Thursday, May 5, 2022   
 
Graduating MSU fine arts seniors present 'Common Differences' exhibit
Sixteen graduating seniors majoring in fine arts at Mississippi State are showcasing their work with a thesis exhibition in three locations on campus. "Common Differences" will be open Saturday through May 13 with installations in the art galleries of the Visual Arts Center, Cullis Wade Depot and Colvard Student Union. The exhibit focuses on the personal narratives of the students who use art to convey their stories in distinctive ways. A public reception will be held from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, in all three locations beginning in the Union Art Gallery. Student exhibitors from the Golden Triangle include: Columbus -- Taylor Addison Moore, a landscape painter whose thesis exhibition tells a personal narrative about battling her own obstacles through her academic journey. Starkville -- Gem Collins, a printmaker who communicates with the outside world through illustrations, both digital and analog; and Marika Dunne, a mixed media artist whose goal is to analyze what makes objects or individuals unique in form and depict this through her work with charcoal, oil paint and watercolor.
 
Old Vowell's Marketplace to become Corner Market
The empty husk of Vowell's Marketplace has sat empty since November on the top of the hill looming over Highway 12 amid a hub of activity. 44 Properties, managed by retired Major League pitcher Roy Oswalt, purchased the 60,000 square-foot retail space and is looking to revamp it to hold three stores, according to computer generated renditions presented to the board of aldermen on Tuesday. The development will include a Corner Market, an Ace Hardware and a third unnamed store. Corner Market is a Mississippi-owned and Hattiesburg-based family grocery store that offers options such as an olive bar, gourmet cheeses and typical grocery store items. It is owned by the Roberts Company, which is known for its Mississippi grocery chain, Sunflower Market. The new grocery store will have a deli, bakery, fresh seafood, a meat department and specialty foods for people with dietary restrictions. The Starkville location will mark its first venture north of Jackson, according to the map on the website. City Planner Daniel Havelin and architect Thomas Stewart of Architectonics discussed the project publicly when they asked Tuesday for two variances for the building -- a request to deviate from the facade and to deviate from the stormwater requirements. The board unanimously approved both variances for the renovations.
 
Mary Means Business: Dunkin' Donuts coming to Starkville
Starkville will soon have another morning stop for donuts. During Tuesday night's board of alderman meeting, a public hearing was held for the redevelopment of the future location of Dunkin' Donuts. The board unanimously approved four variances for the parking lot and drive-thru for the building at 102 Hwy. 12 W., which currently houses Loan Max. The site developer Mark Castleberry would not comment further on the future location of Dunkin' Donuts and The Dispatch did not hear back from Dunkin' Donuts' corporate office before press time. According to its website, Dunkin' Donuts first opened in 1950 and now has more than 11,000 locations worldwide. There are several locations in Mississippi with operating hours varying from 24 hours a day to opening at 5 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m. Keep an eye out for changes and developments on Highway 12 for the incoming donut shop.
 
Starkville paid parking to resume June 2
Paid parking in Starkville will resume in one month. Aldermen voted 6-1 at Tuesday's meeting in City Hall to amend "stale and outdated" wording in the city's parking ordinance because the last revisions were made in 1993. The new ordinance will take effect June 2. Paid parking began March 15 on University Drive from Montgomery Street east to the Mississippi State University campus and through the Cotton District After outcry from the public about signage and that people did not know about paid parking, the service contracted through ParkMobile was temporarily suspended in late April. Though a section in the previous parking ordinance reads, "All on-street and off-street parking in the city shall be free of charge," Mayor Lynn Spruill said paid parking in the time period was legal because further down in the parking ordinance the regulations were "flexible" for the aldermen to amend. "If you read further down in the body of the text, there is some flexibility for the board to make other arrangements, but that's the reason we amended it," Spruill said. "We wanted it to be clear because it was contradictory so that's the reason we made the change -- so there would be no confusion." The revisions the aldermen passed Tuesday night update the entire ordinance to include clarity on free and paid parking, fines for parking in bike lanes and fines for vehicles parked on public streets for more than 72 hours.
 
Four teens charged with capital murder in Clay
Four teens have been arrested and charged with capital murder, according to Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott. Two of the teens are sons of public officials in West Point. William Austin Hill, 17, Emerson Houston, 19, and brothers Jeremy Klutts Jr, 15, and Greyson Klutts, 17, all of West Point, were charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Mikel Craven, 41. Hill and Houston were arrested Friday. The Klutts brothers were arrested Tuesday. Jeremy Klutts Jr. and Greyson Klutts are the sons of West Point Building Inspector Jeremy Klutts Sr. and West Point-Clay County Community Growth Alliance Director of Community Development Lisa Klutts. The charge is capital murder because the shooting is believed to have happened during an armed robbery, Scott said. Craven was shot on March 11 on Blake Road, near the intersection with Pine Grove Road, in Cedar Bluff, Scott said. "This is the first time since I've been sheriff I've seen (a capital murder) with suspects this young," Scott said. Scott said it was a difficult case to work. "I knew the (Klutts) family," he said. "I pretty much watched those two grow up."
 
Guest focusing efforts on rural America
Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Guest has spent much of his sophomore term in Washington trying to emphasize the needs of rural America. Guest, who first went into office in January 2019, switched from the House Committee on Foreign Affairs after his first term to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. There, he sits on the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management and the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. Transportation represents the needs of not only Mississippi's Third Congressional District, Guest said, but also the entire state and much of the country. "Any time I'm out, particularly with elected officials, that's what they want to talk about -- roads, bridges, water, sewage, and to a degree rural broadband," he said. "Those are the meat and potato issues in the Third District." Guest said getting on that committee was important to ensure that Mississippi has a voice in future transportation bills. He said Mississippi's transportation needs will also fair better under a Republican-controlled House, which could become a possibility after the November midterms. "Once the Republicans are able to retake the House, we're going to have a greater influence in legislation and make sure that we are also prioritizing investment in rural infrastructure," he said.
 
Fed Lifts Interest Rates by Half Point in Biggest Hike Since 2000
The Federal Reserve approved a rare half-percentage-point interest rate increase -- the largest since 2000 -- and a plan to shrink its $9 trillion asset portfolio as officials kicked into higher gear a campaign to slow inflation, which is running at a 40-year high. The moves, approved unanimously at the end of a two-day policy meeting Wednesday by the Fed's rate-setting committee, will raise the central bank's benchmark federal-funds rate to a target range between 0.75% and 1%. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said at a news conference that officials broadly agreed that additional half-point increases could be warranted in June and July given current economic conditions. That would lift the rate to a range last seen in 2019, before the pandemic prompted the central bank to open its monetary spigots, and would represent a policy-tightening pace as aggressive as any since the 1980s. Bonds and stocks rallied Wednesday after Mr. Powell said officials aren't considering an even larger increase of three-fourths of a percentage point, or 75 basis points, at the Fed's June meeting. Bond markets in recent weeks had begun to bet on such a move. Investors are trying to figure out how high the Fed might raise rates over the next two years after it repeatedly underestimated inflation pressures, supply disruptions and domestic economic demand last year. Currently, investors expect the Fed to raise rates to around 3.25% by the end of next year.
 
Gaming Summit underway in Biloxi
The Southern Gaming Summit is underway this week at the Beau Rivage. Four panel discussions took place on Wednesday. Industry operators and regulators from all over the Southeast filled the ballroom for regulatory updates and conversations with experts on I-gaming, sportsbetting and business operations. During the Regulatory Updates discussion, the group of experts focused on challenges they face with online and mobile sports books, cashless wagering and regulating practices as technology continues advancing. The executive director of Mississippi Gaming Commission, Jay McDaniel, spoke as one of the panelists. "For mobile sportsbetting, I think there's an opportunity," he told WLOX. "You know, a place like here at the Beau Rivage, they have already done an online, in-house where you can have a mobile app but you just have to be here to wager, and it's been real successful, you know, the way that you fund it and the way that you do your checks on it. We're kinda using that as a guide like, 'Okay, if this did expand outside of these walls, could we regulate it and couldn't work?' And I think it's shown us that it can. It's just a matter of, would our Legislature want to open it up statewide?" Thursday will be filled with roundtable discussions related to gaming legalities and the future of the industry.
 
State aid aims to cut Jackson crime; Gipson denounces 'war'
Mississippi will spend money to try to alleviate a logjam of court cases in and around the capital city of Jackson -- an effort that comes in response to increased crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are incredibly thankful for this new initiative that is going to help us prosecute crimes in a more timely manner in Hinds County and ultimately, we hope, reduce the crime rate," Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens said in a news release Wednesday. Hinds County, which is home to Jackson, had more than 2,700 open court cases as of this week. Legislators budgeted money for additional staff at the Hinds County district attorney's office, and for additional public defenders and temporary special judges in Hinds County, starting July 1. The judges will be appointed by the state Supreme Court. Legislators also approved funding for the Capitol Police to hire 37 new officers, bringing its total to 150 officers. Capitol Police patrol areas around state government buildings in and near downtown Jackson. "People from around the state come to the capital city for medical care, jobs, recreation, events and school field trips, but crime and violence jeopardizes these lawful activities," said Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said in the news release. House Speaker Philip Gunn said Mississippi's economy cannot thrive if people live in fear in the capital city. “Economic growth cannot occur when private capital is worried about investing here,” Gunn said. “Our universities and colleges here cannot attract the best talent when there is violence in the streets.”
 
'You do not retreat, and you do not give up your ground': Gipson addresses Mudbug Festival shooting
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson addressed crime in the capital city in the aftermath of the Mudbug Festival shooting that occurred on Saturday, April 30. "There was an incident at our family-friendly crawfish festival," Gipson explained. "It was tragically interrupted by a group of underage criminals." Dozens of law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the Mississippi Fairgrounds late Saturday night after shooters opened fire at the event near the Mississippi Trade Mart around 10 p.m. "The crime wave that has plagued Jackson, Mississippi has crashed within the gates of the state fairgrounds as of Saturday night. This is totally and completely unacceptable." Gipson says that from his own personal experiences working in the downtown Jackson area for over 20 years that much has changed. "The threats are real. They are ever-growing, and it is a problem that we cannot afford to overlook." Gipson said that there are plans for more renovations at the fairgrounds and that the events on Saturday night will not hinder these plans. "This is bigger than the fairgrounds. This is about the city. This is bigger than the city it's about the county. It's bigger than the county because it's about the state of Mississippi. It's about rebuilding the walls of safety and security within this capital city." The commissioner pulled in references from the Bible to allude to Nehemiah who was called to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. "It's clear that not everyone wanted to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem." After pulling verses from the Bible, Gipson assured that the city will not be hindered, and encouraged citizens to attend a day of prayer at the Mississippi Coliseum on Thursday, to pray for the "peace of the city and the rebuilding of the walls."
 
Here's why a Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner has declared war on crime in Jackson
With Bible in hand, Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson declared war on the criminals of Jackson as he preached for harsher sentences for those who commit violent crimes. Gipson made his remarks at a press conference at the Trade Mart Wednesday on the grounds of the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson, where on Saturday, a law enforcement officer shot and killed one of the people suspected of firing shots during the Mississippi Mudbug Festival sponsored by the Mississippi Agriculture Commission. Gipson quoted the Bible from the book of Nehemiah, Chapter 4, verses 7-9. "But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat." After quoting the Bible, Gipson likened the scripture passage to what happened Saturday night. "The crime wave that has plagued the capital city of Jackson, Mississippi, crashed within the gates of the state fairgrounds Saturday night," Gipson said. "This is completely and totally unacceptable." "We will do what it takes to defend this fairgrounds, and we will do what it takes to defend this city," Gipson said. "I want to be very clear ... we, I and you, and all of the law-abiding citizens and stakeholders in this city, we are at war with the criminal element in this city – nothing less than war. "They have declared war," he said. "It is up to us to finish it. We are at war with an increasingly emboldened and increasingly youthful element that have no regard for life, no regard for the law, and they must be stopped."
 
Latest Reeves vetoes could again expand governor's power
If Gov. Tate Reeves' recent vetoes of 10 projects throughout the state totaling about $27 million stand, the power of Mississippi's executive branch of government could again be expanded. In 2020, the Mississippi Supreme Court expanded the governor's authority when it upheld two partial vetoes by the governor despite multiple Supreme Court cases dating back to the 1890s that seemed to greatly limit that authority. The partial vetoes of House Bill 1353 made by Reeves last week could enhance again the governor's authority. As Reeves pointed out in his veto message, Section 73 of the Mississippi Constitution states plainly that "the governor may veto parts of any appropriations bill, and approve parts of the same, and the portion approved shall be law." Before the 2020 landmark Supreme Court ruling, the high court had said the governor could not veto what are known as conditions and purposes of appropriations bills, but instead had to veto the entire section allocating a sum of money to an agency. The 2020 ruling allowed the governor to veto those purposes and conditions. Those purposes and conditions in the 2020 vetoes were $2 million for a hospital in Tate County and $6 million for a program to try to combat health care disparities in the state. This year it appears the governor is again vetoing purposes and conditions of appropriations bills as the Supreme Court in 2020 interpreted the Constitution to allow. But the bill the governor partially vetoed last week -- HB1353 -- by legislative parlance is not an appropriations bill. It is a general bill, and nowhere in the Constitution is the governor given the authority to partially veto general bills. "We take the position these vetoes are improper and not permitted under the law. That is something we are going to be looking at," House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, said on WJTV's Mississippi Insight news program.
 
Governor vetoes bill tweaking campaign finance law
The way Mississippi holds its politicians accountable for skirting state campaign finance laws is convoluted with large gaps in the enforcement process. And it appears that won't change anytime soon. Gov. Tate Reeves recently vetoed legislation that would have transferred the power to levy fines against candidates who fail to file campaign finance reports on time from the state Ethics Commission to the Mississippi Secretary of State's office, which helps administer elections. "The potential for abuse of power by the eight member Ethics Commission is far less when juxtaposed with a single elected official who could seek to unscrupulously weaponize the power to further his political ambitions," Reeves wrote in his veto message. Mississippi law requires candidates running for state office to list campaign donations and expenditures over $200 in a report with the Secretary of State's office. But if candidates file that form late or don't file it all, they could get slapped with a hefty fine. The snag in the current process is that it forces three different state organizations -- the Secretary of State's office, the Attorney General's office and the state Ethics Commission -- to share responsibilities for issuing fines, leading to a confusing process. State lawmakers could vote to override the governor's veto the next time they convene.
 
Auditor: Gruno is Guilty of Embezzling from Veterans Cemetery
State Auditor Shad White announced on Wednesday that Henry Gruno has been convicted of embezzlement in Newton County Circuit Court. The case was prosecuted by District Attorney Steven Kilgore's office in Judge Caleb May's courtroom. The guilty plea and sentencing were recorded last month. Gruno worked as the director of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs (MSVA) cemetery in Newton County prior to his arrest in March 2021. He used MSVA funds to make over $14,000 in personal purchases of fuel and other items like barbecue supplies, toys, and luggage. A $29,818.76 demand letter was issued to him upon his arrest last year. Judge May sentenced Gruno to serve two years in prison and five years on probation for this crime. The judge also ordered him to repay over $30,000 in restitution and fees. "This crime is especially disheartening because the money this person stole was meant to maintain the final resting place for many of our Veterans," said Auditor White. "As the grandson of two Veterans, I'm proud my office was able to be a part of holding this person accountable."
 
The Mississippi clinic at the center of the Supreme Court case is still open.
The morning after the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion in a case concerning Mississippi's only abortion provider, ​​Derenda Hancock arrived at the clinic around sunrise, just as she does most days, to lead a group of volunteers escorting patients. Wednesday morning, the group was back to do it again. Women regularly come to the clinic, Jackson Women's Health, from across Mississippi, as well as Louisiana and Texas. This week, at least one came from Tennessee. The clinic challenged the Mississippi law that would shut down abortions there, in a case that has climbed to the Supreme Court and paved the way to what will surely be one of the most consequential decisions on abortion rights in decades. Often, it can seem like a wide gulf separates the legal fight in Washington from the practical realities on the ground. But the draft opinion has brought renewed concern about the fate of the clinic once the final ruling arrives. "We know there is no winning," Ms. Hancock said by phone as she helped direct traffic and kept watch over the perimeter of the clinic, known as the Pink House for its flamingo exterior. The volunteers that she leads go by the name Pink House Defenders. For now, the mind-set at the clinic, among doctors, staff members and volunteers, was to keep pushing ahead for as long as they could. The clinic has seen a surge in demand in recent months, driven in large part by the rules implemented in Texas that are some of the most restrictive in the nation, pushing people seeking an abortion to surrounding states. The clinic went from operating three days a week to five. Some months, the clinic has as many as 300 patients.
 
Draft signals Supreme Court shift on civil rights, experts say
The Supreme Court's leaked draft opinion jolted some legal experts for how it would not only upend abortion rights, but move onto shakier ground other constitutional rights such as same-sex marriage, contraception and more. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.'s draft in a case about a Mississippi abortion law indicates there are enough votes for the Supreme Court to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision from 1973, which first established a constitutional right to abortion. The first draft from February describes abortion rights as not "deeply rooted" in the nation's history and not explicitly protected by the Constitution. Experts said if that reasoning becomes final, it would reflect a major victory for a conservative legal movement that has long criticized "judge-made law," where they argue Congress or state legislatures should decide public policies instead of the Supreme Court. Duke University School of Law professor Neil Siegel called the draft "extraordinary" because it goes beyond the reasoning the court needed to restrict abortion. Siegel said, if adopted, it could open potential challenges to legal rights like same-sex marriage, same-sex relationships, contraception, interracial marriage and protection against forced sterilization. "It's sweeping. It's breathtaking. It's --- all at once, 50 years of constitutional law is erased," Siegel said. "It reads like it was done by people on a mission." Legal experts said the cases are all connected because the reasoning in Roe v. Wade fits into the broader context of civil rights protections from Supreme Court decisions in the last half century.
 
How many abortions are actually performed in the US? Rates have declined for decades
Abortion rates in the United States have been falling steadily for decades, long before restrictive statutes began to make the procedure difficult to obtain in some areas. Experts say access to better birth control is one of the main reasons. Abortions in the U.S. peaked in 1981, at a rate of 29.3 per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since then, the number has fallen by three-fifths. In 2019, the last year for which numbers are available, the rate was 11.4. The decline has been seen in almost all states, regardless of whether abortion access was restricted, according to research by the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. But that could change if the sweeping protections of Roe v. Wade are overturned. Caitlin Knowles Myers, a professor of economics at Middlebury College, said if abortion is severely restricted or banned in the 26 states where that is anticipated should Roe be overturned, the number of abortions in the nation could fall as much as 13%. Research has shown that increases in distance to clinics are associated with lower abortion rates, especially for women with limited resources and difficult personal circumstances. In 2019 at least 629,898 abortions were reported in the United States, according to the CDC. "Fewer people are getting pregnant overall because of improved access," said Sarah Munro, a health outcomes researcher and professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of British Columbia in Canada.
 
After state abortion fights, corporate America braces for end of Roe
In recent months, Apple has offered to cover medical expenses for workers in Texas who have to travel out of state to seek abortions. Salesforce has offered to relocate workers from the Lone Star state, where a restrictive abortion law took effect this year. And on Monday, Amazon said it would cover $4,000 in travel costs for U.S. workers seeking medical care, including elective abortion and transgender surgery. The cautious first steps by companies in response to new state-level laws on abortion and LGBTQ issues highlight the unprecedented nationwide challenges that businesses could now face with the leaked draft opinion overturning the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade. The news this week caught corporate America off-guard, resulting in a barrage of worried emails and phone calls trailing into the night as corporate officials grappled with the realization that the slew of state abortion laws were simply dress rehearsals for a bigger, nationwide policy shift. The ruling comes as many U.S. companies in the last two years have grown accustomed to pressure from customers and employees asking companies to take a stand on sensitive social issues -- topics that corporate leaders might have ignored in the past. Major firms reacted to Black Lives Matter protests and fallout from the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, pledging to fight racism or halting donations to politicians who didn't vote to certify the 2020 election results. But a court ruling that threatens to curtail abortion rights in half of the country would confront companies with unusual challenges.
 
A Biden-Trump rematch is increasingly likely. But neither side wants to move first.
The 2024 election begins as a high-stakes staring contest. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both told aides and confidants that they're more likely to run for the White House next cycle -- and confident in their chances of winning -- if the other runs, too. But as each camp gears up for a rematch of the bitterly contested 2020 contest, there remains a small hiccup: Neither is inclined to take the plunge first. It's a game of political chicken that -- as described by more than a half dozen advisers to the two men -- has largely frozen the field among Democrats and Republicans alike, raising questions about the future health of two parties being led by a pair of candidates who, by that Election Day, would have long ago celebrated their 75th birthdays. "It's a very unusual situation where there are people in both parties who would likely clear the field, and for the first time in modern history we might not have a very competitive primary on either side," said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who was a senior adviser on Sen. Marco Rubio's presidential bid. "So it's hard to think of what that would look like other than it being a brutally long election campaign." The potential rematch would have only one historical parallel. In 1888, President Grover Cleveland's reelection bid was toppled by Benjamin Harrison. But four years later, Cleveland defeated Harrison in their rematch, becoming the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
 
UM graduate student earns summer internship at Library of Congress
A University of Mississippi doctoral student has been awarded a prestigious internship this summer as a junior fellow at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Roger Davis Jr., a first-year Ph.D. student in higher education, was among 42 people chosen as junior fellows from more than 700 applicants. "When notified about my selection, I was very excited," said the Anguilla native who serves as a graduate assistant in the UM Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. "This honor will allow me to further develop and maintain academic and professional opportunities that will increase my knowledge and understanding of scholarly research and support my academic journey in the Department of Higher Education." The Library of Congress is the world's largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States and extensive materials from around the world on-site and online. Its Junior Fellows Program allows interns to witness the extensive work done at the library. The program, which runs from May 29 to Aug. 3, gives students opportunities to work on projects across the library's divisions.
 
USM receives National Science Foundation grant for Mapping Freedom' Project, funding 30 undergraduates
A digital humanities project at The University of Southern Mississippi received a National Science Foundation grant that will make it possible for 30 students to live and work in Hattiesburg over the course of three summers to map the granular process of emancipation in Mississippi during the Civil War and through the period of Reconstruction to visualize freed-people's paths to citizenship. The project, titled "Mapping Freedom," combines digital humanities with science, technology, engineering, and math by focusing on the use of mapping technology, including geographic information system (GIS). The $352,596 Research Experiences for Undergraduates site grant from the NSF allows for a paid, eight-week research experience ($600 per week + $250 in travel expenses per person), in addition to provided housing and dining, for 10 undergraduate humanities students from any Mississippi school starting Summer 2023 and continuing through Summer 2025. "We are fortunate to host this REU at a university that is so supportive of the collaborative research that defines the digital humanities," said Dr. Susannah Ural, project lead and Director of USM's Center for Digital Humanities. "My colleagues and I are excited to start working with undergrads from across the region and are grateful to the NSF for the support that makes this possible." In addition to Ural, other project leads include co-PI Dr. Beddhu Murali, associate professor in computer science; Elizabeth La Beaud, Digital Lab Manager and assistant director of the Mississippi Digital Library; and Dr. Joslyn Zale, Research Associate & manager of USM's Certified Sport Security Professional program.
 
Over $10M in federal funds earmarked for JSU, Tougaloo and others to boost economy
Jackson State University and Tougaloo College are two of several organizations expected to receive a total of $10,527,500 in government funds, earmarked for economic needs. Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) voted to secure the Community Project Funding for "some of the most pressing needs." "These investments support underserved areas and foster economic development, making a real difference in the lives of so many in our community. I am proud to have fought for funding that will make our community healthier, safer, stronger, and even more resilient," Congressman Thompson said. Projects include: $3,000,000 for Jackson State University Center for Living, Learning and Cultural Engagement and $1,000,000 for Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS for the Reuben V. Anderson Institute for Social Justice. The legislation will be voted on by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden later this week.
 
Pearl River Community College expanding nursing program to address Pine Belt nurse shortage
Pearl River Community College announced a major expansion to its nursing program Monday -- a move that could help reduce the nurse shortage in the area. The expansion, building off a program created last year with Forrest Health, will now allow licensed practical nurses to study to become registered nurses at the PRCC Forrest campus. "Last year of course we were able to plant the seed for our beginning class ... and because of that seed being planted, this year we're going to expand our nursing program," said Jana Causey, vice president of PRCC's Forrest County operations, at the Forrest County Board of Supervisors meeting Monday. The program has been expanded to house 30 RNs and 30 LPNs. "Everybody knows there's a nursing shortage," said David Hogan, president of the Forrest County Board of Supervisors. "... Now for (PRCC) to get the national accreditation to teach registered nurses on the Forrest County campus could not be better news for the Pine Belt." "To step up and help really the entire healthcare system here in the Pine Belt is very big and we're very proud of it," Hogan said. Causey said the program is intended to be flexible for students and meet the needs of Forrest General Hospital. Students can apply directly to the program or go through the practical nursing program and enter the LPN to RN Bridge program.
 
Angie Thomas and Belhaven University surprise high school student with full-ride scholarship
Author and producer Angie Thomas surprised an unsuspecting high school senior with news that she won a full-ride scholarship to her alma mater, Belhaven University. Thomas popped in a Zoom meeting to deliver the news to a shocked Dee Holden. Holden, who lives in Yantai, China, was selected winner of the Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship for her creative writing submissions. "As I read Dee's writing samples, I immediately fell in love with her craft," said Thomas. "Her talent and skill blew me away, and I know that the creative writing program was created with a student like her in mind." The scholarship is designed and funded by Belhaven University to help young aspiring writers who need the extra support to make their dreams of authorship a reality. "By giving Dee this scholarship, she can focus more on her studies and writing, which will allow her gift to thrive," observed Thomas. "It's an honor to know that this scholarship could play a key role in the journey of yet another exceptional writer." Holden is the third student to win the scholarship, which covers tuition, room, and board at the University for four years. Thomas will also purchase a new computer for Holden to help her in her studies.
 
UA Fayetteville faculty vote to make admissions tests optional for in-state students
The faculty senate at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to change its admission policy for in-state students, making college entrance exams optional for applicants with at least a 3.2 high school grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. The raised hands weren't counted, but the vote appeared to be about 25 to 5. For the past two years, UA has temporarily dropped its minimum ACT score requirement for admission. That began when the emergence of the covid-19 pandemic made test-taking difficult. Freshman enrollment increased as a result. "A first benefit of the test-optional policy is that it has reportedly improved access, state representativeness, and diversity along race/ethnicity and [high school]/regional lines," according to a document in the meeting agenda called "Considerations for Making Admissions Test-Optional" by Jesse Delaney, director of Student Success Data Analysis. A second benefit of the test-optional policy is increased freshman enrollment and resulting options for reshaping future enrollment," wrote Delaney. "Growth in new freshman enrollment beyond the old norm of 4,300-5,000 per fall to 6,000+ can be attributed entirely to the test-optional policy. ... Based on 2022 admissions indicators, the test-optional policy appears capable of attracting more than 6,500 freshmen per fall. That expanded pool of would-be students gives the university the opportunity to trim future enrollment in ways that optimize retention and graduation."
 
U. of South Carolina board makeover proposal stalls in SC Senate in legislative session's final days
With only five days left in the regular legislative session, a bill to remake the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees, shrinking it from 20 voting members to 15, has hit a roadblock. The bill was fast-tracked after a contentious hearing in March, where a committee charged with screening and recommending potential college board members grilled five incumbent candidates on their handling of a troubled 2019 search for a new university president, multimillion-dollar buyouts for athletic coaches and alienating major donors. The reelection of those candidates, including the board's chairman and vice chairman, are in limbo. Now, concerns that rural counties would lose representation on the governing board of the state's largest university system could derail the effort. Coupled with inaction on appointments, it casts questions on occupancy of as many as eight board seats. "I want to make sure rural areas have a shot at getting people on the board," said Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, whose objection to the bill kept it from being taken up on the Senate floor May 4. Hutto maintained that his objection is not related to his law partner Charles William's fate as a USC board member.
 
Lavender Graduation celebrates LGBTQ+ students and allies at U. of Missouri
Surrounded by family, friends and faculty, over a dozen graduating students were honored at the University of Missouri's annual Lavender Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday evening. Lavender Graduation is a ceremony conducted by universities nationwide in honor of the achievements and contributions of students and allies of the LGBTQ+ community. "College is very challenging and can be filled with hardships at best," Student Support Specialist Sophie Hood said. "There are even more hardships that these individuals had to go through." The concept of a Lavender Graduation was created by Ronni Sanlo, who was denied the opportunity to attend her children's graduation ceremonies because of her sexual orientation. Through her own experience, Sanlo realized the pain that must've been felt by her LGBTQ+ students experiencing exclusion. Encouraged by the dean of students, she designed the very first Lavender Graduation Ceremony at the University of Michigan in 1995. By 2001, over 45 ceremonies were conducted at colleges and universities across the country. According to Associate Director of the Department of Social Justice Laura Hacquard, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center has participated in hosting this tradition for over a decade. This year's ceremony highlighted 17 graduating students of the class of 2022.
 
Oklahoma creates a committee to oversee college free speech
A new committee in Oklahoma devoted to free speech will soon oversee the state of campus discourse at public institutions of higher education. Signed into law last month, a new statute will establish a committee within the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to monitor the state of free speech on college campuses, respond to complaints and provide recommendations. The law will go into effect Nov. 1. Proponents of the law say it will safeguard speech on campus. But detractors say the committee is another foray into the broader culture wars that have seeped into education, arguing that it unfairly implies wrongdoing by colleges and serves as a distraction from real issues. Outside Oklahoma, the Free Speech Committee has won the backing of advocacy organizations including the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which offered lawmakers input on the bill but was not involved in the legislative process. Republican representative Chad Caldwell, who authored HB 3543 to establish the Free Speech Committee, said he proposed the legislation not in response to one specific issue but rather out of broad concern about mounting encroachments on free expression on college campuses. He said it not only signals a commitment to free speech but also sends a message to students and employees that they needn't self-censor when presenting controversial viewpoints. "A professor shouldn't be worried about getting fired, or a student shouldn't have to worry about failing a class or doing poorly on paper, simply because they share a different viewpoint than maybe other faculty and staff, or from the student's case, if they share a viewpoint that is different than the one that's held by their professor," Caldwell said.


SPORTS
 
'Something special': Mississippi State softball star Mia Davidson gets her professional shot with Athletes Unlimited
Mia Davidson sat on the edge of a crowded gray couch, her eyes -- everyone's eyes -- fixed on the TV. Above the set, gold balloons spelled out "22 DRAFT." Behind Davidson was a three-word message in the same lettering from the teammates who surrounded her: "U DON'T SUCK." Talk about an understatement. The Mississippi State star catcher was the seventh pick -- and one of just 13 players selected -- in Wednesday's draft for a professional league called Athletes Unlimited. She heard the news shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday with her teammates, including her sister Montana Davidson, in attendance. "It was so special, especially growing up with a lot of them and just having them there -- just like another set of sisters, besides mine," Davidson said. "(Montana) was there, which made it extra special." Davidson got to cross off another goal on her lifelong checklist, and that's no metaphor: She pretended to tick a mock checkbox in the air during her media session Wednesday at Nusz Park's indoor facility. "It was something special because I've been working for it my whole life," Davidson said. "That's always been the dream to play pro, and getting to do it, it's very exciting." She'll get that shot with Athletes Unlimited, which has already had plenty of Mississippi State ties in its two years in existence.
 
Bulldogs Open NCAA Championship Against Stanford
Mississippi State men's tennis makes its 11th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship taking on Stanford in the first round on Friday at 10 a.m. CT. The Bulldogs and Cardinal will be the first match of the Cambridge Regional held at the Robert M. Beren Tennis Center on the campus of Harvard University. MSU has made three straight appearances in the Round of 16 under Matt Roberts and will be matched up with Stanford for the third time in the NCAA Championship and fourth time ever. It will be the first meeting between the two programs since the 1998 NCAA Championship in Athens, Georgia. It is the Bulldogs' second time to play at Harvard, having also participated in the Harvard Kickoff Tournament in 2010. State starts its 30th NCAA Championship with a 14-12 overall record. The Bulldogs enter the Cambridge Regional as the No. 3 seed and are ranked 35th overall. Mississippi State's lineup features a pair of ranked players along with one ranked doubles duo. Florian Broska holds a career-best ranking of 17th in singles and also makes up one-half of the No. 47 doubles tandem with Gregor Ramskogler. Nemanja Malesevic also holds a singles ranking of 75th and leads the team with an 18-6 record. Host Harvard will take on No. 4 seed Monmouth on Friday at 1 p.m. CT with the winners advancing to play in the second round on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.
 
Men's Golf to Play in New Haven Regional for Fourth Consecutive NCAA Appearance
Mississippi State's men's golf program earned its 13th NCAA Championships berth as the field of 81 teams was announced Wednesday. It is the Bulldogs' fourth straight NCAA selection. State will compete in the New Haven Regional hosted by Yale at the No. 9 seed on May 16-18. The Bulldogs will play at the Yale Golf Course located in New Haven, Connecticut. "I'm really happy for the guys," head coach Dusty Smith said. "They have worked all year for this. We want to be the best at the end, which is during championship season. We need to make sure we have great focus these next few weeks during our preparation. I know we have a tough and hungry team, and we look forward to this next step." The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site will advance to play in the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona on May 27–June 1. Excluding the 2020 athletic season due to COVID-19, Coach Smith has led the Bulldogs to an NCAA appearance every year since joining the Maroon and White staff in 2017.
 
Turkey hunting: How a 30-year, 49-state quest shaped a Mississippi man's life
When a Mississippi turkey hunter set out to harvest a mature gobbler in each of the 49 states that have wild turkeys, he didn't realize it would be a 30-year journey. He also didn't realize the lessons he learned and the people he met while chasing his passion would shape his life. "I think from the first time I heard a turkey gobble," said Chip Davis of Grenada, Mississippi, "I think the passion was there and continued to grow until today. "When the hair on the back of my neck stood up I was hooked hooked. They had me. They had my number." Davis said he began hunting turkeys in 1985. He said at that time there were few turkey hunters and they were tight-lipped about the secrets of success. So, he read. "My mentors were anything I could get my hands on to read," Davis said. "I read 'Tenth Legion.' "I read 'Old Pro Turkey Hunter.' I tried to be a sponge. I tried to absorb everything I could." In 1992 Davis decided to try something new. He traveled to Missouri to hunt. "It was the place to go," Davis said. "They had lots of turkeys then." Davis said that trip was also a learning experience. He had to learn how to pack everything he needed for five days of hunting and make it fit in his vehicle. "I had to learn how to travel," Davis said. "I had to learn to pack three changes of clothes. "I had to learn how to wash clothes real quick. Nobody ever talks about that stuff." Traveling to hunt turkeys got in his blood.
 
Veteran official joining recruiting efforts to combat Mississippi's high school sports officials shortage
Mississippi continues to have a shortage of high school sports officials, but Donnie McKay is doing what he can to fix that. On May 10, McKay will lead a recruitment meeting at Itawamba Community College's Belden campus. It starts at 6 p.m. in the Westside Conference Room. The flyer says it's for recruiting basketball officials, but those wishing to officiate other sports are welcome, too. McKay has been a basketball official for 46 years, which means he's closing in on retirement. Many of his colleagues are as well. "So we've got to get some people, and we've got to get them trained, and we've got to get them on the basketball court, or we're going to lose our game. It's a shame," McKay said. Training is a crucial element, and there are plenty of opportunities for it this summer. There are camps planned for June -- including one at Ole Miss -- and summer leagues that month are also a good place to hone skills. In July, there will be three "on-floor" instructional camps in the area -- on the 11th, 18th and 25th. "We're not just signing them up and putting them out there," McKay said. "We're trying to make a push to train some folks, give them as much training as we can. That's the only way we're going to save this thing, the way I see it." Mississippi has experienced an officials shortage for years now. Last fall, the MHSAA moved several late-season and playoff football games from Friday to Thursday to assure every game had enough officials.
 
AP source: SEC, Pac-12 leaders to push for NIL law in DC
The commissioners of the Southeastern Conference and Pac-12 are scheduled to meet with lawmakers in Washington on Thursday to lobby for federal legislation to regulate name, image and likeness compensation to athletes. Greg Sankey of the SEC and George Kliavkoff of the Pac-12 plan to meet with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and other lawmakers, a person who has been briefed on the commissioners' trip to Capitol Hill told The Associated Press on Wednesday night. The person spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because neither conference was making the lobbying efforts public. Sports Illustrated first reported the planned visit. The commissioners of two of the five wealthiest conferences want to lay out the negative ramifications on college sports and athletes if the status quo remains unchanged when it comes to NIL compensation. They also plan to present a framework for a possible solution. The commissioners also plan to detail the potential damage that would be done to the majority of college athletes if those who play in the high-profile sports of football and men's basketball were deemed employees of the universities and required to be paid. The NCAA and its member schools have long opposed the idea of paying athletes.
 
Jimbo Fisher hopes for NIL guardrails in time to come
Two things drew a round of applause during Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher's appearance Wednesday at the Houston Touchdown Club's annual luncheon: the Aggie War Hymn played when Fisher took the podium and one statement at the end of his appearance. "I'll say this: We're tough, we're hard and cheating ain't something I'm going to do," Fisher said. "I don't believe in it, never have done it and ain't going to." The statement was a response to a question about the new world of name, image and likeness compensation directed toward student-athletes. In a world where key boosters are announcing deals on Twitter and collectives are pooling money to supply to football rosters, one member of the audience wanted to know what made A&M different. Fisher said putting love for football ahead of the pursuit of money is a core value of his program. However, in the first year of legalized NIL compensation, the Aggies are more trendsetters than rebels. "In technology, they're above average and we go to them every time we build a new solution and they're usually the first [to institute it]," said Jim Cavale, CEO of the content and compliance software platform INFLCR. A&M uses the INFLCR software for content distribution and as a connecting point for businesses and student-athletes in NIL deals. "And then, deal flow, they have done a phenomenal job," said Cavale, declining to give any exact numbers. "They're above average in sports like football."
 
The NCAA is Exploring Ways to Crackdown on NIL Deals
"Tampering" is a word that I never thought would be used in conjunction with college football like it is being thrown around today. Since the introduction of the NCAA transfer portal and the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) legislation released by the NCAA last summer, the state of college athletics is evolving at a rapid rate. News broke over the weekend that Pittsburgh wide receiver Jordan Addison was considering entering the transfer portal. Addison, a junior, is fresh off a sophomore season that saw him win the Biletnikoff Award, annually awarded to the "best wide receiver" in college football. Addison led the Panthers with 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns. Not long after the initial breaking of the news, the University of Southern California was named as a leading candidate to land the top receiver in the portal. Since the hiring of former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley, the Trojans have been on a transfer portal spree, currently landing 14 players from the portal. After competing for national championships in the early 2000s, USC has been seen as a sleeping giant since the departure of head coach Pete Carroll, and now with a successful coach in Riley and an advantageous location near Los Angeles, the Trojans are taking advantage of their potential to have players with lucrative NIL deals. Sports Illustrated's Mike McDaniel reported on Saturday that Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi suspects the Trojans of having "tampered by reaching out to Addison prior to him entering the transfer portal."
 
Bill limiting transgender athletes in Louisiana advances
A bill that would keep transgender women and girls in Louisiana from competing on college and K-12 women's and girls' athletic teams moved a step closer to passage Wednesday, despite opposition from Gov. John Bel Edwards. Baton Rouge news outlets report that the bill was approved for House debate 7-1 by the House Education Committee. The measure by Republican Sen. Beth Mizell of Franklinton has already cleared the Senate. House members passed the bill overwhelmingly last year but fell short of what was needed to override an Edwards veto. In April, Edwards said the bill was unnecessary. But he has not said whether he would veto the measure this year. The measure would apply to K-12 schools, as well as colleges and universities, if they receive state funding. "Athletic teams or sporting events designated for females, girls, or women shall not be open to students who are not biologically female," the bill states. Opponents of the bill say there are no known transgender athletes currently competing in the state. They said it adds to discrimination against an already marginalized group. Backers say athletes who were born biologically male have physical advantages over biological females.



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