| Thursday, July 21, 2022 |
| Starkville organization needing volunteers to help paint murals | |
 | Do you like to paint? Do you like to get outside? Can you carve out a couple of hours of free time on Friday? If your answer is "yes", Starkville is the place for you this Friday. The Mississippi State University Fred Carl Junior Small Town Center is looking for volunteers to help paint street murals and crosswalks along University Drive in Starkville. The Small Town Center helped Starkville secure a $25,000 Bloomberg grant for the project. It will feature a large mural of ringing cowbells near University Drive and Camp Street and cowbell-themed designs at nine crosswalks along the road connecting Starkville and MSU. The first phase will go from 8 AM until Noon on Friday, and the second phase will go from 3 until 7 PM. There will be food trucks on-site and a community party featuring live music and kids' activities from 3 to 7. |
| Mississippi program to address lead in drinking water | |
 | A Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service program is organizing a list of qualified child care centers and schools in anticipation of funding for addressing lead in drinking water. The SipSafe program, funded by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is working to reduce lead exposure in children from birth to five years. The program is also building a list of facilities tested for lead in drinking water. Centers with sample results that show elevated levels of lead in drinking water will be flagged for funding on a first-come, first-served basis in order of participation date and highest levels of lead exposure. Once available, the funding must be used for actions to reduce the amount of lead in the drinking water system, such as replacing faucets and fixtures. "We encourage child care center directors and school principals to schedule one of our water testing teams now," said Jason Barrett, MSU Extension specialist and project director. "That way, if the water sample results show lead above the action level, their center or school can be added to the priority list for when money becomes available for addressing the causes of the lead in the drinking water. We want to be prepared to get funds to those who need it most in a timely fashion, so we are developing our list now." |
| Neshoba County Fair ready | |
 | When the Neshoba County Fair officially gets under way Friday, it will be the result of much planning and hard work. Vehicles without valid cabin parking permits will not be allowed into the Neshoba County Fairgrounds Thursday evening before the Fair, it was announced on Monday, reinforcing a policy in place for nearly a decade, Fair officials said. Actually, Fair preparation started for many Fairgoers weeks ago, but particularly the Fourth of July and this past weekend. Fairgoers gathered to enjoy a slower pace before the actual Fair schedule cranks up. "The weekend before the Fair always seems to be a big weekend," said Fair Board President Scott Bounds. "People were working on the insides of their cabins, bringing groceries in. They come out here and enjoy their cabins and each other before the race of the Fair starts. They visit with family and cook. And we don't have anything planned. It is usually a huge Saturday night." Bounds said the security contractor also started last Saturday and will remain on duty 24/7 until the end of the Fair. He said safety is the Fair Board's No. 1 concern. The Heart 'O Dixie Triathlon is Saturday. The Miss Neshoba County Pageant is Monday night. Horse racing begins on Sunday. Political speaking begins Wednesday at 9 a.m. Thursday will be another full morning of political speeches beginning at 9 a.m. |
| Dangerous heatwave sweeps across Mississippi | |
 | It's a hot summer in Mississippi, and experts are cautioning residents about the dangers of heat exposure. Meteorologists say the next several days could lead to dangerous heat stress conditions. The cities of Jackson and Hattiesburg have tied records for the highest temperature floor in a single day, with the recorded low temperatures yesterday both landing in the high 70s. And at the hottest parts of the day, recent heat index values have reached upwards of 115 degrees. Allie Jasper with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency says residents should avoid the outdoors during these times. "Well the heat is nothing new in Mississippi, we deal with it every single year, but it does seem to get hotter and hotter every summer," says Jasper. "So the only thing we can do as a state agency is tell people to prepare for that heat and be aware of it and be sure that they are considering their options for being outside." Not everyone has access to cool areas, and Jasper says it's important to check on elderly neighbors and outdoor pets to ensure they are well hydrated and have access to air conditioning. Some cities have cooling shelters where people can go to get out of the heat. But if someone does have to be outdoors for an extended period of time, Jasper says hydration is essential to avoid heat exhaustion or the more severe illness heat stroke. Heat exhaustion can happen suddenly or over several days and it's important to treat the illness quickly. Common signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion include dizziness, headaches, profuse or lack of sweating and confusion. |
| Mississippi Farm Bureau President says inflation is 'a farmer's worst enemy' | |
| The rising rate of inflation continues to be a burden on Mississippians, but the state's farmers are especially feeling the financial hit. According to Mississippi Farm Bureau President Mike McCormick, farmers across the state are experiencing unbearable input costs as a result of the record-high inflation rates. Input costs are up-front purchases that farmers need to make in order to begin production, such as fertilizer, pesticides, seeds, weaned animals, and feeds. In recent months, prices for all of these items have increased dramatically, making it more difficult for farmers to acquire needed materials. "Soaring input costs are really impacting our farms here all over the state -- all over the nation," said McCormick in an interview on MidDays with Gerard Gibert. "You can see where some inflation area numbers are saying we're up about nine percent on inflation this year, but I can tell you that our figures show that it's probably around 18 percent for the input costs we're using in our farms." According to McCormick, many Mississippi farmers will operate at a financial loss this year as a result of inflation despite the consumer paying more for groceries. |
| Cities and counties will soon spend $1 billion in water, sewer upgrades as inflation rises | |
| The Mississippi Legislature earlier this year decided to spend up to $750 million of the $1.8 billion it received in American Rescue Plan Act federal pandemic relief money on two of the state's major problems: In many urban areas, most notably Jackson, antiquated water and sewerage systems are collapsing. In rural areas, 13% of the state's population does not have public water service. The issue is a hindrance to the state's growth and economic development, and it's a major health concern. Drinking water contamination in rural wells and from crumbling urban systems is widespread, as is pollution from leaking sewer mains and rural septic tanks. The Legislature earmarked $450 million to provide matching grants to cities and counties for water, sewerage and stormwater drainage projects. Cities and counties received about $900 million directly from ARPA that they can use for the matching grant program. For approved projects, the state will match counties' and most cities' ARPA money 1-to-1, but will provide a 2-to-1 match on projects for towns that received less than $1 million from ARPA. The Legislature also set aside $300 million for grants of up to $2.5 million each for rural water associations, from which most Mississippians receive their water. Mississippi is behind most other states in standing up programs and spending federal ARPA money. States have a deadline of December 2024 to allocate the money, and December 2026 to finish spending it. While those deadlines appear generous, Mississippi will see a flood of projects statewide, with a finite number of water, sewerage and drainage contractors available. Some local governments may be sweating deadlines on the larger projects. Also, as the clock has ticked, inflation has risen to record levels and construction is particularly hit hard. |
| Gov. Reeves announces Outdoor Stewardship Board appointees | |
| As Mississippi looks to conserve and improve its outdoors through the creation of an outdoor stewardship trust fund, Governor Tate Reeves has named his four appointments to the seven-member board in charge of providing the relative grants to do just that. Dason Colin Maloney of Tupelo (First Congressional District), Van K. Ray of Yazoo City (Second Congressional District), Drew Thomas St. John II of Madison (Third Congressional District), and David Edward Holman of Bay St. Louis (Fourth Congressional District) round out the seven appointments to the legislatively-created Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund. Maloney, Ray, St. John, and Holman join Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann's selections of Denny Terrell of Kosciusko (1st Supreme Court District), Joe Cloyd of Ocean Springs (2nd Supreme Court District), and Mat Lipscomb of DeSoto County (3rd Supreme Court District). The board will be responsible for providing grants to counties, municipalities, state agencies, and nongovernmental entities related to outdoor stewardship and conservation. Funding will derive from an appropriation with a cap of $20 million, excluding federal funds, with no minimum amount that must be allocated by legislators. |
| Tupelo resident Colin Maloney appointed to state outdoor conservation board | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves announced on Wednesday his appointment of Tupelo-based Century Construction CEO Colin Maloney to the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund's board of trustees. Maloney will now be one of seven voting board members who will determine which conservation and wildlife projects can be improved with state tax dollars. "Our wildlife lands are important to me," Maloney said. "I'm excited about being on the committee." Reeves also appointed Van K. Ray of Yazoo City, Drew Thomas St. John of Madison and David Edward Holman of Bay St. Louis to the board. "I am confident that these individuals will help to do exactly that by effectively representing the state and steering the responsible investment of these funds toward impactful conservation efforts," Reeves said in a statement. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann earlier this month appointed Denny Terrell of Kosciusko, Joe Cloyd of Ocean Springs and Mat Lipscomb of DeSoto County to the board. All seven appointees are subject to Senate confirmation during the next legislative session. Several legislators and leaders of state agencies will also sit on the board as nonvoting members. The board is expected to name its chairman during its inaugural meeting, the date of which hasn't been set. |
| Iconic Sun-N-Sand sign taken down for repairs | |
| An iconic downtown Jackson hotel sign is getting a facelift. Tuesday, crews took down the yellow, blue and black Sun-n-Sand Motor Hotel sign, so it could be transported for repairs. "We think it will be down six to eight weeks, while it's being refurbished," said Marcy Scoggins, with the Public Information Office for the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration. Repairs are being made by Mitchell Signs in Meridian. The work will cost approximately $60,000 and is being funded with a Community Heritage Preservation grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. At one time, the Sun-N-Sand was a popular destination for state lawmakers during annual legislative sessions. However, the facility closed in 2001. The property was purchased by the state in 2019, with plans to turn the site into employee parking. In 2020, it was named one of the most endangered historic places in the United States by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. That same year, the MDAH Board of Trustees granted the facility landmark status, but ultimately left it up to DFA to determine how the property would be used. The first round of demolition at the Lamar Street facility wrapped up in 2021. What remains is the commercial portion of the former hotel, which DFA hopes to transform into an office and meeting space. Crews are working on the exterior of the building now and hope to have those renovations wrapped up in 2023, Scoggins said. |
| Incoming state health officer: Postpartum Medicaid extension is 'easiest thing to do' | |
| The doctor who will soon lead the Mississippi State Department of Health is openly supporting giving poor mothers in the state access to more Medicaid coverage after they give birth, a policy that some Republican lawmakers have rejected. Dr. Daniel Edney, the incoming state health officer, said in an interview on conservative statewide radio station Supertalk Mississippi that expanding postpartum care from the state's current policy of two months to a full year would be the "easiest thing to do" to improve health disparities. "We have got to look at moving postpartum care back out to a year again," Edney said. "Two months is not enough. We have women who are dying in months three, four and five from complications of pregnancy." Between 2013 and 2016, there were 136 Mississippi mothers who died either during pregnancy or within one year of their pregnancy's end, according to a 2019 report from the Mississippi State Department of Health. Of those deaths, 86% of them occurred postpartum. "I just refuse to accept the premise that it's just our fate to be unhealthy," Edney said. "It's our fate for our mothers and our children to die at higher rates than every other state; I just refuse to accept that as a physician, as a Mississippian and certainly as a state health officer." The state Senate earlier this year overwhelmingly passed a bill to extend postpartum coverage for up to a year. But it repeatedly stalled in the 122-member state House, led by House Speaker Philip Gunn, who has repeatedly been opposed to postpartum expansion. |
| Rep. Michael Guest Pushes National 6-Week Abortion Ban | |
| U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., is pushing for Congress to adopt a nationwide ban on abortion once cardiac activity becomes detectable, or around the sixth week of pregnancy. The legislation is H.R. 705, The Heartbeat Protection Act. "Our (U.S. Supreme) Court supports life," Guest said on the U.S. House floor Monday. He said its decision to allow state abortion bans to go forward in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization last month means "we now have a legal system that has opened the door for a wave of pro-life support." Like the Mississippi law, the federal abortion ban Guest is co-sponsoring includes no exceptions for abortions in cases of rape or incest. It includes a vague exception for "an abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-threatening physical condition caused or arising from the pregnancy itself, but not including psychological or emotional conditions." Supporters of abortion rights warn that even some people who need abortions for life-saving medical reasons may not be able to get them with such vaguely defined exceptions. The bill is unlikely to get a vote in the current congressional term, but offers a preview of the kind of legislation Republicans could prioritize if they succeed in winning back control of Congress in the November 2022 midterm elections. Guest's Democratic opponent in the November election, Shuwaski Young, told the Mississippi Free Press in a candidate questionnaire that he has an "unwavering belief ... that women's rights are human rights." |
| 'Huge gray zone': Mississippi doctors fear new abortion laws will tie their hands as pregnant patients suffer | |
| Dr. Nina Ragunanthan wonders exactly how long she's supposed to watch a miscarrying woman bleed before Mississippi law permits her to perform an abortion. The OB/GYN in the Delta worries that the state's new laws -- banning abortion "except in the case where necessary for the preservation of the mother's life or where the pregnancy was caused by rape" -- could force doctors to wait for patients to deteriorate before providing life-saving care. She wonders: Who decides when the patient's life is in danger, and how imminent does the danger have to be? These questions -- and many others -- haven't been answered by state officials, law enforcement officers, hospital leadership or judges. And some OB/GYNs worry the lack of clarity will have a chilling effect on physicians who will either delay or refuse to perform abortions for fear of legal repercussions. Anti-abortion advocates, lawmakers and some doctors say that the exception gives physicians the discretion to determine when an abortion is necessary. They point out that most of the roughly 2,500 abortions performed annually in Mississippi prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization were elective. They say that doctors already regularly make weighty choices in high-pressure situations. "I don't see that these decisions have changed with this law," said Dr. Geri Weiland, president of the Mississippi State Medical Association and a Vicksburg pediatrician. "I really don't. I think the decisions have always been difficult." |
| 'Chips-plus' bill passage could slip to next week in Senate | |
 | Republican senators said Wednesday they're expecting final passage of a trimmed-down semiconductor manufacturing and science-focused economic competitiveness package will slip to next week. Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., said he believes some opponents of the bill, including several dozen Republicans, will want to drag out votes and "let the clock run." He said he hasn't heard of any discussions to speed up the process, which would likely involve getting unanimous consent on a time agreement to allow some amendment votes. A lead Republican proponent of the chips bill, Indiana Sen. Todd Young, also said he's expecting the Senate to pass the package next week. Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., planned to begin the process of bypassing a filibuster and moving forward with the bill on Wednesday. He said in morning remarks on the Senate floor that he would file cloture at some point during the day and planned to pass the package "as soon as we can." Schumer's remarks signaled he would likely try to get Republicans to provide unanimous consent for a time agreement that would streamline consideration of the bill. But if he can't get all Republicans to agree, then the earliest the Senate could vote to invoke cloture and cut off debate would be Friday. There are some other procedural steps beyond that Schumer would like to get cooperation to avoid as well. The Senate "chips-plus" bill includes $54 billion in grants over five years for semiconductor manufacturing and research along with 5G wireless deployment; a tax credit covering 25 percent of spending on new semiconductor manufacturing plants through 2026; and science-focused provisions, among them funding authorization for the National Science Foundation. |
| Biden tests positive for COVID-19, has 'mild symptoms' | |
 | President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, underscoring the persistence of the highly contagious virus as new variants challenge the nation's efforts to resume normalcy after two and a half years of pandemic disruptions. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden was experiencing "mild symptoms" and has begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug designed to reduce the severity of the disease. She said Biden "will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence." Biden, 79, is fully vaccinated, after getting two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose March 30. Up to this point, Biden's ability to avoid the virus seemed to defy the odds, even with the testing procedures in place for those expected to be in close contact with him. Prior waves of the virus swept through Washington's political class, infecting Vice President Kamala Harris, Cabinet members, White House staffers and lawmakers. Biden has increasingly stepped up his travel schedule and resumed holding large indoor events where not everyone is tested. |
| Biden approval hits another new low as more Democrats sour on him, poll finds | |
 | President Biden is facing his lowest approval rating since taking office, and it's largely due to Democrats, the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds. Biden's approval rating in the poll is now at 36%. That's a 4 percentage-point drop from June, and inside the numbers, it's attributable to a 9-point decline within his own party. While 75% of Democrats approve of the job Biden is doing, that's considered low for a president's own party. Last month, 84% of Democrats said they approved of the job Biden was doing, according to the survey. Republicans and independents are far lower -- just 5% of Republicans and only 28% of independents approve of the job Biden is doing. Those are unchanged from a month ago. For context, Donald Trump's approval within his party when he was president was never that low in the poll, not even after the Jan. 6 insurrection (77%) or the Charlottesville, Va., white supremacist demonstration (76%), at which one person was killed -- and whose participants Trump dismissed as "very fine people, on both sides." In this survey, four times as many respondents said they strongly disapprove of the job Biden is doing than approve -- 43% to 11%. And only 30% of Democrats said they strongly approve of the job the president is doing. Younger voters are also among the least enthusiastic about Biden -- just 5% say they strongly approve of the job he's doing, on par with whites without college degrees and white evangelical Christians, reliably Republican voters. |
| Biden: U.S. military does not support Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan | |
 | President Biden said the U.S. military does not support House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan this summer. Stepping off Air Force One late Wednesday, Biden was asked about the possibility of a Pelosi trip, which has not been confirmed by the State Department or her office. Biden said that "the military thinks it's not a good idea right now," but he noted that he was not sure "what the status of it is." China's Foreign Ministry lashed out Tuesday after media reports that Pelosi (D-Calif.) was planning to visit the democratic island that is claimed by Beijing, as part of a broader tour of Asia in August. Pelosi's office told The Washington Post on Thursday that it stood by comments earlier this week: "We do not confirm or deny international travel in advance due to long-standing security protocols." The Financial Times first reported news of Pelosi's trip, stating that she would visit Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia. State Department spokesman Ned Price said this week the trip has not been announced and remains "hypothetical." Biden also told reporters that he expects to speak to China's president, Xi Jinping, "within the next 10 days." He demurred on whether he would raise the issue of tariffs and trade with the leader of the world's second-largest economy, amid rising inflation in the United States. Chinese-U.S. relations remain tense -- and Taiwan is a sensitive issue. During his first trip to Asia as president in May, Biden signaled a more confrontational approach toward China and issued a sharp warning against any potential attack on Taiwan. |
| Jan. 6 Committee Hearing to Focus on Trump's Actions During Attack on Capitol | |
 | The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol will hold the eighth and last of its summer series of hearings, with an account of activities inside the White House during a 187-minute period following former President Donald Trump's speech to his supporters that day at the Ellipse. The panel plans to portray Mr. Trump as failing to respond to the attack, a decision that committee member Rep. Elaine Luria (D., Va.), who will help lead Thursday's 8 p.m. ET hearing, called a "dereliction of duty." Members of the committee have said that on Jan. 6, as Mr. Trump watched live video of the Capitol attack inside the White House, he didn't call his Defense secretary, order the National Guard to assist police at the Capitol or contact any federal law-enforcement agency. Mr. Pence, meanwhile, did make such calls, Rep. Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.), vice chairwoman of the committee, has said. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D., Miss.), chairman of the committee, will join Thursday's hearing remotely after he tested positive for Covid-19, committee aides said. Ms. Luria and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R., Ill.) will lead questioning of witnesses. In response to the events of Jan. 6 and Mr. Trump's efforts to get Mr. Pence to overturn the results, a bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled a proposed update of the Electoral Count Act on Wednesday to make clear that the vice president has no power to block the certification of the presidential election. |
| Mortgage demand drops to a 22-year low as higher interest rates and inflation crush homebuyers | |
| The pain in the mortgage market is only getting worse as higher interest rates and inflation hammer American consumers. Mortgage demand fell more than 6% last week compared with the previous week, hitting the lowest level since 2000, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's seasonally adjusted index. Applications for a mortgage to purchase a home dropped 7% for the week and were 19% lower than the same week in 2021. Buyers have been contending with high prices all year, but with rates almost double what they were in January, they've lost considerable purchasing power. While buyers are less affected by weekly moves in interest rates, the broader picture of rising rates has already taken its toll. Mortgage rates moved higher again last week after falling slightly over the past three weeks. Mortgage interest rates haven't moved much this week, but that could change very soon due to increasing bond market volatility. The Federal Reserve is expected to hike rates by another 75 basis points next week, and other central banks are taking similar action against inflation. A basis point equals 0.01%. |
| Ford reportedly preparing to slash 8,000 jobs to help fund EV transition | |
 | Ford Motor Co. is getting ready to eliminate up to 8,000 jobs in the coming weeks to help fund its push into electric vehicles, according to a news report. Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources familiar with the plan, said Wednesday the cuts will come largely in the newly created Ford Blue unit that produces gasoline-powered vehicles, as well as "other salaried operations throughout the company." The plan has reportedly not yet been finalized, so details may change. The news comes on the heels of Michigan giving the automaker a $100 million tax-funded incentive package in June as part of a plan to create new jobs in the state. The Bloomberg report does not mention how many jobs might be cut in Michigan. Ford spokesman Mark Truby told the Detroit Free Press that he could not confirm the Bloomberg report. Ford CEO Jim Farley has said he plans to slash $3 billion in costs by 2026 and that he wants to turn Ford Blue into "the profit and cash engine for the entire enterprise." In March, Farley restructured the automaker to create two businesses: the "Model e" unit to develop EVs and "Ford Blue" to focus on internal combustion engine vehicles such as the popular F-150 pickup, the Mustang and the Bronco SUV. Bloomberg reported that the job cuts are expected to hit a variety of operational functions among Ford's white collar workforce and they may come in phases, but are likely to begin this summer. The majority of the cuts are expected to be in the U.S. where Ford employs about 31,000 salaried workers. |
| In-person book festival back August 20 downtown; volunteers needed | |
| The Mississippi Book Festival is back in person this year with a bigger than ever audience allowance and over 170 authors lined up to attend. The Mississippi Book Festival was born in 2015 when the idea was created by a group of book enthusiasts. This year's "Literary Lawn Party" will take place at the state capitol building and grounds on August 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. "Mississippi has such a rich literary history, and it just made sense that we had a book festival here," Mississippi Book Festival Executive Director Ellen Daniels said. "We have some of the greatest authors working today living in this state. We want to celebrate them and celebrate the ones that came before them, but also bring other authors and book lovers to Mississippi to see what we are really all about." Daniels said they are expecting about 10,000 people to attend this year because in 2019, they had over 10,000 people attend the panels, which is how they count attendance. Many more come without attending panels and enjoy the activities on the festival grounds. The festival, which is free and open to all, includes panels with the authors, book signings, self-published authors in Author's Alley, book sales, retail, and food trucks. There are also activities and panels for children making the event family-friendly. With all these activities, volunteers are necessary to make the book festival a success. |
| The Bookseller Who Helped Transform Oxford, Mississippi | |
| Richard Howorth is easy to talk to, even when he's hard to hear. Earlier this year, while men hammered away on the other side of a wall in his hundred-and-sixty-year-old house, the fifth-generation Mississippian told me about raising his three children there and how one of them had already had her wedding reception on the property and another will have hers there soon and why handymen are so difficult to find these days and what one of the hammering men was doing a few weeks ago when he put his foot through the roof. The Howorth house has more bookshelves than windows and has hosted more writers than some M.F.A. programs, not because its owners confer any degrees but because they run one of the most beloved and influential bookstores in the country. Like City Lights, in San Francisco, or Shakespeare & Company, in Paris, Square Books has become as well known for nurturing writers as it is for selling their work. It has also become a small empire, consisting of four stores with some fifty thousand books on five floors of three different buildings, all in the town of Oxford, Mississippi. The Howorth family will tell you that they don't know how this happened, but everyone else will tell you that it happened because of the Howorth family. |
| Community comes together to inspire hope amongst UM student's disappearance | |
| The community gathered in The Circle at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday night for the "Hope for Jay Lee Rally." The rally was announced in hopes that family, friends and classmates of missing Ole Miss student Jimmie "Jay" Lee, 20, would draw strength from coming together and supporting one another. "Hope for Jay Lee" was organized through the collaborative efforts of the UM Department of Social Work's faculty, staff and students. The event was led by Ole Miss student and peer of Jay Lee, Cara Gallagher. The rally was opened with a prayer and then followed by speeches from Ole Miss faculty and staff. After the speeches, organizers prepared bubbles and music by Lee's favorite artists like Ariana Grande and Beyoncé to maintain the message of hope. The event came to a close with a final prayer from one of Lee's peers. BSW Field Education Director Jennifer Buford said they were motivated to help the students find a positive way to cope with Lee's unexplained disappearance. Lee's parents Jimmie and Stephanie Lee declined to directly comment to the media, however, they prepared a speech read by Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Charlotte Pegues. Lee was last seen leaving Campus Walks Apartments at 5:58 a.m. on Friday, July 8 wearing a silver robe or housecoat, gold sleeping cap and gray slippers. |
| Former Southern Miss president Rodney Bennett talks about legacy | |
 | When Rodney Bennett interviewed to fill the vacancy in 2013 at the University of Southern Mississippi's president's office, he was given a mission. The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees told Bennett his mission would be to bring financial stability to the university. Now that the mission is accomplished and a few other projects are complete, it's time to step aside and let someone else take the reins. "In January of 2013, when I was candidate Rodney Bennett, I interviewed understanding that a certain number of realities for Southern Miss were going to have to be addressed," Bennett said in an interview with the Hattiesburg American. "At that time, as candidate Rodney Bennett, I was really focused on accomplishing and moving the needle on some of the concerns that were presented to me through the very rigorous interview process." The IHL board gave candidate Bennett a list of expectations to accomplish should he become president Bennett. With those expectations and many others in place, Bennett was named Southern Miss president on Feb. 7, 2013. "I was really excited about that challenge," he said. |
| Single bathrooms and a grand staircase: See U. of Alabama's new $150 million Tutwiler Hall | |
 | Gone are the days of chaotic fire drills, creaky elevators and the fabled 13th floor. With just two weeks until move-in day, workers are putting the final touches on the new Tutwiler Hall, The University of Alabama's latest multimillion dollar project. The $150 million building is the campus' third incarnation of an original all-girls' residence hall, and sits diagonally across from the old Tutwiler lot. On July 4, spectators watched sparks fly and concrete crumble as the university imploded the previous girls' dorm, which was built in 1968. The original Tutwiler Hall was built in 1914, where the Rose Administration building now stands. "That ability to be an all-female community is great, and we're pleased that we can continue to offer both alternatives," said UA Housing Director Alicia Browne. Now outfitted with a large storm shelter, manicured courtyard, double bedrooms and a grand staircase, the new five-story building will house about 1285 residents and will employ 35 residence advisors, Browne said. And, importantly, it has six elevators. Officials expect to move in hundreds of residents during sorority recruitment on Aug. 3. Move-in will continue until Aug. 14. |
| Education Department issues new guidance to prevent 'accreditation-shopping' | |
| The U.S. Department of Education released guidance Tuesday that could make it harder for colleges to switch accreditors -- potentially setting up a clash with a new Florida law requiring the state's public colleges to change accrediting agencies every accreditation cycle. The guidance requires colleges to obtain the agency's approval before they attempt to switch accreditors or else risk losing access to federal financial aid. The Ed Department will weigh several factors to ensure colleges aren't attempting to evade oversight by changing agencies. That includes assessing whether an institution is at risk of being sanctioned by its current accreditor. Essentially, the Ed Department must be convinced that colleges are changing accreditors to improve their quality, Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, president of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, said in an email. In a blog post announcing the guidance, the Ed Department cited the Florida law. Lawmakers there passed the accreditation law earlier this year, prompting the Ed Department to warn state officials that the policy could endanger colleges' access to federal financial aid. Higher education's accreditation system is meant to ensure that colleges provide quality education, are financially healthy and continuously improve through peer review. Without a seal of approval from federally recognized accreditors, colleges can't receive federal financial aid. But accreditors have long faced criticism that they aren't providing enough oversight. |
| Why This Fall's Campus Housing Shortages Could Be Different | |
 | Colleges across the nation are facing housing shortages and increased demand, leaving hundreds of students waiting for assignments or scrambling to find off-campus options as the fall semester quickly approaches. Housing shortages are nothing new. But this year is different, according to Kevin Kruger, president of Naspa: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, because the demand for on-campus housing may be even higher. He cited two factors: "post-pandemic, pent-up demand" and the national housing crisis driving up rent off campus. "Students who were in what we now call Zoom University were pretty unhappy about just being detached from the campus, with a lot of a sense of isolation and loneliness," Kruger said. "And a lot of these rising high-school graduates missed substantial parts of their high-school experience." So now, students are craving the "full campus experience," Kruger said. And because rental prices in neighboring towns have "skyrocketed," campus housing in some places is the more-affordable option -- which also drives up demand. Kruger said colleges face long-term challenges in housing shortages: "older buildings, challenges around maintenance, difficulty in securing funding for new residence halls" -- all that will continue to be an issue in the future. But like many trends in higher education, housing shortages are unevenly distributed. "Not everyone is oversubscribed," Kruger said. |
| Hiring woes loom large at business officers' conference | |
 | Now hiring: staff members at a college near you. At scheduled sessions, happy hour chats and informal dinner conversations, a common theme popped up over and over again at this week's National Association of College and University Business Officers conference: colleges are seriously struggling to hire and retain employees. The conference, held outside Denver, featured a number of sessions focused on staffing challenges in a new era of work reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. Common issues include employees leaving for better pay, increased competition from the corporate sector, demands for remote work and rigid hiring policies that limit institutions from recruiting and retaining talent even as vacancies linger. Higher education, like many industries, pivoted to remote work at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many institutions shut down and shifted classes online. But while most have returned to a pre-pandemic normal, employee expectations haven't. In higher ed as elsewhere, the traditional office environment has fallen out of favor with many workers. Runaway inflation and soaring gas prices have added to employees' frustration with the old way of doing things, And depending on an employee's work responsibilities, their physical presence may not be needed. "One argument I heard recently was 'I drive to work to go on Zoom,'" Gerald Hector, senior vice president for administration and finance at the University of Central Florida, said on a panel. |
| The Lethal Consequences of Dropping the Ball on Dating Violence | |
| An angry ex-boyfriend with an explosive temper. An undergraduate terrified of what he might do next. A university that missed the signs that her life was in imminent danger. The elements leading up to Lauren McCluskey's 2018 murder could have provided a critical case study at the University of Utah, which had pledged to do better for future victims. Instead, they formed a chilling parallel to another act of intimate-partner violence, this time against Zhifan Dong, a 19-year-old Utah freshman from China. Dong was killed in February in a Salt Lake City motel, allegedly by a fellow student she'd recently broken up with. Haoyu Wang, 26, has been charged with murder, accused of injecting Dong with a fatal dose of heroin and fentanyl. It was not immediately clear whether Wang had entered a plea in the case. The similarities between the McCluskey and Dong cases are troubling to those who monitor domestic-violence issues. Both women had communicated their fears to the university, which then dropped the ball on communicating with the people who might have intervened. Dana Bolger, who co-founded Know Your IX, an advocacy group on Title IX, said in an email message that the latest case at Utah "reflects the trivialization of dating violence, especially when it's committed against young women of color. Even after #MeToo and so much attention to other forms of gender-based violence, domestic violence still isn't talked about, isn't taken seriously. It's seen as no big deal -- until someone's killed," she wrote. |
| 200,000 student borrowers who say they were ripped off may get their loans erased | |
| A fight over when and how the U.S. Department of Education can cancel some federal student loans will soon play out in a federal courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco. On Aug. 4, a federal judge will decide whether to preliminarily approve a settlement that would erase the debts of 200,000 borrowers who say they were defrauded by their colleges. The lawsuit, Sweet v. Cardona, centers on a federal rule, known as borrower defense, that allows borrowers to ask the department to erase their student debts if a school has lied to them -- about their job prospects, their credits' transferability or their likely salary after graduation. Tens of thousands of borrowers who say they were ripped off, largely by for-profit colleges, have been in limbo, waiting years to have their claims reviewed. During the Trump administration, borrower advocates sued the department, arguing it deliberately and illegally stopped processing claims and wrongfully denied others without considering the merits of their cases. If the settlement is approved, those 200,000 borrowers will have more than $6 billion in debts erased, and another 64,000 will have their fraud claims reconsidered on the merits. The settlement also has its critics, who argue it's a brazen attack on dozens of largely for-profit colleges and could be used, by the department, to erase the debts of many more borrowers beyond the lawsuit. |
| Another bipartisan federal bill targets income-share agreements | |
| Bipartisan federal legislation reintroduced this week would place new restrictions on income-share agreements, a controversial tool for financing a college education. Income-share agreements, or ISAs, allow college graduates to pay back their tuition and fees with a set percentage of their income over an established timeframe. But critics say the terms of these deals are often murky, lack government oversight and may saddle students with even more debt. Versions of the latest bill have been put forth since 2015, but none have passed into law. The current iteration contains provisions like a 20% cap on the percentage of income an individual would pay and requirements that ISAs contain detailed disclosures. Whether ISAs are considered student loans and thus are covered by current consumer protection law has been oft-debated. Recent regulatory movement signals state and federal officials are more actively monitoring these arrangements. Notably, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last year determined that ISAs count as private loans, a legal interpretation the U.S. Department of Education endorsed. At the same time the CFPB issued its consent decree establishing ISAs as loans, it targeted a Virginia-based nonprofit, Better Future Forward. It ordered the provider to stop saying its agreements weren't loans. |
| To get their degrees, Mexico's medical students practice medicine at gunpoint | |
 | When Alfredo Cortes arrived at a tiny clinic for his year of community service required of all medical students in Mexico, he found that he had no cellphone or internet access -- only a radio. He lived alone at the clinic, a simple dwelling in a rural community of Michoacan state where police were a rare sight. In the early hours of a spring morning in 2020, he was roused from sleep by growling trucks and pounding on the front door. Several armed men ordered Cortes to leave with them. When he refused, one truck sped away and quickly returned with a man bleeding heavily from his belly. He had been shot. As Cortes got to work, one of the men trained a gun on him and shouted, "Save him!" The patient needed surgery, but the clinic lacked basic supplies, so all Cortes could do was bandage the wound and warn that if the man didn't receive treatment elsewhere he would die. "They're pointing their guns, they're shouting, there are people communicating by radio, and you don't know with whom," recalled Cortes, now 26, who learned later that the man had lived. "It's a very tense situation." Such stories are common among Mexico's medical students these days. Mandatory service has long been part of the government's effort to improve healthcare in isolated communities. But as drug cartels and other criminal groups have increased their footprint across the country, it has become an increasingly dangerous rite of passage. It's unclear exactly how many students have been killed or suffered attacks during their community service, but even university officials have started to acknowledge that the program has become unsafe. |
SPORTS
| MSU Selects LEARFIELD AMPLIFY To Build Dedicated, On-Campus Ticket Sales And Service Team | |
| Mississippi State Athletics announced LEARFIELD Amplify will create an on-campus ticket sales and service team as fall sports begin next month. Seven staff members will encompass the robust team embedded inside the athletics department, providing a heightened level of service and support for Bulldog fans. "We are thrilled to be able to welcome the LEARFIELD Amplify team to our Bulldog Family as we work to collaboratively grow our ticket base, fill our venues, and create a preeminent game experience for our fans and student athletes," said Rhett Hobart, Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs. "Amplify's best in class resources, training and sales strategies, in partnership with the support of our existing ticket operations team, will help Mississippi State drive record crowds and sell out our venues." The dedicated LEARFIELD Amplify team will work closely with Starkville-based Bulldog Sports Properties, as well as leverage Paciolan's best-in-class ticketing software, Marketing Automation, and Salesforce. The combination and natural connection between the three LEARFIELD-owned businesses ultimately will elevate Mississippi State's ability to deliver fans the best experience, and to enhance the athletic experience for Bulldog student-athletes. Additionally, LEARFIELD Amplify will work alongside the Bulldog Club's ticketing and development staff to provide fans ongoing superior customer service, create new ticket packages and customize group experiences. |
| Scouting the schedule, Game 1: Mississippi State looks for revenge in season opener against Memphis | |
 | What a way to start a season. Mississippi State's first opponent of 2022 is the team that dealt the Bulldogs their most perplexing loss of the 2021 season. On Sept. 18, MSU lost a 17-7 lead, suffered from a bad call allowing a Memphis punt-return touchdown to stand and couldn't complete a comeback in a 31-29 loss. It was a disheartening game for a Bulldogs team off to an exciting 2-0 start. But thanks to the magic of home-and-home scheduling, MSU has a chance to make up for the defeat. The Bulldogs will be raring to face the Tigers again in a primetime matchup to begin the 2022 season. Mississippi State hosts Memphis at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 3 at Davis Wade Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPNU. |
| Transfer portal windows endorsed by Division I Council for final NCAA approval | |
| Division I college football players would have two periods of time -- one in the winter and one in the spring -- to enter the transfer portal and be immediately eligible to play if a proposed rule change gets final approval. The Division I Council endorsed on Tuesday several of the Transformation Committee's initial proposals and passed them on to the D-I Board for approval. The Board meets again early next month. The council also moved along recommendations for expanding the benefits schools can provide athletes without the need for a special exemption and concepts to improve the infractions process. The implementation of transfer portal "entry windows" would happen this coming school year if the proposals are approved as expected. The windows would be set specific to each sport. Athletes in winter and spring sports would be required to provide written notification of transfer for 60 days following the NCAA championship selections in their sport. In fall sports, including football, there will be two entry windows. |
| Jackie Sherrill coached many greats, but says Eric Moulds was his best | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: (On July 30, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame inducts its Class of 2022. What follows is Part II of a series detailing the achievements of the eight inductees, today featuring Mississippi State and NFL standout Eric Moulds.) ... Jackie Sherrill recruited and coached many, many splendidly gifted athletes in his stints at Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Lucedale's Eric Moulds, soon to be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Sherrill says, was the best of all. "Size, speed, maturity and football knowledge, Eric Moulds had it all," Sherrill said. "I was fortunate to have some great ones who had many years in the NFL, but Eric was the best overall. He won so many games for his teams, first at State and then at Buffalo in the NFL." As a player, Moulds stood 6 feet, 2 inches and packed 225 pounds of muscle. He ran with the speed of a world class sprinter. Playing on predominantly running teams at State from 1993 until 1995, he caught 117 passes for 2,022 yards (just over 17 yards per catch). He also excelled as a kick returner, leading the nation in kickoff returns in 1994 with 33 yards per return. We can only imagine what it was like to speed down the field, covering kickoffs, and see a muscular 225-pounder coming at you, carrying the football, at world class speed. That speed/size quotient, along with sure hands, made him a first round draft choice of the Buffalo Bills, for whom he played 10 of his 12 NFL seasons. |
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