Wednesday, May 18, 2022   
 
Mississippi State named national leader for preparing future elementary teachers to teach math
Mississippi State University's (MSU) undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program is among the best in the nation when it comes to ensuring these future educators have the essential content and skills they need to teach mathematics. The National Council on Teacher Quality released a new report on Tuesday, May 17, in which MSU's undergraduate program earned an A+ designation for its requirements in elementary mathematics. MSU is among only 79 programs in the nation to earn this distinction as an "exemplar" in the new report. "We are honored to have our elementary mathematics education program earn an A+ rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality. Our elementary mathematics education faculty are some of the finest in the country and have worked tirelessly to ensure our teacher candidates enter the field fully prepared across all the content strands," said Teresa Jayroe, dean of MSU's College of Education.
 
Supply chain disruptions linger for beef industry
Two years have passed since the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the U.S., but problems the virus caused in the country's grocery supply chain could remain well into 2022, which will likely mean higher beef prices for consumers. Josh Maples, an agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said labor reductions caused beef shortages, which have increased the price of this commodity across the country. "Meat supply chains are complex, feature many stages and decisions, and include long production lags," Maples said. "The animal supply chain starts when the decision to produce that animal is made and ends when the meat is eaten by the consumer. A lot occurs between those two points, and disruptions can vary depending on which stage of the supply chain is impacted and also how severe it is." "Trucking shortages were a problem before COVID-19, but it has just been magnified now," said Elizabeth Canales, MSU Extension agricultural economist. "I have seen different numbers putting the shortage anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 truck drivers. Food industry stakeholders worry that with regulations, this shortage could only worsen. How much longer supply chain disruptions linger will depend on whether COVID-19 infections continue their current decline or a new variant surfaces and generates another wave of cases.
 
Check canning equipment before harvest begins
Gardeners who want to preserve their abundant harvests by canning should make their list and check it twice -- now, before it's time to begin canning. Home canners should be sure they have the right recipes and equipment for the foods they intend to preserve. They should also make sure they inspect all their equipment. "The canning process is a lot easier when you have the right equipment, plenty of supplies and research-based recipes," said Janet Jolley, agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Marshall County. "Canning season will go a lot smoother." Jolley points out that some equipment is an absolute necessity to preserve foods properly. Home canners cannot do without a boiling-water canner, a pressure canner, a jar lifter, jars, lids and rings, and a clean cloth or paper towels. Fran Brock, Oktibbeha County Extension agent, stressed the importance of using the correct type of canner with the right technique and research-backed recipe. Extension recommends that people follow the instructions provided by the National Center for Home Food Preservation for preserving any food items at home to reduce microorganisms that can cause foodborne illnesses. Housed at the University of Georgia, the center uses the research-backed data supported by and gathered from USDA testing.
 
Public education is supposed to prepare an informed citizenry -- elementary teachers have just two hours a week to teach social studies
Mississippi State University's Kenneth Anthony writes for The Conversation: The founders of the United States were intentionally building a nation based on the ideals of the Enlightenment, a movement centered on individual happiness, knowledge and reason. This new approach to defining a country -- rather than basing it on language, ethnicity or geographic proximity -- meant the new United States would have to educate its citizenry with the ideas, skills and values necessary to build and grow their democracy. As a result, the founders called for schools to be established and funded. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and others believed it was the responsibility of the government to provide that education. Jefferson believed that education would serve as the moral foundation of the nation and redress the effect of poverty because education would be available to all children. Though public schools did not become widespread until the 19th century, the goal of educating informed citizens capable of inquiry and critical thinking was part of the democratic republic from the start. But nearly 250 years after the nation's founding, its schools struggle to achieve that goal. ... As a scholar of social studies education, I have noticed that social studies is often a lower priority than reading, writing and math in many schools.
 
State auditor says crime rate contributes to 'brain drain'
State Auditor Shad White speaks often about Mississippi's "brain drain." Now, he says it's made worse by an increase in crime. Jackson is experiencing major crime. In 2021, the city was ranked number one in homicides per capita in the nation. In its brain drain research, White's office found that 30% of college graduates who decide to stay in Mississippi work in Hinds County. White says that makes Hinds a priority for the state's growth and the increased crime rate can turn away future workers. Currently, the state auditor's office has a "Stay in the Sip" program that pays the tuition of accounting students who stay and work at the state auditor's office after graduation. White met with Mississippi State University President Dr. Mark Keenum Tuesday, to discuss how that program can expand into other fields. "One thing that we've been batting around is career coaches who are specifically dedicated to trying to find jobs for graduates here at Mississippi State, here in the state of Mississippi after they finish up," said White. White says crime has increased in our viewing area as well.
 
New Starkville superintendent introduced at official press conference
The Board of Trustees for the Starkville Oktibbeha consolidated school district introduced incoming superintendent Dr. Tony McGee at a press conference on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. The conference started at 5:30 p.m. that evening upstairs in the Greensboro Center, located just past City Hall in Starkville. Dr. Tony McGee made his first appearance as the new superintendent of the Starkville Okt. Consolidated School District, and said he was impressed by the Board of Trustees and its commitment to local students. "We spent about two days going through that process of interviews, and during that time, they talked about their desire to make sure that every child gets a chance to reach his or her maximum potential," McGee said. A Mississippi State and Southern Miss alumnus, Dr. McGee said it means just a little bit more to be back in Starkville, just a few miles from where he got his undergraduate and doctoral degrees. "When I went to Mississippi State, in my student teaching, I was at Armstrong. So now, I'm back as the superintendent. It just comes full circle," McGee said. "It just shows you how important it is that we involve kids in that daily process, because there's gonna be a day that one of the students here at Starkville may be standing in my position, so, we want to make sure they have every opportunity to be successful."
 
New SOCSD superintendent vows to spend time in schools, classrooms
With 14 years of experience as a superintendent under his belt, Tony McGee will begin his first year as superintendent of Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District on July 1. McGee was formally introduced at SOCSD on Tuesday evening at the Greensboro Center in a press conference and public meet-and-greet. Board president Wes Gordon, who said the board narrowed the search down to three then eventually one after combing through and vetting 38 applicants, 19 from Mississippi. Prior to his public debut, McGee and the board came to an agreement for his contract, which currently goes to 2026 with an annual salary of $185,000. Outgoing superintendent Eddie Peasant's salary is $180,000. "We decided on his salary which is comparable to his experience and what Peasant makes," Gordon said. "He'll also receive usual benefits like insurance and vacation." McGee was accompanied by his daughter and her fiance, who are both teachers in the Scott County School District, and his son, who is a fourth year medical student at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. His son's wife, who was not present but McGee mentioned, is also a teacher. One of the things McGee is going to work on within the district is teacher relations. He plans on being active in schools and classrooms and hearing firsthand from the teachers their needs.
 
City could add kiosks for paid parking in Cotton District
Hamp Beatty left Tuesday's board of aldermen meeting with a half-victory. The Ward 5 alderman successfully lobbied his colleagues and Mayor Lynn Spruill to gather information for adding kiosks at the Cotton District so people could pay for parking with credit cards. His effort to delay the return of paid parking to the area until the city had that information in-hand failed by a 5-2 vote. The city contracted with ParkMobile and implemented paid parking on March 15 for 186 spots along University Drive in the Cotton District -- from Montgomery Street to Mississippi State University's boundary. It then suspended the program in late April due to citizen and visitor complaints over insufficient signage, lack of public awareness for the program and grumbling over the lack of ways to submit payment. Aldermen amended the city's parking ordinance earlier this month to more clearly allow for paid parking and voted to restart the program in the Cotton District on June 3. ParkMobile requires users to download a mobile app and scan a QR code on signs posted every few parking spots in order to pay. Beatty said that "cuts out" people without smartphones who would be willing to pay with credit cards. City officials have begun talks with a third-party company who can provide kiosks that accommodate credit card payments and are compatible with ParkMobile.
 
Area rural broadband rollout running ahead of schedule
Installation of fiber broadband service in rural areas of Clay, Choctaw, Lowndes, Monroe, Noxubee and Oktibbeha counties is running ahead of schedule. 4-County Electric Power Association is currently installing broadband service in Oktibbeha County and is now starting its phase in Lowndes County. While Monroe County Electric has its broadband project broken off into seven substations, M-Pulse Fiber is heading toward substation seven, installing the fiber broadband service in East Caledonia. Jon Turner, head of marketing and public relations at 4-County, said the electric co-op is six months ahead of schedule. 4-County's roll-out plan projected that phase two would start construction elsewhere in the Golden Triangle this summer. That means Lake Lowndes, Magbee, and Stinson Creek could see service earlier than the projected date. "We cannot build fast enough," he said. "Since our pilot phase was a success, customers have been responding well to FASTnet." Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, who has long advocated for broadband in rural areas, said the impacts in these communities are massive. "It will help stop some of the brain drain in rural communities and give parents both the educational and economic opportunities as anyone else in the country," Presley said. Presley said funding for fiber broadband was already being distributed before the federal infrastructure bill passed.
 
Gas prices continue record climb with no end in sight as $5 per gallon looms
Another day, another record gas price in Mississippi -- and there is no end in sight. The average price for regular gas in Mississippi hit $4.16 per gallon Wednesday morning, 4 cents higher than a day earlier and 9 cents higher since Monday. "I gassed up yesterday at $4.07, and it took nearly $80," said Paul Brownlee. "Now I'm filling up my wife's car, and it's $4.29. This is ridiculous." And for the first time, every state has crossed the $4 per gallon mark for regular gas. The national average is now $4.56, another 8 cents higher since Tuesday. The increase is primarily due to the high cost of crude oil, which is hovering near $113 a barrel. Mississippi's current average of $4.16 per gallon is 17 cents more than a week ago, 49 cents more than a month ago and $1.44 higher than a year earlier. "The high cost of oil, the key ingredient in gasoline, is driving these high pump prices for consumers," said AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross. "Even the annual seasonal demand dip for gasoline during the lull between spring break and Memorial Day, which would normally help lower prices, is having no effect this year." To add additional pain to the pump, the switch to the more expensive summer blend of gasoline, which usually adds 7-10 cents per gallon depending on the market, is happening now. This switchover should be complete nationwide by early June.
 
MEC lays out vision for state economic growth during Tupelo stop
Making the fourth stops on its tour across the state at the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum on Tuesday, the Mississippi Economic Council made its case for improving the state's economic well-being. "We're visiting with a lot of the people who helped us develop our 'Securing Mississippi's Future: Vision for Economic Growth' that we released in February," said Scott Waller, the president and CEO of the state's chamber of commerce. "That was there result of 51 small group sessions held across the state." The 50-page document outlined many things the MEC learned and helped it set goals to recommend for state leaders to address both in government and business. From those meetings the MEC formulated a three- to five-year strategic plan with five key priorities: education, workforce development and skills training; talent retention and attraction; strengthen infrastructure; strengthen economic development and business climate; and access to health care. Waller said that the the State Legislature passing a bill that expanded the career coaching model in schools statewide was significant. One of the key components of educating and training the state's workforce is pushing up the number of working-age adults who have a degree or high-quality credential, otherwise known as educational attainment. The national average is right under 52%, but Mississippi lags at 44.4%.
 
$90 million solar power facility approved for Walls
Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley signed an order at the Walls Courthouse that officially approved the construction and operation of a new, $90 million solar energy facility on Tuesday. The facility is expected to create 300 construction jobs in DeSoto County. The facility will be owned and operated by Wildflower Solar, a subsidiary of Clearwater Energy. Construction is expected to begin this year and will create around five permanent jobs, according to Barry Matchett, head of external affairs at Clearwater Energy. "We'll have employment opportunities during construction that wouldn't otherwise exist," Matchett said. "Whenever we build something new, we're proud to employ as many local folks as we can." The power generated by the facility will be sold to Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), an independent organization responsible for the sale of electricity in 15 states. The power will then be sold to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) before finally reaching the Toyota manufacturing facility in Blue Springs. The facility is expected to bring over $400,000 in property taxes to DeSoto County annually. Once in operation, the facility will assist Toyota in meeting its clean energy goals.
 
Mockingbird Cannabis gears up to open medical marijuana operation
In an unincorporated area outside Raymond stands what its chief executive claims will be the largest medical marijuana growing and manufacturing operation in Mississippi, if not the southeastern United States. The 163,000-square-foot behemoth once housed the state's Department of Revenue but is now the home of Mockingbird Cannabis, a $30 million bet on the state's medical marijuana industry. The facility includes 16 growing rooms, each capable of producing 250 to 300 pounds of marijuana every eight weeks. It will be operated by more than 200 employees, with the lowest paid workers making $17 per hour. Clint Patterson, chief executive officer of Mockingbird Cannabis, said he expects that they'll see the demand for that volume of product since 74% of voters approved the medical marijuana program. "I think that if we were really being transparent and honest, there's probably a billion dollar industry in cannabis right now in Mississippi," Patterson said. "It's just not legal." Slates Veazey, a Jackson attorney who advises cannabis businesses, said that it's impossible to predict how big medical marijuana is going to be in Mississippi, but that it will undoubtedly be a large economic engine in the state. "There's a lot of interest in this new industry ... in every state that has legalized medical marijuana you've seen big businesses and smaller mom-and-pop types pop up, compete and be successful," Veazey said.
 
Biden calls white supremacy 'poison' after meeting with Buffalo families
President Joe Biden on Tuesday called on Americans to reject the "poison" of white supremacy and urged lawmakers --- again --- to ban "weapons of war" like the rifle a white teenager allegedly used to kill 10 people while targeting Black shoppers at a grocery store in Buffalo on Saturday. As he has over the years, the president said semiautomatic firearms like the Bushmaster XM-15, an AR-15-style rifle, that the suspect used should be illegal. He called on all Americans to reject and "confront the ideologies of hate" -- but Biden did not announce plans to send lawmakers a draft bill that would crack down on combat-style guns or violently pro-white ideologies and groups. "Now is the time when people of all races, of all backgrounds, should speak up and reject white supremacy. ... In America, evil will not prevail," he said during remarks at the city's Delavan Grider Community Center. "White supremacy will not have the last word." Speaking after he and his wife met privately with families of the victims, Biden said blame rests on more than just the alleged shooter. "What happened here is simple and straightforward: Terrorism -- domestic terrorism," he said. "Hate that through the media and politics and the internet has radicalized too many white citizens into believing they will be replaced by the other, who don't look like them."
 
Trump bet on 26 primary candidates on Tuesday. Here's who won.
Donald Trump's preoccupation with his endorsement win-loss record was never more apparent than in Pennsylvania. The former president endorsed state Sen. Doug Mastriano for governor in the final week before the Republican primary, despite the efforts of state Republicans to convince him otherwise. As a leading election denier who worked vigorously to overturn the 2020 election results, Mastriano was a natural for Trump to choose. He was also a high-risk nominee, one whom many in the party believe will get crushed in November. Trump knew this and endorsed him anyway, leading to GOP grumbling that he was putting his own vanity ahead of the party. In their view, Trump picked Mastriano because he was leading in the polls, and wanted a guaranteed victory in Pennsylvania, where Trump's other statewide endorsee, Mehmet Oz, might lose. Mastriano was one of more than two dozen candidates on the Tuesday ballot who had Trump's endorsement. Since most of them were safe Republican incumbents, he came out of the May 17 primaries with a winning record. In North Carolina, where Trump's backing of Rep. Ted Budd for Senate seemingly came out of nowhere last year, Budd pulled away from the field in the final weeks of the campaign to capture the GOP nomination. But Rep. Madison Cawthorn was defeated in his bid for a second term, despite Trump's last-minute plea to primary voters to give him a second chance.
 
US, banks, unveil plan to ease food crisis from Russia's war
The U.S., several global development banks and other groups unveiled a multi-billion dollar plan Wednesday meant to address a worldwide food security crisis exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine. The Treasury Department announced that several global development banks are "working swiftly to bring to bear their financing, policy engagement, technical assistance" to prevent starvation prompted by the war, rising food costs and climate damage to crops. Tens of billions will be spent on supporting farmers, addressing the fertilizer supply crisis, and developing land for food production, among other issues. The Asian Development Bank will contribute funds to feeding Afghanistan and Sri Lanka and the African Development bank will use $1.5 billion to assist 20 million African farmers, according to Treasury. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Bank will also contribute tens of billions in the coming months and years to support food producers and address supply shortage issues. Russia and Ukraine produce a third of the world's wheat supply, and the loss of commodities due to the war has resulted in soaring food prices and uncertainty about the future of food security globally, especially in impoverished countries.
 
Yellen warns of global 'stagflationary' risk from gas, food prices
Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said on Wednesday that Americans should not expect immediate relief from high gas prices but maintained that increases in global supply are eventually likely to provide long-term relief for motorists at the pump. Yellen also warned of the potential for slower growth to combine with inflation worldwide: "Higher food and energy prices are having stagflationary effects, namely depressing output and spending and raising inflation all around the world," she told reporters. "We're doing what we can to avoid further increases in energy prices ... but we also want to make sure" Europe weans itself off dependence on reliance on Russian oil and gas, Yellen said. She added: "These pressures are not likely to abate in the very near future." Yellen stressed that she did not expect the U.S. economy to go into recession, arguing that it is well-positioned for economic risks, pointing to fast growth coming out of the coronavirus recession. But she said Europe is likely more "vulnerable," citing its greater dependence on Russian energy than the United States. Yellen and the finance ministers of the Group of Seven Western industrialized nations are meeting this week in Germany to discuss global economic challenges, as well as potential measures to deepen sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The officials face an extraordinary set of challenges, trying to balance the push to punish Russia with renewed fears of a global slowdown and high inflation across the world.
 
Powell Says Fed Has Resolve to Bring U.S. Inflation Down
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank's resolve in combating the highest inflation in 40 years shouldn't be questioned, even if it requires pushing up unemployment. "Restoring price stability is an unconditional need. It is something we have to do," Mr. Powell said in an interview Tuesday during The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything Festival. "There could be some pain involved." Mr. Powell said he hoped that the Fed could bring down inflation while preserving a strong labor market, which he said might lead the unemployment rate -- near half-century lows of 3.6% in April -- to rise slightly. "It may not be a perfect labor market," he said. The central bank is raising interest rates as part of its most aggressive effort in decades to curb upward price pressures. Mr. Powell signaled Tuesday that the central bank was likely to follow a half-percentage-point raise earlier this month, to a range between 0.75% and 1%, with similar moves at meetings in June and July. Until this month, the Fed hadn't raised rates in such intervals since 2000. The Fed chairman repeated his hope that the central bank can curtail high inflation without spurring a large rise in unemployment. However, Mr. Powell said, there is little from modern economic experience to suggest that outcome can be achieved. "If you look in the history book and find it -- no, you can't," he said. "I think we are in a world of firsts."
 
Concussions: New Children's of Mississippi clinic offers follow-up care to improve recovery quicker
Sophia Heffelfinger is an active high school student, but after suffering a concussion, headaches were making school and show choir difficult. The 16-year-old Madison Central High student was the first patient in a weekly concussion clinic at the Kathy and Joe Sanderson Tower at Children's of Mississippi. Aimed at getting follow-up care to concussion patients quickly, the clinic was opened by Dr. Michelle Goreth, an acute care pediatric nurse practitioner and a founder of Heads Up Mississippi, a population health-focused concussion awareness and education program. The clinic is part of the academic practice partnership between Children's of Mississippi and the School of Nursing at the University of Mississippi Medical Center where Goreth is an associate professor and director of acute/primary care pediatric and neonatal nurse practitioner tracks. "Care following concussions is essential to recovery," Goreth said. "The sooner concussion patients can get follow-up care, the better their chances are for making a full recovery. Having a dedicated clinic just for concussion care once a week makes that care available more quickly." "Many times, post-concussion syndrome patients have to cope with not feeling like themselves, and for athletes, not being able to go back into the game can be frustrating," Goreth said.
 
With Plunging Enrollment, a 'Seismic Hit' to Public Schools
In New York City, the nation's largest school district has lost some 50,000 students over the past two years. In Michigan, enrollment remains more than 50,000 below prepandemic levels from big cities to the rural Upper Peninsula. In the suburbs of Orange County, Calif., where families have moved for generations to be part of the public school system, enrollment slid for the second consecutive year; statewide, more than a quarter-million public school students have dropped from California's rolls since 2019. And since school funding is tied to enrollment, cities that have lost many students -- including Denver, Albuquerque and Oakland -- are now considering combining classrooms, laying off teachers or shutting down entire schools. All together, America's public schools have lost at least 1.2 million students since 2020, according to a recently published national survey. State enrollment figures show no sign of a rebound to the previous national levels any time soon. A broad decline was already underway in the nation's public school system as rates of birth and immigration have fallen, particularly in cities. But the coronavirus crisis supercharged that drop in ways that experts say will not easily be reversed. No overriding explanation has emerged yet for the widespread drop-off. But experts point to two potential causes: Some parents became so fed up with remote instruction or mask mandates that they started home-schooling their children or sending them to private or parochial schools that largely remained open during the pandemic. And other families were thrown into such turmoil by pandemic-related job losses, homelessness and school closures that their children simply dropped out.
 
U. of Alabama astrobotics team prepares to defend string of national titles
The Alabama Astrobotics team is preparing to defend a long string of national championships in the NASA Lunabotics competition to be held at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The team has won six in a row and seven overall since forming in 2009. The competition's purpose is for university-based teams to design and build a working mining robot that could one day mine the lunar surface for ice that is embedded just a few inches beneath the moon's dusty surface. Madison Chambliss, a junior from Prattville who is majoring in aerospace engineering, serves as the systems engineering lead and team manager. "Our robot is a prototype of a prototype that NASA would use to build another excavator to support the Artemis mission," Chambliss said of the mission that aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface. "(The excavator) would dig up ice on the moon to get water, oxygen for astronauts and also to develop rocket fuel. We are simulating that entire process to figure out the best mechanisms and concepts of operations so that NASA can get some ideas from us." The team has all seven of their national championship banners hanging on the wall of their lab in the Bureau of Mines building on the University of Alabama campus. The team is comprised of students from across several disciplines, including computer programming, robotics and engineering.
 
LSU tabs Oregon State dean Haggerty as new provost, executive vice president
After several months and an extensive evaluation process, LSU and its president William Tate IV have finally chosen their de facto second in command. Oregon State University dean Roy Haggerty was named Tuesday as the new executive vice president and provost of LSU, effective Aug. 1. Haggerty has served as dean of the College of Science and a Professor of Environmental Geology at Oregon State University since 2017. As executive vice president and provost, Haggerty will be the chief operating and academic officer for LSU's flagship campus in Baton Rouge. Haggerty's will serve as chief academic officer for all LSU campuses across the state and the chief academic advisor to the president. A distinguished scholar and academic leader, Dr. Haggerty's record aligns with our Scholarship First agenda focused on the areas of agriculture, biotechnology, coast, defense and energy," Tate said in a statement Tuesday. "Moreover, he and I share an intellectual commitment to advance our strategic planning in a more expansive fashion to include the totality of our academic community." Haggerty graduated with a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Alberta in 1990, moving on to earn his master's and doctorate in hydrogeology from Stanford by 1996.
 
Remote Working Boom Is Huge for College Towns Like Knoxville
It's now been two years since the rise of remote work enabled people to start moving out of the big cities, transforming the geographic demography of the United States. And while the initial beneficiaries were vacation destinations in the mountains and by the water, that growth model isn't likely to last. Housing costs and labor shortages are limiting how many wealthy migrants can move to places like Montana or Lake Tahoe. For remote-work destinations to be sustainable, they need to accommodate both well-off migrants and the working-class population already in those communities. That adds up to an opportunity for many college towns. The smaller municipalities often are desirable places to live and already have stable local economies driven by higher education activities. But at the same time, many haven't had the kinds of employment opportunities for college graduates that larger cities do. A generation ago, before it became a booming tech hub, that might have described Austin, Texas. Today it's places like Athens, Georgia; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Fayetteville, Arkansas -- college towns that students have historically left behind after graduation. Now city leaders have a chance to either hold onto their graduates or lure them back once they are professionally established and focused on things like quality of life and cost of living. Towns stand to benefit from diversifying their economies away from universities, even if it starts with more people working remotely rather than in corporate offices. The growth of a local talent base makes it easier for employers to eventually consider opening satellite offices. College students wouldn't have to feel compelled to immediately move to the nearest big city to secure a good job after graduation.
 
U. of Missouri's tuition will increase in fall, with a new structure for 2023-24
The University of Missouri Board of Curators on Tuesday approved a tuition increase for the fall 2022 semester and a new tuition structure that will be in place in fall 2023. The board voted to increase tuition for fall 2022 at all four campuses by 4.5% for Missouri undergraduate students. MU will increase undergraduate tuition by $14.50 per credit hour, or $217.50 per semester for students taking 15 hours. The increase will be $14 per credit hour at the University of Missouri-Kansas City; $14.30 per credit hour at the Missouri University of Science and Technology; and $17.10 per credit hour at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Graduate resident tuition will increase by $20.70 per credit hour at MU, $21.50 at UMKC; $22.50 at Missouri S&T; and $26.10 at UMSL. The UM System news release announcing the tuition increase notes the increase is under the 8.5% inflation rate. The new tuition structure will consolidate 64 separate supplemental course fees into six differential tuition rates. The rates are based on the cost to deliver the degree and the job market for the degree. "By modernizing our tuition structure, we will simplify students' bills and make the cost of attendance more predictable," UM System President Mun Choi said in the release. "Our priority is student success, and this new structure will enable students to graduate sooner and with less debt."
 
Wisconsin Has a New Chancellor. GOP Lawmakers Aren't Happy.
Republican lawmakers have been quick to condemn the new chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, with one state senator saying he'd consider pulling the institution's state funding over the decision to hire her. But the vice chair of the Wisconsin system's board said on Tuesday that she doesn't think those threats will come to pass. On Monday, the system's Board of Regents unanimously approved the selection of Jennifer L. Mnookin, dean of the University of California at Los Angeles's School of Law, to lead the flagship campus. Mnookin was tapped by the regents to replace Rebecca M. Blank, who is leaving to become president of Northwestern University. Mnookin was one of five finalists for the chancellor's post. Robin Vos, the Republican speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, deemed it a "blatant partisan selection" and called on the board to reconsider. Vos said that Mnookin's selection marked a "step backward" from the work of Blank and of Tommy Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor who stepped down as interim president of the system this year. Both leaders "attempted to strengthen relationships between the university and the legislature," Vos wrote in a statement. Republicans' response to Mnookin's appointment is indicative of a larger trend of legislative meddling in higher education, said Christian K. Anderson, an associate professor of higher education at the University of South Carolina. It's understandable, he said, that legislators would take note of the goings-on at their local public universities, "but it seems to be increasingly frequent that they are trying to intervene or get involved."
 
Male, Black and Latino high school students may not be college-bound
The percentage of male, Latino and Black high school seniors who want to go to college has declined in the last three years. YouthTruth, a nonprofit, surveyed 22,000 members of the Class of 2022 and compared the results with a similar survey of the Class of 2019, the last high school class to predate the pandemic. In the Class of 2022, 76 percent of white students said they want to go to college, 79 percent of Middle Eastern or North African students said they do, and 88 percent of Asian American students do. Among women in the class, 82 percent want to go to college. A key factor in examining the students, the report says, "The graduating class of 2022 has lived more than half of their high school career during the COVID-19 pandemic." What do the students who don't want to go to college plan to do instead? "Uncertainty lingers, but not equally," the report says. "Compared to their peers, a higher percentage of Hispanic or Latinx students -- 14 percent -- are unsure about what they expect to do next, while a lower percentage -- just 9 percent -- of seniors who are white face such uncertainty." Of all high school seniors, 47 percent plan on attending a four-year college. But the numbers are sharply different when factoring in race and ethnicity. The report also includes specific figures that may be of concern to community colleges, which enroll large percentages of Black and Latino students. Over all, the percentage of students who said they intended to attend a community college fell over three years from 25 percent to 19 percent.
 
Tracking the evolution (and erosion) of tenure
The loss of tenure lines is accelerating. So is the erosion of tenure, by extension, according to a new institutional survey of tenure policies by the American Association of University Professors. The last such survey of college and university tenure practices, in the U.S. Education Department's National Study of Postsecondary Faculty, was in 2004. At that time, 17 percent of institutions said they'd replaced tenure lines with contingent appointments in the previous five years. Today, that figure is 54 percent, according to the AAUP survey, which paints a picture of what's happened since 2004, when the federal government stopped funding the national survey. The AAUP report notes that there are some problems with this comparison, such as that it's unknown how many institutions added tenure lines over the same period. The group is nevertheless alarmed by the threefold increase in institutions reporting cutting tenure lines and replacing them with tenure-ineligible appointments, and multiple other studies have tracked the long-term shift away from tenured faculty appointments to contingent academic labor. (Based on federal data from 2019 cited by the AAUP, about 10 percent of faculty appointments are tenure track, 27 percent are tenured, 20 percent are full-time contingent and 43 percent are part-time contingent.)
 
Harris to tell Coast Guard grads rule of law is under attack
Vice President Kamala Harris will tell the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's graduating cadets that they are starting their service at a crucial moment for the world, a period in history when the "rule of law is strained" and "fundamental principles are under threat." Harris, in the commencement speech Wednesday at the academy in New London, Connecticut, will reflect on the state of the world in which long-standing rules and norms are more frequently coming under attack, noting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to excerpts of the speech released by her office. "And the challenges we face are broader than Russia," Harris says. "Around the world, we see additional attempts to undermine the rules-based order: Nations that threaten the freedom of the seas; criminal gangs and traffickers who skirt the rule of law, and fuel corruption and violence; those that manipulate and undermine the foundations of international commerce." The Democratic vice president also makes the case that as Coast Guard members the graduates will play an important role in helping the United States uphold the international rules-based order, calling it one of the United States' "defining missions." Last year, Harris delivered a commencement speech at the U.S. Naval Academy. President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at this year's Naval Academy graduation.
 
Mistrust, political division, isolation threaten more than elections, economic policies
Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Pew Center Research reflects a widely shared belief in this nation that distrust of the federal government and distrust among fellow Americans is a fundamental obstacle to finding meaningful solutions to the problems that confront our country. The Pew findings showed that 75% believe that trust in the federal government is shrinking and likewise that 64% believe trust in fellow Americans is also shrinking. At this same time, respondents believe by 64% that low trust in the government makes problem-solving elusive, while 70 believe lack of trust in each other is the culprit. This decline in civic confidence is something neither new nor invented in the 2020 election cycle. Twenty-seven years ago, Harvard political scientist Robert D. Putnam published a 1995 scholarly journal essay entitled "Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital." He argued that, unlike the first two-thirds of the 20th century, Americans stopped doing as many things as possible together. Five years later, in 2000, Putnam expanded that essay into a book entitled "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community." The book broadens the scholar's scope of study and comment but does not depart from his thesis. Group participation and interaction are declining in America -- from civic groups to church to associations to neighbors across the fence, we are spending less time together and more "virtual" time together.


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State bullpen leads the way in win over UNA
Mississippi State got solid relief pitching and broke a nine-game losing streak in its final non-conference game Tuesday night. North Alabama put up four runs in the top of the first against starting pitcher Cole Cheatham, but Drew Talley and Cam Tullar doused the flames, and the Bulldogs won 14-4 at Dudy Noble Field. RJ Yeager's sacrifice fly in the eighth scored Kamren James to end the game by 10-run rule. James walked to lead off the inning. Cheatham recorded only two outs while giving up five hits and a walk. Talley got the last out of the first and threw scoreless innings in the second and third. He gave up two hits and struck out three. Tullar allowed two hits and struck out four int three scoreless innings. Mikey Tepper, the third MSU reliever, threw two scoreless innings. The first three Bulldog batters walked in the bottom of the first, and MSU went on to post seven runs on three hits in the inning. MSU (25-26) begins its final SEC series Thursday at home against No. 1 Tennessee. The Bulldogs, 9-18 in conference play, trail Kentucky by a game in the face for the final spot in next week's SEC Tournament.
 
Baseball: Bulldogs snap 9-game skid with No. 1 Vols up next
Mississippi State's last midweek baseball game of the season was almost a calm before the storm. With Southeastern Conference leader Tennessee coming to town for the final home series starting Thursday, it was a good night for the Bulldogs to get back in the win column after nine straight losses. And they did just that, rolling to an eight-inning 14-4 win over North Alabama on Tuesday night at Dudy Noble Field. "Winning is a lot better than losing, I can tell ya that," Bulldogs coach Chris Lemonis said. "I thought we got good outings from the guys that came out of the pen," Lemonis continued. "I think Drew (Talley) and Cam (Tullar), Cam was really good tonight, Mikey Tepper finished it well, just to keep us in the ball game and play a simple game. "Lately it's been a lot of stress because everything's been so close, and then we separated. We've talked a lot lately about separating, and we've just played so many tight games, it's nice to play a simple game and relax and enjoy it, so it was a good night for our guys." Though in the end it was a dominant win, the game got off to a very rough start for the Bulldogs. Cole Cheatham, in his first start, let up four runs in the first inning. Lemonis called in reliever Drew Talley to get the third out. But the Bulldogs answered, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the first and taking momentum right back. Cumbest, Clark, Forsythe and Yeager all drove in runs as the Bulldogs strung several hits together to answer the poor start.
 
Mississippi State alumnus, baseball superfan Daniel Faulkner reflects on 'Party Berm Squad'
It started as a casual trip to the store. Daniel Faulkner entered The Lodge in hopes of finding a "cute little outfit" for his niece. The Mississippi State dress he stumbled upon fit the bill, but then something caught his eye. Faulkner was looking for a hat to add to his collection when he noticed a maroon headband with a white M-over-S logo on it. "I'd look kind of cool in that," he thought to himself. So he bought it. The headband complemented his tank top, which started as a joke. Faulkner had been selected as "Dude of the game" at a game against Oregon State in 2020. Tasked with picking a prize, Faulkner's eyes immediately gravitated toward the item he was least likely to use. "Tank top," Faulkner said. "Summer, baby. Let's go." The headband and tank top have since become part of MSU baseball fan lore, catching the attention of the ESPN broadcast against Notre Dame last season and gaining steam as the Bulldogs marched to their first national title. Mississippi State was crushing the Irish in sizzling conditions, and the TV crew noticed Faulkner back in the front row of the right field berm. Faulkner's phone began to fill with notifications from friends and family seeing his face on their televisions. The legend of the Party Berm Squad was born. Faulkner's dad graduated from Mississippi State in 1989. His mom went to Texas A&M but earned her masters at MSU. Through his family's moves to Dallas, New Orleans and Houston, implementing a maroon and white fandom into Faulkner maintained. Mississippi College and A&M were in consideration, but where Faulkner wound up for for college was hardly up for debate. "It was always going to be State," Faulkner says.
 
Mississippians call to rename Barnett Reservoir after Bobby Cleveland
Following the death of longtime outdoors writer Bobby Cleveland, some Mississippians are calling to change the name of the Ross Barnett Reservoir and rename it R.H. Cleveland Reservoir. It's an idea that spurred an online petition that has more than 400 signatures so far. "It's kind of like the community coming together and saying, 'Let's do this for Bobby,'" said Barin Von Foregger, a reservoir resident who created the petition. "It seems like a pretty good fit. "I've worked with him and grew up reading his stuff. For those of us who hunt and fish, he was a big name. He was a steward of all things outdoors for the entire state of Mississippi." Cleveland died on April 28 of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. His name was synonymous with outdoors, but he was also closely associated with the reservoir. He was a resident of the reservoir area and the lake was his playground. Also, after leaving the Clarion Ledger in 2012, be became the spokesperson for the Pearl River Water Supply District, the state agency that oversees the reservoir. "He was kind of a bookmark for anything that was going on at the reservoir," Von Foregger said. Comments on the petition reflect similar feelings among supporters. Although he created the petition, Von Foregger said the idea didn't originate with him. Von Foregger said he started the petition after seeing a Facebook post by Todd Macko, a reservoir resident, calling for the change. "Bobby was the absolute heart and soul of the reservoir foundation," Macko said. "He's basically for the last decade served the entire community constantly. He was kind of like the gravitational pull for community service at the reservoir."
 
SEC football schedule models: 9 conference games? No divisions? Fixed opponents?
There's an official "transition timeline" the SEC developed for the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, a copy of which was obtained through a FOIA request. The first phase of that timeline is approaching and is fairly clear: "Finalize future scheduling at SEC spring meetings." That would be in two weeks. Of course, when you get athletic directors and presidents from 14 schools -- the new guys aren't listed as attending -- it may be hard to arrive at a consensus on all these issues. But the conference has been working at it for a while, looking at around 30 different scheduling models before whittling it down, so it is possible that the full plan for 2025 and beyond is adopted at the meetings in Destin, Fla. SEC presidents and athletic directors will be given the options. Now it's decision-making time. Based on intel from around the conference, here's a primer on what to expect: Will the SEC go to nine conference games? Probably, though it's not certain. This is the most straightforward decision before the league, and one where everyone should arrive ready to vote on first. There could still be resistance, especially from teams that annually fight for bowl eligibility, but other priorities may win the day. For a multitude of reasons, the best move forward is likely nine conference games. It benefits fans with a better schedule. For the players, it helps get them around the conference with more regularity. It seems like the best plan, but that doesn't mean everyone will be on board.
 
Kirby Smart: Georgia 'not done yet' after dedicating $80M football facility
The Georgia Bulldogs held a dedication ceremony Tuesday for their recently completed $80 million expansion of the Butts-Mehre football complex. That the ceremony was conducted inside the same $31 million indoor practice facility that was dedicated only five years ago says a lot about where UGA Athletics is these days. The Bulldogs are, in a word, rolling. The new 164,000-square-foot football operations addition leaves everyone who sees it with mouths agape. It features a state of the art locker room with custom-built lockers and what the players call "Lamborghini seats." There is a 210-seat team meeting room and over-sized position group rooms, all outfitted with the latest digital video presentation. The crown jewel is a 24,000-square foot weight room. It's size isn't arbitrary. Georgia's goal was to have the largest in the country, and now it does. The operations facility was just the latest in $175 million worth of new construction projects dedicated to the support of football. That it was completed shortly after Georgia ran down its first national championship in 41 years have understandably enhanced the Bulldogs' recruiting efforts. But that's not what it's all about, coach Kirby Smart insists. He said the main objective is to give Georgia players and coaches everything they need to train and develop at a championship level.
 
Louisiana House approves ban on transgender girls competing in K-12, college female sports
The Louisiana House on Tuesday backed a measure that would prohibit transgender girls from competing on K-12 and college sports teams that match their gender identity. Senate Bill 44 from Franklinton Sen. Beth Mizell, the Senate's second-ranking Republican, advanced out of the House by a 72-21 vote. The proposal would require that athletic events and teams sponsored by a school that receives state funding "shall be expressly designated, based upon biological sex," and it would specifically spell out that athletic teams or sports events "designated for females, girls or women shall not be open to students who are not biologically female." A similar bill sailed through the Legislature during last year's session but was vetoed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards. Lawmakers attempted to override that veto but failed to garner the 70 votes necessary in the House to do so. Edwards said he remains opposed to the proposal, calling it "unnecessary" and "mean-spirited" on his radio show last month, but hasn't committed to another veto. State Rep. Laurie Schlegel, a Metairie Republican who presented SB44 on the House floor Tuesday, said the intent of the bill is to "protect the future of women's sports." She pointed to the recent victory of Lia Thomas of the University of Pennsylvania, who in March, became the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming title. "How is that fair? It's not," Schlegel said.
 
These Teachers Taught Super Bowl, Masters and World Series Winners -- at the Same High School
Few people in professional sports are having a better year than Linder O'Rourke, a longtime English teacher at a Texas high school. While her current classes are reading "Wuthering Heights" and "Jane Eyre," a couple of her former students won the Masters and the Super Bowl. Highland Park High School is on an uncanny run of producing championship athletes. Matthew Stafford won his first Super Bowl. Scottie Scheffler won his first golf major. The school also boasts Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, along with former pitcher and current Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young. Both have won the World Series. This recent string of success means there are a number of people who worked with these same superstars on the finer points of "Oedipus Rex" or trigonometry. They're called teachers. And they say the same traits that have driven these athletes to the top of their sport were obvious in their classes. They know because they're the rare educators who have taught championship winners in multiple sports. "One thing I would say about them is that they're intellectually honest but they're also intellectually fearless," said Michael Neil, who taught Stafford and Kershaw. "I think that's what allows them to hit that extra gear that most of us don't have access to." Teachers at this public school say it was clear even back then that these students were destined for athletic stardom one day. It wasn't exactly normal when the principal and superintendent showed up to Neil's English class one day to watch Stafford give a presentation. But the teachers also still marvel at how the personalities that millions of fans have seen on television were apparent in their classrooms.
 
College football, XFL, Australian Open headline ESPN slate
Three huge matchups to kick off the college football season, the XFL, a new Australian Open agreement and two new "30 for 30" documentaries were announced Tuesday by ESPN as part of its presentation to advertisers in New York. The five-year agreement with the XFL concluded the presentation. It includes all 43 games (40 regular season and the playoffs) on ABC, ESPN and FX. XFL owners Dany Garcia and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson were in attendance and presented the news. The XFL is slated to kick off on Feb. 18, 2023, with eight teams playing 10 regular-season games and the playoffs. ABC has a doubleheader on Sept. 3 to kick off the college football season. Georgia will face Oregon in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game in Atlanta at 3:30 p.m. EDT. Besides the Bulldogs opening their national title defense, it marks the first game for Ducks coach Dan Lanning, Georgia's defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. New Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman makes his debut on the road against Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. The day will begin with ESPN's "College GameDay" originating from Columbus, Ohio, for its first on-campus show of the season. Former Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly gets ABC's prime-time spotlight the following night when LSU takes on Florida State in New Orleans.



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