found safe in Richmond, Virginia | |
| Missing Jackson State University student Kamilah Fipps has been discovered safe in Richmond, Virginia. According to a press release from JSU on Wednesday afternoon, the senior was found safe as of 1:45 p.m. She has been reunited with her mother and family. JSU Police Chief Herman Horton extended his thanks to the Richmond Police Department and Detective Clarence Key "for his diligence during this investigation." "The Silver Alert for Ms. Fipps will be canceled. Special thanks to all media across the country who helped share the missing person announcement," the statement concluded. Fipps had been missing since last Tuesday and, according to her family, suffered from a medical condition that impaired her judgement. |
| Study: U. of Alabama added almost $2.8 billion to the state economy in 2019-2020 | |
 | The University of Alabama added almost $2.8 billion to the state economy during the 2019-20 academic year, according to a study by the Center for Business and Economic Research in the UA Culverhouse College of Business. The study concerns just UA, the flagship in Tuscaloosa, not the UA system, which includes the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Other studies have shown the UA system's statewide economic impact at more than $10 billion annually. The center's study covers a period that included the beginning of the pandemic slowdown. The bulk of UA's economic impact is focused on the three-county Tuscaloosa metro area, which includes Hale, Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties. UA generated more than 12,800 jobs, and $42.7 in local sales taxes in Tuscaloosa, Hale and Pickens counties, according to the study. Each of UA's seven home football games for fall 2019 brought in an average of $19.8 million to the Tuscaloosa area, or about $138.6 million. Those Crimson Tide home games brought in a total of $185.9 million for the state. The three-county impact from UA added up to more than $2 billion. Total state impact from UA added up to $2.77 billion, with 13,606 jobs, and $137.1 million in income and sales taxes. The figures mean that for every dollar in state appropriations, UA returns $15 to the Alabama economy. |
| Garth Brooks parking nightmare: Imagine LSU football, baseball, track meet on same day | |
 | LSU is accustomed to moving huge crowds onto and off of campus, with Tiger Stadium, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center and Alex Box Stadium drawing sellout crowds several times a year. Saturday night's Garth Brooks concert will still pose a challenge, particularly with everyone staying until the end of the show rather than trickling out in the second half of sporting events. "Imagine having a baseball game, a softball game and a track meet on the same day as a football game," said Dan Gaston, LSU's senior associate director of facility management. Except, Saturday, it won't be imaginary. Brooks will perform in Baton Rouge for the first time in 24 years Saturday, as he resumes his "Garth Brooks Stadium Tour" that began in 2019 but was interrupted because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Tiger Stadium show will be his first in Louisiana since 2017. It's expected to draw more than 102,000 people. Stadium gates will open at 5 p.m. and the show is set to start at 7 p.m. Mayhem in the parking lot will start hours earlier because parking will be more restricted than on a typical football Saturday. Lots for pre-paid reserved parking, which are sold out, will open at 7 a.m. Saturday. "It's a little different because we have some things going on and some typical parking spots that we have available all day on a football game day we don't have for this," Gaston said. Gaston said that LSU will make a significant amount of money from the event on parking, but that it will mainly go to expenses such as staffing law enforcement in certain areas. |
| More than 50,000 people, including Tim Tebow, expected to go to UF's graduation ceremony | |
 | More than 6,500 graduates and an additional 45,000 guests are expected to pack Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Friday night for the University of Florida's 2022 University Wide Spring Commencement Ceremony. The ceremony runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and is open to the public who can find seating in the stadium that has room for more than 88,500. University President Kent Fuchs will preside over the event. Bachelor, master and specialist's degrees will be conferred by a member of the UF Board of Trustees. Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is scheduled to serve as the commencement speaker. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner graduated from UF in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in family, youth and community sciences. The two-time national champion also is a four-time New York Times best-selling author, speaker and a college football analyst for ESPN and SEC Network. His Tim Tebow Foundation, a Christian-based organization, serves people in more than 70 countries. "Tim Tebow is known as much for his hard work, character and commitment to service as he is for his many achievements. And for those reasons, I know the class of 2022 will benefit greatly from his message and perspective," Fuchs said in a news release. "Whether it be in athletics, philanthropy or in his broader life, Tim sets an example for all of us on what it means to be a leader." The graduation ceremony will be held rain or shine unless the weather becomes dangerous. If that occurs, the ceremony could be postponed or canceled. |
| Revised U. of South Carolina board overhaul bill would kick out incumbents, keep some from leadership spots | |
 | University of South Carolina board members who could lose their influential seats in 2023 under a bipartisan-backed proposal would not be able to hold leadership positions on the board under an a tweak to the legislation made by senators Tuesday. The Senate Education Committee on Tuesday approved and amended a House plan to reduce the number of voting members on the USC board to 15 trustees, down from 20. And senators added a provision that would bar any incumbents who were not approved for reelection, but are staying on the board until July next year, from serving as board chairman or vice chairman. South Carolina lawmakers in both chambers want to restructure the board this year after years of controversy and frustration with the board, particularly over their handling of of large buyouts to former football coach Will Muschamp and former men's basketball coach Frank Martin and a controversial presidential search in 2019. The General Assembly is scheduled to vote May 4 to confirm college and university board members. It won't include five USC board incumbents -- Chairman Dorn Smith, Edward Floyd, John von Lehe, Thad Westbrook and Charles Williams -- who were not approved by a joint legislative committee that screens college and university board members. The Legislature's vote next month will include incumbent Alex English, who was the only incumbent to get approval by the panel. |
| Lyrissa Lidsky stepping down after five years as dean of Mizzou School of Law | |
 | Lyrissa Lidsky is stepping down July 4 as the University of Missouri School of Law dean, a position she has held for five years. Paul Litton has been appointed as interim dean starting on that date, the university announced. Lidsky is dean and Judge C.A. Leedy professor of law at the law school. The focus of her research and teaching has been with the intersection of tort law and the First Amendment, with emphasis on free speech issues in social media, her online biography states. She commented last year for a Tribune story about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley's role in it. Missouri Lawyers Media named Lidsky its 2020 Woman of the Year for her scholarship, passion for law, mentorship of students and engagement of constituencies. Lidsky didn't return a call or respond to an email from the Tribune on Wednesday seeking information about her reasons for stepping down as dean. Litton is completing his seventh year as associate dean for research and faculty development. He also has been director of the Office of Academic Integrity within the MU Office of the Provost since 2017. |
| U. of North Carolina Has Been Corrupted by Political Meddling, Faculty Group Says | |
 | Nationwide, public higher education has often been a target of partisan meddling. But North Carolina's university system is in a league of its own, according to a new report from the American Association of University Professors, released on Thursday. The report, written by a special committee, details a laundry list of scandals that have plagued the University of North Carolina over the past decade or so. Some are eponymous: Nikole Hannah-Jones. The Confederate monument known as Silent Sam. Others are less known outside the state, such as the controversial selection of a former member of the system's board as Fayetteville State University's new chancellor. After examining all of these scandals, the report posits that the UNC system has, in essence, been corrupted by partisan interference. Put succinctly by one Appalachian State University professor who was interviewed by the committee: "The fish rots from the head." There's been "overreach by the Board of Governors and Boards of Trustees into specific campus operations," and "outright disregard for principles of academic governance by campus and system leadership," along with "institutional racism" and "a hostile climate for academic freedom across the system," according to the report. Those issues exist elsewhere. Yet the "frequency and intensity" of the controversies, coupled with "constant mismanagement" by the system and campus boards, is "unique to UNC." Kimberly van Noort, the system's chief academic officer, strongly refuted the committee's characterization. "You offer a relentlessly grim portrayal of one of the nation's strongest, most vibrant, and most productive university systems," van Noort wrote to the AAUP in March. (A system spokesperson provided van Noort's response to The Chronicle.) |
| UC to pay full tuition for Native American students from federally recognized tribe | |
 | Many Native American students will receive free tuition at the University of California starting in the fall semester. In a letter sent to UC chancellors, President Michael V. Drake said that tuition will be covered for all California residents from federally recognized Native American, American Indian and Alaska Native tribes through existing state and university financial aid programs. Scholarships for residents from the state's non-federally recognized tribes may be available through other organizations. "The University of California is committed to recognizing and acknowledging historical wrongs endured by Native Americans," Drake wrote. "I am proud of the efforts the University has made to support the Native American community, including the creation of the UC Native American Opportunity Plan, and appreciate our conversations to date on all the ways in which we can better support Native American students." The UC President's Native American Advisory Council, composed of California tribal leaders, faculty, and experts, provided feedback on the plan. Tuition at UC is roughly $13,100 for California residents. About 1.6% of Californians identify as Native American or Alaska Native, according to the U.S. census. |
| Seeking College-Admissions Edge, More Students Take Gap Year | |
| Rising rejections at highly selective colleges and hopes for better luck in a year are pushing more seniors to take a yearlong pause after high school. For the 2020-21 academic year, 130,000 students took gap years, according to the nonprofit Gap Year Association, with many of these early-pandemic gap-year students deferring enrollment to wait for the full college experience. That is up from between 40,000 and 60,000 students before the pandemic. This year, the number of students taking a year off looks to be on pace with or higher than in 2021 largely as a result of low college-acceptance rates, say consultants and college advisers. For some students now pursuing a gap year, the decision is driven by a belief that they will enter college older and better-adjusted. For many, the gap-year plan is also about playing better odds for acceptance at an elite school. Katherine Stievater, who advises families and students on strategies for taking a year off, says about a quarter of inquiries she is receiving now are from students who might not have planned on a gap year but are facing a pile of college rejections and wait lists. In previous years, those calls amounted to about 5% of inquiries, she estimates. "They have gotten caught up in this elite-school syndrome," she says. "The whole composition of who's choosing to take a gap year is changing." |
| Higher ed faces shrinking workforce and pay increases outpaced by inflation | |
| The failure of higher ed pay increases to keep pace with inflation continues a trend that's developed in the sector in recent years. The 2019-2020 academic year marked the last time pay increases for administrators, professionals and staff met or exceeded inflation. Nontenure-track faculty fared worse, last getting salary increases matching or exceeding inflation in 2016-17. The salaries of tenure-track faculty have not kept pace with inflation in the past six years. As higher ed professionals are effectively losing spending power, the workforce is also shrinking. The number of higher education workers has historically increased from year to year, according to CUPA-HR. But in 2021-2022 the overall workforce saw a decline in numbers. The two exceptions were adjuncts and nontenure-track faculty. Adjunct ranks grew 2.7%. Nontenure-track faculty grew 2.6%. Both groups saw a significant drop in size in 2020-2021, largely owing to the pandemic, but are now moving back up. By comparison, the number of tenure-track faculty dropped 0.2% this year and full-time staff dropped 1.1%. Some of the sector's challenges are caused by employees leaving colleges. One study found that early and mid-career student affairs professionals are leaving higher ed amid compensation and work environment concerns. Wall Street has also taken note of labor challenges for colleges. Moody's Investors Service this month flagged wage inflation and labor shortages as two factors driving financial challenges for the higher ed sector, which it said faces its highest expense growth in over a decade. |
| Republicans take aim at Biden's authority on student loans | |
 | Republicans have introduced legislation that seeks to put a stop to the Biden administration's current pandemic freeze on federal student loan payments while also limiting the president's authority to suspend repayments going forward. Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) and Republican Sens. Richard Burr (N.C.), Mike Braun (Ind.), Bill Cassidy (La.) and Roger Marshall (Kan.) introduced the bill, dubbed the "Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act," on Wednesday. "As Americans continue to return to the workforce more than two years since the pandemic began, it is time for borrowers to resume repayment of student debt obligations," Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said in a statement. "Taxpayers and working families should not be responsible for continuing to bear the costs associated with this suspension of repayment. This common-sense legislation would protect taxpayers and prevent President Biden from suspending federal student loan repayments in perpetuity," Thune continued, while adding any future suspension of loan repayments "should be left to Congress, not the Biden administration." The bill comes as a growing number of Republicans have launched attacks on Democrats and the Biden administration over the continued pause on student loan payments, particularly as the pivotal midterm elections loom around the corner. "The majority of Americans do not have college degrees," Braun said. "Why should they be forced to pick up the tab for college degrees in the name of pandemic relief? This transfer of wealth is not a move to 'advance equity,' but rather a taxpayer handout to appease far-left activists." |
| Biden to Forgive $238 Million in Cosmetology School Student Loans | |
| The Education Department said Thursday that it will cancel the loans of 28,000 student borrowers who attended a now-defunct for-profit chain of cosmetology schools, the latest move by the Biden administration to address the politically charged issue of student-debt forgiveness. Borrowers who attended the Marinello Schools of Beauty between 2009 and its closure in 2016 are eligible for relief, which amounts to $238 million. The federal government previously determined that Marinello had "engaged in pervasive and widespread misconduct that negatively affected all borrowers" enrolled during that period---among other things, that it had "failed to train students in key elements of a cosmetology program, such as how to cut hair." Some Marinello loans have already been forgiven, but Thursday's action is a broad group discharge for anyone who went to the school during that period, even those who haven't applied for relief. It is the first such group loan forgiveness since the Obama administration. The Marinello loans were forgiven under the borrower defense to repayment program, a core part of the administration's approach to debt forgiveness. The program discharges the loans of students who were misled by for-profit schools about their career prospects or given other misrepresentations. The Education Department is in the middle of updating its borrower-defense rules, aiming to make it easier for borrowers to apply for loan forgiveness under the program. |
| Mall-to-medicine transitions accelerate through the pandemic | |
 | The hulking Hickory Hollow Mall -- a full 1.1 million square feet of retail space in the southeastern part of Nashville, Tenn. -- was once the largest shopping center in the state. But like many malls, it's been in a downward death spiral for more than a decade. Now, the mammoth complex surrounded by acres of parking is on track to join the ranks of malls making a transition into a booming economic sector: medicine. Vanderbilt University Medical Center has had such success reviving a different mall that its health system, Vanderbilt Health, plans to add medical clinics at the former Hickory Hollow Mall, rebranded a decade ago as the Global Mall at the Crossings. "The possibilities for service offerings in a facility of this scale are endless," Dr. Jeff Balser, the medical center's CEO, announced in March. What big-city health systems need most is something shopping malls have plenty of: space and parking. They offer convenience for patients and practitioners, as well as costing less than expanding an existing hospital campus. Nationwide, 32 enclosed malls house health care services in at least part of their footprint, according to a database kept by Ellen Dunham-Jones, a Georgia Tech urban design professor. One of the first was Jackson Medical Mall in Mississippi, founded by Dr. Aaron Shirley in 1996. Nearly a third of those medical transformations have been announced since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdowns brought by COVID --- both required and voluntary --- pushed many bricks-and-mortar retailers already on the brink out of business. But medicine's reuse of retail space is more than pandemic opportunism, according to a November article in the Harvard Business Review. The three authors suggest the rise of telemedicine and continued push toward outpatient procedures will make malls increasingly attractive locations for health care. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State softball tops Southern Miss in final midweek contest | |
| Neither Mississippi State pitcher Annie Willis nor designated player Matalasi Faapito saw much of the play. As left fielder Chloe Malau'ulu scooped up the softball and came up firing, Willis was racing toward home plate to cover the dish. While Willis found herself in a fourth-inning jam against Southern Miss -- the Golden Eagles, trailing 5-3, had loaded the bases with two out -- Faapito was warming up in the Bulldogs' bullpen. "I did not see it, but I'm pretty sure she did great," Faapito said of Malau'ulu. From her vantage point to the right of the plate, Willis saw Malau'ulu's throw arcing in from left field, coming in on a line to catcher Mia Davidson. Davidson applied the tag, keeping USM to one run and preserving a narrow Mississippi State lead. "Any of our defense out there, I know no matter what they're going to make the play behind us and we're going to get the job done," Willis said. Backed by two big swings and Malau'ulu's stellar play, Willis settled down to keep the Bulldogs (30-19) on top in a 5-4 win over Southern Miss (27-19) on Wednesday at Nusz Park. "It was just a typical midweek," Willis said. "Everybody has to pull their weight as a team effort." Wednesday's game was the Bulldogs' final midweek contest of the season, and Faapito said she hoped it will build momentum for Mississippi State's weekend series at Kentucky (31-14, 9-9 Southeastern Conference). MSU will wrap up the season by hosting LSU from May 5-7. |
| 2022 NFL draft: Where Charles Cross, other Mississippi State projects could be selected | |
| Plenty of Mississippi State football players are represented in the NFL, including Dak Prescott, Chris Jones, Jeffery Simmons and more. Beginning Thursday, three more Bulldogs are projected to join the ranks. The 2022 NFL draft begins Thursday night in Las Vegas with Round 1; Rounds 2 and 3 are Friday and Rounds 4-7 will take place Saturday. Mississippi State has three likely selections: offensive tackle Charles Cross (a projected top-15 pick); cornerback Martin Emerson; and wide receiver Makai Polk. Cross' most popular destination is Carolina, as three of the five mock drafts have the Bulldogs' left tackle headed to Charlotte. Cross is part of a tackle group that also includes North Carolina State's Ikem "Ickey" Ekwonu and Alabama's Evan Neal, and most projections have one or both drafted ahead of Cross. Still, Cross still goes in the top 10 in every mock, and even the No. 10 pick has a projected signing bonus of more than $13.6 million. Emerson's size and length project well at the next level, though his draft range appears to be wide. He could go anywhere from Rounds 2 to 4 (or perhaps slip lower) and to teams all over the NFL spectrum. The mock drafts are also split on Polk, with only three of the five expecting him to be drafted at all. If so, Matt Miller of ESPN has Polk as high as the early fourth round, while Pro Football Network has the Bulldogs' wideout as a Round 7 pick. |
| Women's Golf Is NCAA Tournament Bound; Will Open Play in Tallahassee Regional | |
| The Mississippi State women's golf team was selected as one of 12 teams chosen to compete at the 2022 Tallahassee Regional as the sixth seed Wednesday afternoon in a live selection show broadcast on the Golf Channel. The Maroon and White earned the No. 6 seed in the regional which will take place at the Seminole Legacy Golf Course on May 9-11. This selection marks the Bulldog's 11th trip to the postseason and third consecutive (2019, 2021) as there was not a tournament held in 2020 due to COVID-19. The Tallahassee Regional includes the following teams (By Seed): South Carolina, UCLA, Florida State, Ole Miss, Illinois, Mississippi State, Miami (FL), Denver, North Florida, College of Charleston, Georgia Southern and Quinnipiac. Last November, the NCAA announced a new format for the 2022 regionals. There are now six regional sites that will feature 12 teams and six individuals. The top four teams and top two individuals (not on an advancing team) will qualify for the NCAA National Championship held at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. from May 20-25. |
| $50 million Hump renovation project begins | |
 | Be on the lookout Bulldog fans, the Humphrey Coliseum will soon be getting a new look. The $50 million renovation project which started right after the 2021-22 season includes cosmetically improving the exterior, four new entrances, a walkway between the Hump and Dudy Noble Field, expansion of the indoor space, a 5,600-foot club area, and alterations to seating. The restrooms and concession stand area will also see some modernized improvements. These improvements are part of phase one of the project, which focuses on the fan experience. Phase two will be focused on the student-athletes. No word yet on when phase two of the project will begin. |
| Will Mississippi high school athletes be allowed to take medical cannabis and play sports? | |
 | Mississippi became the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana in some capacity in February. In the months since, many questions around the law have been answered. Such as which conditions qualify you for a cannabis card and why it may be challenging depending on your age. Not everything is cut and dry, however. While the law provides guidelines that allow for high school students to be in possession of a card and have prescribed marijuana administered to them on campus, student athletes could be treading murkier waters. The Mississippi High School Activities Association does not have any guidelines, rules or laws governing substance abuse for its member schools. "The MHSAA recommends that each member school develop and implement a substance abuse/misuse policy, including procedures for chemical testing of student-athletes," their handbook says. Some school districts have separate drug policies for its student athletes while others do not, creating school-to-school discrepancies in what may be allowed and what may not be. The Harrison County School District, the largest in South Mississippi, does not have a separate drug policy for its athletes and are not subject to random drug screens. "It may be a blind spot in our current policy," HCSD athletic director Averie Bush told the Sun Herald. "Our policy as it relates to cannabinoids has not been specifically updated." Bush said there have been cases in the past where a student has been on a prescription narcotic and such instances needed to be handled on a case-by-case basis. |
| New NCAA committee poised to turn college sports upside down | |
| Imagine a college sports world where schools are able to offer each baseball player a full scholarship. Or if a football team's on-field coaching staff could exceed 25 people. What if the transfer portal was open to players for just three months out of the year? And what if the recruiting calendar featured no evaluation or quiet periods? There is a distinct possibility these ideas could become more than just concepts. The Transformation Committee, a group of high-ranking college leaders charged with overhauling and modernizing NCAA governance, is considering revolutionary changes some administrators describe as "radical." In a briefing with athletic administrators this week in Dallas, committee leaders revealed ideas to deregulate longtime NCAA bylaws and decentralize such decisions to the conferences. "It's going to make some heads explode," says one athletic director. The Transformation Committee decided to share the concepts in an apparent effort to prepare administrators for impending change that is even more transformative than many expected. And many officials believe Tuesday night's announcement that NCAA president Mark Emmert plans to resign next June is a first step in what will be a new NCAA, with transforming starting at the very top. While these are only concepts and not approved measures, the ideas are being socialized across the college sports landscape, both in conference-wide meetings and at administrative summits such as the one in Dallas hosted by LEAD1, an organization that represents the FBS athletic directors. |
| SEC's Greg Sankey asked if he wants to be next NCAA president after Mark Emmert's departure | |
 | A day after it was announced NCAA President Mark Emmert was stepping down after 12 years on the job, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was asked if he wanted the job. The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach gauged Sankey's interest in the job on Wednesday. It appears he isn't throwing his hat in the ring. "No, I'm busy with what I do," he said. Sankey was attending the CFP spring meetings and told Auerbach he saw the Emmert news Tuesday but was "focused" on meetings. "It's not at the forefront of my mind." He did share his thoughts on the position, though. "You've got a Board of Governors that has to figure out their vision for the job," he said of the NCAA president's role. "I think there's a need to engage with people leading conferences, leading athletic programs, to understand the demands of a modern athletic program." NCAA Board of Governors Chairman John DeGioia announced the Emmert's move Tuesday and said it was by mutual agreement. Emmert will continue to serve in his role until a new president is selected and in place or until June 30, 2023. Emmert was appointed to the job in April 2010. He had led the University of Washington and LSU prior to taking over at the NCAA. The job has changed radically since then. |
| College athletics leaders say timing of NCAA presidential change 'perfect,' but job 'not an enviable one' | |
| One day after the NCAA announced president Mark Emmert will step down by 2023, several high-ranking leaders throughout college athletics on Wednesday agreed it's the right time to find a new leader, but the position is as ambiguous as the future of the organization itself. "It's a unicorn," Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff said. "That's a really, really difficult job. Not an enviable one, and I'm not sure anyone would want it." The hire comes at a turning point, as the NCAA is in the midst of restructuring its entire organization while the transfer portal and name, image and likeness (NIL) rights have already created unintended consequences. "There's a major transformation going on right now," said ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, who was a member of both the NCAA's constitution committee and transformation committee. "We're not sure where it's going to end up. And I think if you're going to pass the baton to a new leader, it's probably the right time. And I know that the board's indicated they have all the way until next June and I think that was a very intentional decision because they want to see the work that's being done, see where we find ourselves. Maybe there would be a little bit of overlap, and then eventually a changing of the guard." Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne, who attended the CFP meeting to give feedback on this past season's postseason experience, said the next NCAA president needs to have "a pulse of where this is evolving to, and be progressive rather than reactive." Byrne said he didn't know what the NCAA will look like in five years. |
| Gators football found opponent it couldn't block: Parking enforcement | |
| The University of Florida football team found an opponent it couldn't block: Campus parking enforcers have issued hundreds of tickets to players parked illegally around the stadium during mandatory practices. On the sprawling campus of 2,000 acres at the state's flagship university -- where finding parking can be a daily challenge for students, faculty and employees -- Florida's new coach, Billy Napier, found a solution: premium parking for his players in a convenient lot and forgiving fines for up to 10 tickets each. The university athletic association, responsible for all Florida Gators intercollegiate sports, leased the parking lot for football players starting this semester for nearly $12,000 for the first year. It's a grass lot just north of the stadium and a short walk to the team's indoor facility and practice fields. Students who aren't athletes and live on campus pay up to $160 per year for a campus parking decal, and most faculty and staff pay $420 per year for one. Those decals don't guarantee a parking spot, just the opportunity to hunt for empty spaces in lots that can be one mile away from the heart of campus. Many full-scholarship football players live in private apartment complexes off campus, meaning they are eligible to buy decals only for the school's park-and-ride lots along the edge of campus that are served by local transit buses. The nearest such lot is nearly two miles from the football stadium. To use the new lot, players must pay $160 for a decal. It's not available for use by students who aren't players, said Scott McLain, the school's director of football operations. |
| ESPN Anchor Sage Steele Sues Network, Alleging Violation of Free-Speech Rights | |
| ESPN anchor Sage Steele sued the network and its parent, Walt Disney Co., alleging the company retaliated against her for comments she made in a podcast interview, breaching her contract and violating her free-speech rights. In comments last September on a podcast hosted by former National Football League quarterback Jay Cutler, Ms. Steele touched on political and social topics, questioning Covid-19 vaccine mandates and former President Barack Obama's decision to identify as Black instead of biracial. After Ms. Steele's remarks drew criticism in the press and on social media, ESPN forced her to issue an apology and temporarily benched her, according to the suit, which was served in Connecticut, where the network is based. ESPN also retaliated by taking away prime assignments and failing to stop bullying and harassment by Ms. Steele's colleagues, the suit alleges. The complaint says ESPN's handling of Ms. Steele's situation was an example of selective enforcement of a network policy that bars news personnel from taking positions on political or social issues. In a statement, ESPN said, "Sage remains a valued contributor on some of ESPN's highest profile content, including the recent Masters telecasts and anchoring our noon SportsCenter." This isn't the first time Ms. Steele has clashed with her superiors and colleagues. In 2020 she complained to ESPN management that she believed she was excluded from a special on race because some of her Black colleagues didn't view her as an authentic voice for the Black community. |
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