Wednesday, July 6, 2022   
 
MSU accepting applications for SEC Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program
Mississippi State University faculty members are invited to apply for the Southeastern Conference Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program through July 22. The SEC Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program is intended to enhance faculty collaboration that stimulates scholarly initiatives between SEC universities. It gives faculty from one SEC university the opportunity to travel to another SEC campus to: exchange ideas; develop grant proposals; conduct research; consult with faculty and/or students; offer lectures or symposia; or engage in whatever activities are agreeable to the visitor and host unit. MSU can select a maximum of 12 faculty members to receive 2022-2023 travel grants of $850 each for transportation, room, board, etc., to use for travel to another SEC campus. Travel dates for these visits are between August 1, 2022 and June 9, 2023. The faculty member will contact a host unit (e.g., department, research center, school, etc.) that he or she wishes to visit to determine that unit's receptivity and availability. The selected faculty members will be responsible for arranging coverage of their duties during their absence. After the visit, the faculty member must submit a brief report describing the outcomes of the visit.
 
Bradford Freeman, last 'Band of Brothers' survivor has died
Bradford Freeman, the last survivor of the famed Army unit featured in the World War II oral history book and miniseries "Band of Brothers" has died at the age of 97. Freeman died Sunday at Baptist Memorial Hospital–Golden Triangle, according to Lowndes Funeral Home in Columbus, Mississippi. Freeman was born in Artesia, Mississippi, and a graveside funeral service will be held Friday in Caledonia, Mississippi, where he lived, according to the obituary. Freeman was an 18-year-old student at Mississippi State when he enlisted to fight in World War II. He volunteered to become a paratrooper and became a mortarman in Company E, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. He parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, fought in Operation Market-Garden, and was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, later participating in the occupations of Berchtesgaden, Germany, and Austria. University of New Orleans historian Stephen E. Ambrose's "Band of Brothers," about "Easy Company" and its members, was a best-seller and inspired the 2001 HBO miniseries with the same title.
 
Bradford Clark Freeman, the last surviving member of Easy Company's Band of Brothers, dies at 97
Bradford Clark Freeman, believed to be the last surviving original member of the historic World War II parachute infantry regiment of the US Army known as Easy Company, died Sunday in Columbus, Mississippi. He was 97. Freeman died at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, according to an obituary posted by Lowndes Funeral Home and Crematory. Known to his friends as Mr. B., Freeman was a freshman at Mississippi State when World War II began, according to the obituary. He volunteered for the paratroopers and "on February 5, 1944, he went into Foreign Service with 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division," the obituary said. As a mortarman for Easy Company, he jumped in the D-Day Normandy invasion, per the obituary. He also fought in Operation Market-Garden and was part of the defense of Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded, the obituary read. After rejoining his unit, he participated in the occupations of Berchtesgaden and Austria, according to the obituary. "Our dad was always astounded that a country boy from Mississippi was able to see so many places and meet so many interesting people," the obituary states.
 
Columbia Industries announces almost $10M relocation to Starkville
Columbia Industries, LLC, is looking to move operations from Hillsboro, Oregon, and has its sights set on Starkville. The company, which specializes in custom designs and fabrication of oilfield equipment, has announced plans to relocate operations to Mississippi in a $9.549 million corporate investment. "Columbia Industries has been looking for a solid community and region to call home. As a company with a long history and a strong family culture, we believe the community we work in should have the same characteristics" President of Columbia Industries, Tom Moss, explained. "Starkville and the surrounding counties have just that; cultural DNA that supports our mission and vision. We are extremely excited to close this deal and begin the journey with Oktibbeha County and Mississippi." With the help of the Mississippi Development Authority, plans include moving into the former Gulf State manufacturing facility with production set to begin by September of this year. Exactly 62 jobs are also expected to be created following the facility's development. Columbia Industries anticipates the positions will be filled by mid-2023.
 
Columbia Industries relocating Oregon manufacturing operations to Starkville
Columbia Industries, LLC, oilfield and solid waste equipment manufacturer, is locating operations in Starkville. The project is a $9.549 million corporate investment and will create 62 jobs. "Columbia Industries' decision to relocate to Starkville is a sterling example of the public and private sectors working together to ensure Mississippi remains a top destination for industry," said Governor Tate Reeves. "The positive impacts that will result from the significant number of jobs being created through this project will be felt throughout the entire Golden Triangle Region as Columbia Industries' employees strengthen the local tax base and contribute to a higher quality of life in their communities." The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for building improvements. "The Columbia Industries team found the ingredients for success in Starkville. In addition to being home to Mississippi State University, Starkville's proximity to East Mississippi Community College and the pipeline of skilled workers trained there will be invaluable to Columbia Industries today and well into the future. I thank the Columbia Industries team for placing their faith in our strong business environment and for their investment in the future of the region's workforce," said MDA Deputy Executive Director Laura Hipp.
 
Manufacturer investing nearly $10 million to bring new jobs to Starkville
Tuesday, the Mississippi Development Authority announced the details of a new manufacturing operation coming to Starkville. Columbia Industries is investing $9.549 million dollars to relocate from Hillsboro, Oregon to Starkville, Mississippi to create 62 new jobs they hope to fill by 2023. "Columbia Industries contacted us in a sense because they really wanted to locate in the Southeast," says Golden Triangle Development Link Chief Operating Officer Meryl Fisackerly. "Given just the proximity to some of their customers, quality of life. They also were having a really hard time where they (were) with taxes." "We're very excited to have these folks come down and see the merits in being in Starkville and to bring their team down here and create industry and jobs that we were missing," says Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill. Oktibbeha County has the lowest unemployment rate (3.8) of the three counties in the Golden Triangle (Lowndes County: 4.0, Clay County: 4.6), according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. But these jobs are meant to help the entire region. "This project is located in Oktibbeha County but it's going to provide jobs for people in numerous counties throughout the region and then even beyond the counties that we work," Fisackerly says. Fisackerly says that the region's ever-growing talent pool is another reason Columbia Industries is moving South.
 
Favorable weather produces good quality watermelons
Watermelon production in Mississippi is off to a good start in the early days of harvest season. "Right now, everything looks really good," said Heath Steede, Mississippi State University Extension agent in George County. "They're pulling them pretty hot and heavy right now." So far, weather conditions have been favorable. Fields have gotten the right mix of rain and clear skies. Watermelons require a balance of rain, sun and warm weather to reach peak size and sweetness. Rains early in the growing season help melons grow to the proper size, but too much rain later on can introduce disease and cause the crop to ruin. Cloudy skies also reduce melon sweetness. Wholesale prices are not as good as in years past because of supply. "There are a lot of watermelons across the Southeast this year," Steede said. "No one is knocking down doors to buy this year. They are selling but for less money." Most of Mississippi's watermelons are grown in the southeast portion of the state. However, north Mississippi does produce some watermelons. Reid Nevins, an Extension agent in Lowndes County who has one commercial producer in his county, said production is on track for the area. "What I've seen of his crop looks really good," he said. "Harvest is later here in north Mississippi than in south Mississippi, but the crop is progressing like it should."
 
Lockers Manufacturing to add 60 jobs in Batesvile
Advantage Capital, a venture capital, impact investor and private equity firm, is investing $2.5 million in Lockers Manufacturing to provide the company the capital needed to complete facility upgrades and bring 60 new jobs. "Our growth since founding the company in 2014 has been tremendous," said Keith Dunham, CEO of Lockers Manufacturing. "This investment is helping to serve our immediate expansions needs as well as position our business well to grow our workforce and bring employment opportunities to Batesville." Since 2013, Lockers Manufacturing has been a leading producer of cold rolled steel lockers and locker components for public and private schools, hospitals, warehouses and military installations. The company also manufactures computer cabinets, storage cabinets and commercial shelving. Lockers Manufacturing worked with the Mississippi Development Authority as well as the Panola Partnership to select and purchase a 62,000 square foot facility in Batesville to expand its production. Advantage Capital's financing -- made in connection with the Mississippi Small Business Investment Company Act program -- helped provide capital to complete the facility and position the company to quickly onboard and support new production employees at the Batesville location.
 
US job openings slip, though remain at healthy level
U.S. employers advertised fewer jobs in May amid signs that the economy is weakening, though the overall demand for workers remained strong. Employers posted 11.3 million job openings at the end of May, the Labor Department said Wednesday, down from nearly 11.7 million in April. Job openings reached 11.9 million in March, the highest level on records dating back more than 20 years. There are nearly two job openings for every unemployed person, a sharp reversal from the historic pattern: Before the pandemic, there were always more unemployed people than available jobs. The figures reflect the unusual nature of the post-pandemic economy: Inflation is hammering household budgets, forcing consumers to pull back on spending, and growth is weakening. Yet companies are still scrambling to add workers. Demand has been particularly strong in travel- and entertainment-related services. Economists are closely monitoring the jobs opening figures for signs the labor market is cooling, which could bring down inflation. With companies posting so many available positions, they have also been raising pay and offering more benefits to attract and keep workers. Higher labor costs have, in turn, contributed to pushing up prices, with inflation now at 40-year highs.
 
Red States Are Winning the Post-Pandemic Economy
The pandemic has changed the geography of the American economy. By many measures, red states -- those that lean Republican -- have recovered faster economically than Democratic-leaning blue ones, with workers and employers moving from the coasts to the middle of the country and Florida. Since February 2020, the month before the pandemic began, the share of all U.S. jobs located in red states has grown by more than half a percentage point, according to an analysis of Labor Department data by the Brookings Institution think tank. Red states have added 341,000 jobs over that time, while blue states were still short 1.3 million jobs as of May. Several major companies have recently announced moves of their headquarters from blue to red states. Hedge-fund company Citadel said recently it would move its headquarters from Chicago to Miami, and Caterpillar Inc. plans to move from Illinois to Texas. To track each state's progress toward normal since the pandemic began, Moody's Analytics developed an index of 13 metrics, including the value of goods and services produced, employment, retail sales and new-home listings. Eleven of the 15 states with the highest readings through mid-June were red. Eight of the bottom 10 were blue. Behind those differences is mass migration.
 
Judge won't block law banning most Mississippi abortions
As attorneys argued about abortion laws across the South on Tuesday, a Mississippi judge rejected a request by the state's only abortion clinic to temporarily block a law that would ban most abortions. Without other developments in the Mississippi lawsuit, the clinic will close at the end of business Wednesday and the state law will take effect Thursday. One of the clinic's attorneys, Hillary Schneller of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the judge should have blocked the law. "People in Mississippi who need abortions right now are in a state of panic, trying to get into the clinic before it's too late," Schneller said. "No one should be forced to live in fear like that." Mississippi legislators passed the "trigger" law before the U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The clinic, Jackson Women's Health Organization, sought a temporary restraining order that would have allowed it to remain open while the lawsuit played out in court. The closely watched lawsuit was part of a flurry of activity nationwide since the Supreme Court ruled. Conservative states have moved to halt or limit abortions while others have sought to ensure abortion rights, all as some women try to obtain the medical procedure against the changing legal landscape.
 
Mississippi judge declines to block abortion 'trigger ban' from going into effect
A judge on Tuesday denied a request from Mississippi's only abortion clinic to block the state's "trigger ban" on abortions from going into effect, clearing the way for nearly all abortions to become illegal in the state. The rationale behind the request stemmed from a 1998 Mississippi Supreme Court opinion, Pro Choice Mississippi v. Fordice, that ruled the Mississippi Constitution contains a right to privacy that "includes an implied right to choose whether or not to have an abortion." Chancellor Debbra Halford in her denial wrote that the previous justices of the Mississippi Supreme Court relied heavily on the U.S. Supreme Court's opinions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which affirmed that a person had a constitutional right to obtain an abortion. Since the nation's highest court recently overturned those recent opinions and ruled a person no longer has a constitutional right to an abortion, Halford wrote that "it is more than doubtful that the Mississippi Supreme Court will continue to uphold Fordice." Rob McDuff, the attorney representing the Jackson clinic, told members of the media that he would review the decision and consider his options for further legal action.
 
Judge denies abortion clinic request to stay open while fighting Mississippi's trigger law
Most abortions are set to become illegal in Mississippi on Thursday, and the state's last operating clinic failed to push that timeline back in court Tuesday. Hours after a roughly hour-long hearing in the morning, Special Chancery Judge Debbra K. Halford on Tuesday afternoon denied Jackson Women's Health Organization's request for injunctive relief. The clinic, also known as the Pink House, has been fighting a legal battle to stay open as long as they can, after Attorney General Lynn Fitch set the state's trigger law into motion last week. Rob McDuff, a longtime attorney for the Pink House, has argued that the state's trigger law should not go into effect due to a 1998 Mississippi Supreme Court ruling known as Pro-Choice Mississippi v. Fordice. McDuff had argued that the clinic should be allowed to continue providing abortions while it attempted to challenge the law itself in court. Halford denied McDuff's request for a number of reasons. If abortion is banned and the Pink House does close, Mississippians could face hundreds of miles of travel in order to obtain a legal abortion.
 
Judge refuses to stop abortion ban from going into effect Thursday
Chancery Judge Debbra Halford refused to block Mississippi's abortion ban from going into effect on Thursday despite a 1998 ruling from the Supreme Court saying the state Constitution grants abortion rights. Just hours after a 45-minute Tuesday morning hearing, Halford issued the eight-page decision ruling on Tuesday afternoon refusing to side with the state's only abortion provider, Jackson Women's Health Organization, which had requested a temporary restraining order to prevent laws from going into effect banning most abortions in Mississippi. Abortion rights groups had argued that laws banning abortions in the state could not go into effect until a 1998 state Supreme Court decision, Pro-Choice Mississippi v. Kirk Fordice, was overturned. The 1998 decision, the abortion rights supporters argued, could only be overturned by the Mississippi Supreme Court. But in ruling against the abortion rights groups, Halford said that it is likely that the current state Supreme Court will uphold the Mississippi laws banning most abortions now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that abortion is not a protected right under the federal Constitution. Halford wrote that since a right to an abortion as granted by the U.S. Constitution "is no longer the law of the land, reliance upon Fordice almost certainly will not be well-founded when pursuing this case in the (state) Supreme Court."
 
MDOC offers salary raises, increases benefits in effort to hire more prison officers
The Mississippi Department of Corrections is seeking to hire more officers with a 10% increase in salaries and benefits, the MDOC said in press release. Commissioner Burl Cain said the top priority at MDOC is offering quality candidates opportunities to move up fast in both careers and pay scales. "This substantial salary increase will help us attract people who will really invest back into our vision and goal for what MDOC will become," Cain said in the press statement. "This is the first step of many in ramping up our recruiting efforts." With recruitment moving forward, various positions are currently open including corporal officers, sergeants, captains, and majors the press release states. Each position contains different education and experience requirements. In addition, a retirement plan, medical, dental, and vision insurance are all-inclusive for full-time employees, MDOC said in the statement. Paid on-the-job training, vacation and sick leave also are among the benefits. The starting salary for a corporal officer now starts at $36,000; a sergeant starts at $40,000; a captain starts at over $42,000 and a major starts at $47,000, the press release states. Benefits packages can range from about $17,000 to over $20,000 each year. MDOC has put a heavy focus on recruiting and training as the department continues to make improvements.
 
Senator Wicker takes on NOAA in Sun Herald op-ed
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-MS, took aim at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in a July 3 op-ed for the Sun Herald. In the op-ed, Wicker called out NOAA for proposed changes to the catch limit framework used for the Gulf of Mexico red snapper industry. "Fishing for red snapper is a popular pastime on the Gulf Coast, one that brings together fishermen, boat makers, bait suppliers and restaurant owners," writes Wicker. "This prosperous industry centers on three months of open fishing during the summer. To my dismay, regulators in Washington are now proposing a rule that could cut Mississippi's season down to two weeks without any sound science." The proposed calibration ratio for Mississippi, however, would cut Mississippi's 2023 season by 60% - from 151,550 lbs. to 59,354 lbs. Wicker said this drastic cut would put Gulf Coast businesses at risk and urged invested Mississippians to submit public comments to NOAA by July 28. "This new quota is based on the false assumption we are overfishing," writes Wicker. "The problem boils down to NOAA's flawed data collection methods." He writes that this is just another disappointing "raw deal" that NOAA has tried to give the state of Mississippi.
 
Big spending boost may be too little for national parks' needs
Even as the House Appropriations Committee is proposing to offer a multimillion-dollar boost for national parks and federal land, the recent catastrophic flooding at Yellowstone National Park shows the increase may not be enough. The House Appropriations Committee on June 29 approved a $44.8 billion fiscal 2023 spending bill that would boost spending for environmental, public lands and tribal programs within the Interior Department by $6.8 billion, or 18 percent. Included in the bill was a 15 percent increase for public lands administered by agencies including the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. While part of a yearslong push to increase funding as the agencies struggle with maintenance backlogs, the funding comes weeks after a catastrophic flood -- so severe that scientists would expect one like it to occur just once every 1,000 years -- forced the closure of Yellowstone National Park, which drew nearly 5 million visitors last year. In 2020, President Donald Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act, which permanently authorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million per year. But while its passage was heralded as a bipartisan success, John Garder, director of budget and appropriations at the National Park Conservation Alliance, said it is "helping stem the tide a little bit, but certainly not enough." "Even prior to Yellowstone the Park Service has been struggling with infrastructure challenges and the Great American Outdoors Act while an incredible success will, it's quite clear at this point, not be enough to address all of the Park Service's deferred maintenance backlog," said Garder.
 
Biden to Ohio, spotlighting rescued pensions for millions
Seeking to boost his standing with frustrated blue-collar voters, President Joe Biden on Wednesday will use the backdrop of a union training center in Cleveland to tell workers his policies will shore up troubled pension funding for millions now on the job or retired. Hurt politically by inflation at a 40-year high and damages wrought by the pandemic, the president is anchoring his message to workers in the former election bellwether of Ohio. The Buckeye State has been trending strongly Republican with Donald Trump easily carrying it twice, and this is Biden's fourth visit as president as he labors to personally reverse that electoral tide. Biden's speech at the Iron Workers Local 17 Training Center is timed to the announcement of a final administrative rule that is tied to his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package from last year. The rule allows troubled multi-company pensions to be made financially whole, ensuring full benefits for 2 million to 3 million workers and retirees. The effort to highlight a program to bolster union workers comes as Democrats hope to pick up a U.S. Senate seat in Ohio, where a strong showing with working class voters could play pivotal role. Republican Rob Portman is leaving the Senate after two terms. Vying to replace him are Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican J.D. Vance, the author of the memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" who secured an endorsement during the primary from Trump. Ohio voters backed Trump in 2016 and 2020, with his margin of victory each time at roughly eight percentage points.
 
Trump flirtation with 2024 run growing more serious
Former President Trump is holding discussions about announcing a 2024 campaign, sources told The Hill, with some current and former advisers believing it is a matter of when, not if, Trump will launch a third White House bid. Multiple sources told The Hill that a campaign announcement as early as this summer has already been discussed, but cautioned the situation remains fluid and it's unclear when the former president might actually jump into the race. "I think there are people pulling him in that direction, and he's open to it," one former adviser said of an announcement before the midterms. One source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, argued there's no rush for Trump to declare his candidacy. Trump remains the most popular and influential figure in the Republican Party, the source said, and the former president could afford to wait until he has a clearer campaign infrastructure in place before throwing himself fully into a White House campaign. In the meantime, advisers close to the former president said Trump will continue holding rallies for his endorsed candidates across the country as a way to address his most ardent supporters and test out potential attack lines for a would-be campaign. "I think if he announces soon, it'll be good for him, bad for the party," one Republican strategist said. "Republicans have had a lot of success talking about the economy and inflation and all of Joe Biden's screw ups. No one wants to turn around and have to talk about what Trump is doing."
 
The first Gen Z candidates are running for Congress -- and running against compromise
It isn't hard for Maxwell Alejandro Frost to name political moments throughout his childhood that have stuck with him. "Turning on the TV and seeing a bunch of people sleeping outside of Wall Street talking about something called 'wealth inequality' – seeing that in elementary school," Frost said. "Growing up learning that 30 minutes away from me, a kid that looked like me who was wearing a hoodie was murdered for being Black, Trayvon Martin, and seeing the outrage after that," he added. Frost is running for Congress in Florida's 10th Congressional District, an open and solidly blue seat containing parts of Orlando – he's 25 years old, the minimum age to serve in the U.S. House. He's also part of Generation Z -- which the Pew Research Center defines as anyone born between the years 1997 in 2012 -- and, if elected, would potentially be the first Gen Z member of Congress. The 2022 midterm cycle marks the first time in 16 years that Millennials are not the youngest generation able to run, raising questions about how Gen Z will approach Washington. "Our generation has been born into a lot of trauma and a lot of civil unrest around people being frustrated with things. And I think because of that, our generation naturally thinks about things in a bit of a different way," Frost said.
 
Ole Miss professor details Russian intelligence challenges in free book
Russian intelligence is not as secure as is widely believed, a University of Mississippi intelligence and security studies professor contends in a new book. Kevin Riehle released "Russian Intelligence: A Case-based Study of Russian Missions Past and Present," earlier this spring. The 370-page book features a series of case studies highlighting Russia's use of intelligence, security decisions made as a result, and counterintelligence measures used against the country. "What might be surprising for a reader is that Russian intelligence and security services are not omnipotent and do not always achieve their objectives," Riehle said. "There is a sense in the media that Russian intelligence never fails; however, that is not reality. "While Russia has enjoyed intelligence success over the years, Russian intelligence operations have been compromised, revealed and neutralized numerous times in the past several decades, showing that Russian services have significant vulnerabilities." Many of those vulnerabilities are human or operational, Riehle said. Several agents defected during the Cold War, providing Western allies with key information. Riehle developed the book because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was teaching a course in Russian intelligence and security at the National Intelligence University when classes were suspended. As he prepared to shift how he delivered the class, he noticed a lack of academic resources available.
 
JSU's Margaret Walker Center receives $650K grant
The Margaret Walker Center (MWC) at Jackson State University is set to receive a $650,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to help further develop and preserve Black oral history in Mississippi. Additionally, the funds are expected to help expand the capacity, enterprise, and programming of the COFO Civil Rights Center on JSU's campus. "This significant investment in the Margaret Walker Center reveals that JSU and the Mellon Foundation share a common ground, and that is enhancing the lives of students and those in the surrounding communities by helping to provide opportunities and experiences that foster learning and stimulate intellectual thought," said Jackson State President Thomas K. Hudson. "We appreciate the foundation's ongoing support of the great work being done at our institution." It is not the first time the Mellon Foundation has donated money to the MWC as the foundation gave $450,000 to the center in 2014. Those funds were used to extend the MWC Mellon Oral Historian position, hire an MWC Mellon Visiting Scholar, fund graduate assistantships, and more.
 
Phillips makes MCC her summer home
Howard University senior Madeline Phillips found her home away from home this summer at Meridian Community College. The 21-year-old, majoring in acting and minoring in psychology at the Washington, D.C., based private institution, returned to her home state of Mississippi to be near family and log in more academic credits. With an extended family in Meridian -- grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins -- Phillips noted she did have a place to stay but wanted her own place since she was used to living on her own in Washington.  "Thank goodness I'm able to stay in College Crossing for the summer because I needed a space where I could concentrate," Phillips said of her summer residence. College Crossing Apartments offers one and two-bedroom apartments to MCCers. For the summer, Phillips is enrolled full-time in the College's online classes of American Sign Language, Marriage and Family, Art Appreciation, and Introduction to Philosophy. Getting them under her belt allows her to free up more time for her upper-level major and minor studies. She plans to graduate from Howard in May 2023. "I really like it. I'm making connections with other people," she said about living in College Crossing and being around other apartment residents. "They're in other programs, and we get to bond over similarities and differences. It's nice having study sessions and hanging out with people who understand that you're here for the same reasons -- to further your academic and career goals."
 
Jay Price, who founded Southern Veterinary Partners, to give Auburn's summer commencement speech
Jay Price will deliver the summer commencement address for his alma mater, Auburn University, on Aug. 5 at 5 p.m. in Neville Arena. After graduating Auburn in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in zoology and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Price founded one of the largest networks of animal hospitals in the nation, Southern Veterinary Partners. Based in Birmingham, SVP provides support to animal hospitals by centralizing human resources, finance, inventory management and employee benefits. The company employs more than 7,000 employees in over 300 locations across 22 states. Following its start in 2014, SVP was named among Inc. 5000's list of Fastest Growing Companies in America. "Auburn holds a special place in my heart, as they provided me with the education to fulfill my lifelong dream," Price said in a press release. "I am delighted to share this moment with the 2022 graduates as they continue their journey to fulfilling their own dreams." Auburn President Chris Roberts said he was looking forward to his first commencement as the university's top executive. "Jay has a remarkable story to tell about his journey from an Auburn student to a veterinarian and prominent business owner," Roberts said in a release.
 
More space for vets and pets: New 40,000-foot veterinary clinic opens at LSU
The first week in LSU's new 40,000-square-foot pet clinic has posed an unexpected but welcome challenge for faculty and staff: The building is so big, they're getting lost. "The first two days, I took all the wrong turns to find community practice," Jade Martindale, a fourth-year veterinary student, said. "I'm finally getting the hang of the building." LSU's School of Veterinary Medicine opened its new veterinary facility, Stephenson Pet Clinic, on Monday after 10 years of planning and construction. The school moved many of its services, such as its primary care, dermatology and ophthalmology practices, to the new clinic. The original veterinary facility on campus was built in 1978, and housed all of the school's services. Martindale said the new, bigger space has been an improvement. For example: The original facility had seven exam rooms; the new one has 15. "In the old building, all the services were kind of sharing rooms," Martindale said. "Now each service has its own space." Nancy Welborn, associate professor of community practice, or primary care, at Vet Med, said that she's glad to have more space for the community practice service. It's one of the newer programs, but grew quickly. "We had a fairly new area in the old building," Welborn said. "We outgrew it in probably a year."
 
U. of Missouri workers' union opposes paid time off proposal, vows to fight plan
The union representing workers in the University of Missouri System is opposing a proposal to change paid time off for more than 13,000 staff members and asking the UM System Board of Curators to vote against the plan. The proposal would eliminate classifications for vacation, personal and sick days, replacing them with a designation of paid time off. It would reduce by 10 the number of paid days off available for hourly and salaried workers. It also would add parental or caregiver leave and short-term disability leave, which workers don't currently have. "The union opposes any and all cuts to wages and benefits," Laborers International Union Local 955 said in a news release Tuesday. "We appreciate the university's desire to create paid parental leave, caregiver leave and short-term disability to encourage recruitment and retention, but we oppose any and all cuts to our current accrued leave." The input is welcome, said UM System spokesman Christian Basi. "We brought this proposal to the board and we're continuing to discuss it," Basi said. "We are looking for feedback and all feedback is welcome." It's important for the system to create a benefits package that attracts and retains workers to remain competitive, Basi said. "We will continue to talk about this for the next several weeks," Basi said. The board is now scheduled to vote on the proposal at its September meeting, but Basi has said that could change.
 
With a large number of college presidents stepping down, vacancies may open door for more diverse leaders
An extraordinary number of local colleges and universities have presidential vacancies this year, presenting what some experts say could be a golden opportunity to diversify the highest levels of higher education, where women and people of color have historically been underrepresented, and reshape the leadership of an industry that's been buffeted by the pandemic. In Massachusetts alone, 11 institutions have or will have open presidencies in the coming year, ranging from big-name institutions like Harvard to liberal arts colleges like Smith and public schools like the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Only about one-third of college presidencies in the state are held by women, and 25 percent are people of color, according to a new study by the Women's Power Gap Campaign at the Eos Foundation. The leadership turnover is both caused and compounded by the forces confronting higher education. Presidents are being called upon to lead their institutions not only through the pandemic but also to steer them through a time of social and racial reckoning. Amid inflation and the potential for a recession, students are reassessing the value of a college degree and coping with the fallout of pandemic learning, exacerbating a downward trend in enrollment at many institutions. Community colleges have been particularly hard-hit. The number of high-profile institutions with openings is especially unusual --- and these are the institutions where the lack of diversity in leadership is most stark. Among other institutions, the leaders of Harvard, Dartmouth, and MIT have announced that presidents will step down.
 
HBCU Storytellers: Making Institutional History Come to Life
For North Carolina Agricultural & Technical (NCA&T) University, the 2017 headlines were the last straw. NCA&T is an Historically Black institution in Greensboro, N.C. On Oct. 8, 2017, John Cook was murdered at an apartment complex on the west side of the city. Cook had attended NCA&T three years before, and police shared that detail with local reporters. Although Cook's murder had nothing to do with NCA&T, the news connected the incident with NCA&T's homecoming, happening coincidentally at the same time. Todd Simmons, associate vice chancellor of university relations at NCA&T, said alumni were so angry he thought they would "burst into flames." So, he and his team got to work. Dr. Nicole Pride, NCA&T's former chief of staff, penned an op-ed addressing the negative narratives being constructed around NCA&T. "For two solid weeks, that op-ed was in the number one spot of the most-read opinion pieces on the Greensboro News and Record website, because it touched such a nerve with people who had borne the brunt of that unfairness for so many years," said Simmons. "Now, when anything happens, the media stop, and think, and ask themselves, 'Does this really have anything to do with NCA&T?'" By "clearing up the home media environment," Simmons said, NCA&T was finally able to engage with the news on stories of success and academic research. Changing an HBCU's relationship with media is just one aspect of the work done by Simmons and other brand leaders. That work would be made easier with resources that many HBCUs do not have, considering many HBCUs have long been underfunded. However, within the last two years, there has been renewed interest in the work of HBCUs given the nationwide focus on racial justice following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others coupled with the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black communities.
 
Public colleges' operating revenue rose 3.1% in 2021 despite lower net tuition
U.S. public colleges improved their operating performance in the 2021 fiscal year as states boosted funding, the federal government provided pandemic relief and institutions cut expenses, according to a report from Moody's Investors Service. But revenue from students fell because of changes tied to the pandemic, according to the report, which was released last week. Enrollment declines, lower auxiliary revenue and increased financial aid contributed to the drop. Moody's projects public colleges' operating performance will slip back down to levels seen in recent history -- or weaken because of inflation. The new Moody's report, released June 30, is in some ways a look back at the health of the higher ed sector. The agency examined 180 public universities it rates, drawing data from audited financial statements for the 2021 fiscal year --- not the 2022 fiscal year, which closed at the end of June for most institutions. Although audited data can be slow to publish, it's more accurate than preliminary figures. Moody's analyzed how the data fits into several unfolding trends. Operating revenue grew by a median 3.1% at the public institutions Moody's examined. The indicator recovered from a median 0.6% growth rate in fiscal 2020, which was a 3.2-percentage point plunge from the year before. But analysts see stiff headwinds for the future.
 
House committee advances higher ed funding
The House Appropriations Committee approved a funding plan on June 30 that would increase funding for the Education Department by 13 percent for fiscal year 2023. The bill, approved by the committee in a vote of 32 to 24 along party lines, would allocate over $3.9 billion for higher education, a $968 million increase from fiscal year 2022, and $24.6 billion for federal student aid programs, a $59 million increase. Funding for Pell Grants is the most significant difference between the House committee's budget plan and the executive budget proposal released by President Biden in March. The House budget plan would expand the maximum annual Pell Grant award by $500, to a total of $7,395. This falls short of Biden's proposal to expand the maximum Pell Grant award by $2,175, which would have brought the total annual award to $8,670. Many higher ed leaders were hopeful for a greater increase to the Pell Grant that would set the framework for doubling it in the near future. Although the increase offered by the House is modest compared to Biden's proposal, many of those who supported an increase are satisfied. "Five hundred dollars is the largest Pell increase in a decade," said Jon Fansmith, assistant vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education, "though far, far short of what the president had asked for, and certainly not at a level that we would be getting close to doubling Pell anytime soon. It's not bad news -- it just falls short."
 
Biden's draft Title IX rule would allow the single-investigator model. Should it?
For about two years, a model colleges have used to evaluate sexual violence allegations -- known as single-investigator -- has been forbidden by federal regulation. The system involves one individual examining the facts of a case and making a decision on its outcome. The framework laid out an attractive prospect for colleges: minimizing stress on sexual abuse survivors while streamlining procedures. Having one person serve as inquisitor and decision-maker may appear to make these processes more efficient. However, experts in Title IX -- the law banning sex-based discrimination and violence in federally funded schools -- say the model deprives students of due process protections. Further, they say, it injects one person's bias into proceedings and increases the likelihood that the investigator might miss key facts that could sway a case's outcome. Despite these flaws, the Biden administration is poised to once again allow colleges to use single-investigator frameworks. Last month, the U.S. Department of Education introduced a draft Title IX rule that would pull back the regulation mandating that institutions hold live hearings to adjudicate sexual misconduct cases. Instead, colleges could devise their own systems within the draft rule's confines, which could be a version of the single-investigator model.
 
Once again, Mississippi's 'open' primary statute debated after tight second primary
Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Last week's Republican congressional primaries in Mississippi's Third and Fourth congressional districts pointed up some political realities that should prove instructional for current office holders and those who might challenge them. First, as evidenced in the Fourth district, an incumbent congressman who can only muster 32% of the vote in the first primary and is dragging a lot of negative political baggage will be hard-pressed to win the second primary. Republican U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, serving his sixth term, had the benefit of a seat on the House Appropriations Committee, which Mississippi voters rarely choose to ignore. But from early in his congressional tenure, Palazzo was dogged by controversies over matters arising from the after-hours conduct of some staffers and a perceived penchant for being a "no-show" at scheduled events. ... The notion that Palazzo lost the GOP primary to Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell because of voter anger over the ongoing party schism between Trump supporters and so-called "establishment" Republicans is laughable. Palazzo was Trump's most loyal supporter among the state's congressional delegation. ... Second, Mississippi's functionally open primary system remains a factor in tight second primary races. While miles from being a decisive factor in incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Guest's resurgent win over political newcomer Michael Cassidy in the Third District congressional primary, it was part of Cassidy's narrative in explaining his defeat.


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State head softball coach Samantha Ricketts receives contract extension
Samantha Ricketts led Mississippi State softball to its first-ever NCAA Super Regional in 2022. So it's easy to see why the Bulldogs wanted to keep her around. The MSU head coach, who just completed her third season in charge of the Bulldogs' program, received a contract extension through the 2026 season. Her four-year term is the longest allowable contract by Mississippi law. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ricketts also kept her staff intact, promoting assistants Tyler Bratton and Josh Johnson to associate head coach. Johnson, the Bulldogs' pitching coach, will serve as the team's recruiting coordinator. "I am thankful that John Cohen believes in our staff and the future of our program," Ricketts said. "Coach Johnson and Coach Bratton are an integral part of what we are building and have been hitting the recruiting trail, looking to continue building on the foundation of what last year's team built. These titles are recognition of their dedication to and hard work for this program as they continue to push us forward to make more history for Mississippi State softball." Ricketts took over for Vann Stuedeman, beginning her head coaching tenure with a 25-3 record in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Mississippi State made a third straight regional final in 2021 before surpassing that feat this spring. The Bulldogs upset No. 2 national seed Florida State twice to win the Tallahassee Regional and host the program's first Super Regional. MSU was swept by Arizona in two games.
 
Samantha Ricketts' contract extended after Mississippi State softball's first super regional
Mississippi State softball coach Samantha Ricketts received a four-year contract extension Tuesday, per a release. It's the maximum length of contract permitted, according to Mississippi law. "Coach Ricketts has improved our program during the past three seasons as our head coach," athletic director John Cohen said. "It is evident that Coach Ricketts and her staff have worked tirelessly to elevate Mississippi State softball to the Super Regional level. We are very excited about the future and look forward to reaching new heights under Samantha's leadership." Ricketts' extension is the latest move in a busy offseason since Mississippi State made its first super regional in May against Arizona. Mississippi State announced just ahead of the super regional it would begin construction on a new indoor facility for the team this summer. Along with the extension, assistants Tyler Bratton and Josh Johnson have been promoted to associate head coaches. Ricketts was named head coach following the 2019 season after serving as an assistant since 2015.
 
Julia Lopez Ramirez, Team International Wins 2022 Palmer Cup
Julia Lopez Ramirez competed in the 2022 Arnold Palmer Cup over the July Fourth Holiday Weekend. Throughout the three-day event, Lopez Ramirez delivered in some key moments to aid Team International to a 33-27 victory. The Arnold Palmer Cup was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and The GCAA in 1997. The event is a Solheim/Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring the top male/female collegiate golfers matching the United States vs the International Team. Since 2018, this is the only major tournament that features both men and women playing side-by-side as partners. In the opening round, the United States won the first two matches, but three demanding victories helped Team International settle in. One of those wins came from the duo of Julia Lopez Ramirez/Mateo Fernández de Oliveira when they halved the 18th hole to secure a 1-up victory they grabbed on 17. "We tied a lot of holes with birdies, but we stayed patient and believed in each other," Lopez Ramirez said. "We only wanted one thing, and that's to bring the points home. Luckily, we did that here on 18," said Fernández de Oliveira, the first Argentinian to participate in the Palmer Cup. After round two, Team International led Team USA 13 to 11, however, Team USA used a strong showing in the third round to make things even heading into the final round. In Sunday's final round, Lopez Ramirez carded Team International's first of 13 singles victories on the day. The 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year birdied five holes, including 4-6, to defeat Brooke Seay 4 & 3 in 15 holes. "I'm so happy for this and the team," Lopez Ramirez said. "I know I'm around great people that treat me very well."
 
NIL turns 1: Q&A with name, image and likeness expert Luke Fedlam
NIL legislation celebrated its first birthday on Friday. Beginning July 1, 2021, the NCAA permitted college athletes to profit from the use of their name, image and likeness. Since then, college sports have undergone a paradigm shift. Shortly after the one-year anniversary of NIL, The Dispatch spoke with sports attorney Luke Fedlam, partner at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP in Columbus, Ohio, about NIL's impact on the college sports landscape. Fedlam has nearly 20 years' experience in the field, including counseling and advising athletes. He recently published the book "Sports Law: A Practical Guide to Protecting the Interests of Athletes." The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
 
Jackson State football schedule 2022: Deion Sanders in 3 NFL stadiums?
When Bethune Cookman announced last week that it had moved its home game against Jackson State football from its 9,601 seat-stadium in Daytona Beach 90 miles north to TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, it illustrated just how far Deion Sanders has taken the Tigers' brand in two years. Jackson State now has the opportunity to play in three NFL stadiums this season, which is a rare opportunity for any non-Power-5 school. The Tigers will open the season against Florida A&M at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Dolphins), take on Bethune Cookman on Oct. 15 in Jacksonville (Jacksonville Jaguars), and could close out the season with trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Falcons) if they makes the Celebration Bowl. Jackson State held the FCS single-season football attendance record before Sanders was hired in 2020. The old mark was 38,873 set in 1997. However, Sanders took JSU's already strong fan support and amplified it, eclipsing the old record by nearly 10%, bringing the number to 42,293 per game. That's nearly 17,000 more than Montana, which finished second in FCS with 24,584. With so many games either at NFL stadiums or neutral site locations, this season could demonstrate how big of a draw Jackson State can be on the road. It could also show how well the fans travel, and how far the intrigue in the team stretches outside of Jackson. Those could be important factors as the team looks to recruit even more talent from across the country.
 
Why college sports moving to super-conferences would hurt South Carolina
Scattered between those fireworks and sparklers smattering backyards over Fourth of July weekend, the Big Ten dropped the biggest bomb of the conference realignment shuffle to date. News broke Thursday the league would add Southern Cal and UCLA in a move that is almost directly in line with the Southeastern Conference's nabbing of Texas and Oklahoma last summer. Reports also surfaced Monday that multiple Pac 12 teams have begun meeting with the Big 12 about joining the league. Super-conferences suddenly feel like a near-certainty in college sports, and schools like South Carolina are likely to find themselves in a precarious position. The Gamecocks have had their moments. But for all the highs USC has found over the past three decades in the SEC, it's littered with a history of mediocrity and an institution without the financial resources to contend with college football's true bluebloods and big spenders -- that is where the crux of USC's issues would reside in a "super conference" structure. South Carolina spent just over $133 million on athletic department expenditures during the 2021 fiscal year, per USA Today's college athletic department spending database. That ranked ninth out of the 13 SEC teams included in the database. Throw in the added unknowns of name, image and likeness deals that have oozed into the seedy underbelly of the college football recruiting world, and South Carolina stands to find itself in an already uphill fight financially.
 
ACC, Pac-12 discuss 'loose partnership' that could include 'championship game' in Las Vegas
The ACC and Pac-12 have discussed what has been termed a "loose partnership" that could end the season with the conferences playing a "championship game" in Las Vegas, sources confirm to CBS Sports. The concept, believed to have been proposed by the ACC, is seen as a way for the conferences' common rightsholder, ESPN, to increase the value of their current media rights contracts. It's not likely this proposal would have much impact considering ESPN has cost certainty with the ACC in a contract that lasts through 2036. The Pac-12 is trying to survive after the loss of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten in 2024. Rights for Pac-12 teams without the California powers are now worth about $30 million annually, down from approximately $42 million per program with the Trojans and Bruins in the fold. John Canzano first reported the proposed the Pac-12 discussing a "loose partnership" with another conference Tuesday afternoon, noting some regular-season crossover games could be played in addition to the "championship game." Sources indicate the proposal is viewed as a "strength in numbers" move. While the 24 combined ACC and Pac-12 teams wouldn't have nearly the clout of the 32 programs combined in the SEC and Big Ten, it would be something to combat the growing financial gap between those burgeoning superconferences and everyone else.



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