| Wednesday, August 3, 2022 |
| Mississippi State says partnership with EMCC is vital to Golden Triangle's economic growth | |
 | Mississippi State's vice president for research and economic development was at the Communiversity Tuesday to promote the partnership between MSU and East Mississippi Community College. Julie Jordan says that the Communiversity has already realized its purpose as a force for economic growth in the region by supporting and providing job training across all kinds of disciplines. It is an effort that Jordan says MSU continues to support. She says that State recently established a new program called the Bachelor of Applied Science, which allows any EMCC graduate with a technical degree to transfer to MSU and earn a bachelor's degree without losing any of their credits. "When companies come to visit Mississippi State or they come to visit the (Golden Triangle Development LINK) or they come to visit any of the regional communities, this is the place we bring them," she says. "We show them that this is the kind of first-class facility that (you can build). If you will come here, your employees can be trained, pre-screened, and we can develop partnerships. If the Communiversity needs to do the training, they can do it, if Mississippi State University needs to bring higher-level advanced manufacturing techniques to the process, we're here to do that part of the process." |
| NEIGHBORS: Ravi receives recognition; New Bulldogs from Clarke County | |
 | Anika Ravi recently received recognition from the Rural Medical & Science Scholars program. She was among 23 students enrolled in the summer program at Mississippi State University to encourage high school students to pursue health or science careers in rural areas of the state. MSU's Extension Service directed the program with support from MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Mississippi Office of Rural Health and Primary Care/MSDH, Toyota Wellspring Fund at CREATE, CareSource, AIM for Change Extension Program, and MSU Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President. ... The Clarke County Chapter of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association held its 2022 Send-Off Party for new MSU students July 21 at Clarkco State Park. New Bulldogs from Clarke County and their respective high schools include Jalen Nixon, Quitman; Presley White, Wayne Academy; and Nya Nobles, Mya Jackson and Jordan Lafferty, all of Quitman. Each student received a cowbell and gift bag. Nixon and White were also the recipients of a $500 scholarship credited to their MSU account. |
| Supes leave Felix Long demolition plans in limbo | |
 | Oktibbeha County supervisors on Monday left plans for tearing down the old Felix Long Memorial Hospital building in limbo and sent an architecture firm hoping to design the work back to square one. After hearing a proposal for demolition plans from Columbus-based Major Design Studio, supervisors voted 3-2, respectively, to reject, then table, the proposal. Ultimately, they voted unanimously to request qualifications from firms to design "county projects," including the Felix Long demolition. The old hospital building, located at 106 Felix Long Drive off West Lampkin Street, most recently housed the county's Extension Service office before that agency, along with several others, were relocated to a county-owned facility on Lynn Lane. Once the building is demolished, the county has discussed building another administrative facility in its place. On Monday, Major Andrews IV and Ryan Ashford, with Major Design Studio, offered to design the demolition plans for 8 percent of the total demolition costs, which they estimated would be $396,000. That would see the county pay nearly $32,000 for those design services. The firm also is looking to design the facility that replaces the old hospital building, a project that would be approved separately. The county does not have to request qualifications from multiple firms for professional services unless the cost for those services is more than $75,000. Still, board president Bricklee Miller, who represents District 4, pushed to request qualifications anyway instead of hiring Major Design Studio directly. |
| Heavy rain causes flash flooding in central Mississippi | |
 | Heavy rain caused flash flooding in central Mississippi Tuesday, trapping some people in homes and offices. WLBT-TV reported fire department crews used boats to get people out of homes in Canton, about 26 miles (42 kilometers) north of Jackson. Bubba Bramlett, district attorney for Madison and Rankin counties, told WAPT-TV that floodwaters surrounded his office in Canton. "All of the staff, they pretty much got stranded there in the office," Bramlett said. "We were able to get the cars out of there and everybody is safe and all of our people are out. Now, we're just hoping the office doesn't flood." Bri'Anna Haymon told WAPT that she and her family just moved to a Canton apartment complex Monday. She said her car was almost completely underwater after the rain Tuesday. Haymon moved to Canton from Goodman after a tornado ripped through the town in March. "We had our ceiling fall in one of the bedrooms and the kitchen. We lost completely everything," Haymon said. "Just for us to now move here and for this to happen, it's like the same thing happening again -- losing everything all over again." |
| Ingalls President Kari Wilkinson elected to Mississippi Power Board of Directors | |
 | On Tuesday, Mississippi Power announced that Kari Wilkinson, President of Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula and Executive Vice President of Huntington Ingalls Industries, has been elected to serve on the utility's board of directors. Wilkinson started her career at Ingalls in 1996 as a naval architect, progressing through leadership roles in a broad spectrum of functions across the shipyard. In April 2021, Wilkinson was named President of Ingalls Shipbuilding where she is now in charge of overseeing all programs and operations at the 800-acre shipyard. She also serves on the board of directors for the Mississippi Economic Council, Gulf Coast Business Council and the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation. Anthony Wilson, Mississippi Power Chairman, President and CEO, said that their company has enjoyed a strong partnership with Ingalls -- America's shipyard -- for decades and they are honored to have Wilkinson join the board. "She is a highly respected leader not only in Mississippi, but also across our country," Wilson continued. "I know her experiences and expertise in building ships that are so vital to our national security will be tremendous additions to the diversity of thought on our board." |
| Jackson City Council wants laws regulating police chases crossing city lines | |
 | The Jackson City Council is calling for the state Legislature to adopt more stringent state laws to regulate interjurisdictional high-speed police chases after a July 21 chase that began in Pearl ended with a fatal crash after crossing jurisdictional lines into Jackson. The resolution, introduced by Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley and passed unanimously during Tuesday's council meeting, urges the state to enact uniform standards for all law enforcement officers to follow when engaging in such chases. On July 21, Brad Pennington, 32, a mail carrier, whose truck was overturned after a high-speed chase that began in Pearl ended with the crash at Barbara Ann Drive and Maria Drive in Jackson. The chase began when Pearl Police attempted to pull over Brandon Andrews, 20, for speeding on Interstate 20, and ended when Andrews crashed his Toyota Camry into the mail truck driven by Pennington in south Jackson. Pennington was transported to University of Mississippi Medical Center where he died from head injuries sustained in the crash. "This resolution asks the Legislature to come up with some guidelines -- it will benefit all municipalities in the state," Hartley said. Under current law local municipalities are given the discretion to enact their own rules, Hartley said. "We need uniform safety guidelines and restrictions," he said. Pearl Mayor Jake Windham has defended the actions of his city's police officers that resulted in the fatal accident, placing blame for the death on the chase suspect. |
| Earmarks in Senate bills favor small states, retiring senators | |
 | Appropriations bills for the upcoming fiscal year unveiled in the Senate last week contain more than 3,100 earmarks totaling almost $7.8 billion, with Sen. Richard C. Shelby once again the uncontested champion of what senators have rebranded "congressionally directed spending." The retiring Alabama Republican, also the ranking member on Senate Appropriations, pulled in $656.4 million across four of the bills, which in general he and other Republicans oppose because of what they consider excess spending and partisan policy riders. Altogether, Shelby and 15 other Senate Republicans who requested earmarks obtained almost $3.4 billion of the total, or nearly 44 percent. The entire Democratic Caucus other than Montana's Jon Tester and New Hampshire's Maggie Hassan -- 48 in all, including two independents -- secured just under $4 billion. The remainder were bipartisan requests. Much of Shelby's haul comes from the Transportation-HUD bill, which overall contained the highest earmarked dollar amount at $2 billion. He also secured $80 million in the Commerce-Justice-Science bill for two large National Institute of Standards and Technology construction projects, one at Marion Military Institute and one at the University of Alabama. There's also $161 million for three projects in the Labor-HHS-Education bill, two for health care facilities and equipment at Spring Hill College and one at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine; a third would support a permanent endowment fund at UAB. |
| Biden to sign executive order to help patients travel for abortions | |
 | President Biden will sign an executive order Wednesday to direct his health secretary to consider actions to assist patients traveling out of state for abortions. The travel-related provision in the order will call on Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to consider inviting states to apply for Medicaid waivers when treating patients who cross state lines for reproductive health services. A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview Biden's actions, declined to share details on what a waiver would look like but said it would target low-income women served by Medicaid and help cover certain costs. The executive order, the second Biden will sign on reproductive health since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, follows the administration's call for the Department of Health and Human Services to explore all options to support Americans who live in states that have severely limited abortion access. The president's actions also come a day after Kansas voters rejected an effort to strip away their state's abortion protections. The executive order also directs Becerra to consider actions to ensure health-care providers comply with federal nondiscrimination laws to ensure women receive medically necessary care, which could include providing technical assistance for providers confused about their obligations following the Supreme Court's decision. Finally, the order calls on Becerra to improve research and data collection on maternal health outcomes. |
| As Pelosi Leaves Taiwan, China's Military Looms Larger | |
 | U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi departed Taiwan after a whirlwind trip that raised military tensions over the island to their highest level in more than two decades, an escalation that is set to persist long after she returns home. By the time Mrs. Pelosi (D., Calif.) wrapped up a day of meetings with Taiwan's president, senior lawmakers, executives and human-rights activists and left Taiwan on Wednesday, China's navy had already maneuvered into position for large live-fire drills that will encircle the island beginning Thursday. Mrs. Pelosi's visit sought to reinforce what she said was America's ironclad commitment to preserving Taiwan's democracy. Yet the trip also brings Beijing's military activity into what Taipei claims as its territorial waters, according to Taipei's Defense Ministry, raising the prospect of greater pressure on an island that is the most sensitive flashpoint in U.S.-China relations. "The proximity of the exercises to Taiwan could become the new norm," said J. Michael Cole, a Taipei-based senior adviser with the International Republican Institute, a nonprofit whose board includes Republican Party heavyweights. He described it as "salami-slicing" that aims to constrain the spaces where Taiwan can operate. Beijing worries the U.S. is backing away from longstanding agreements over the status of Taiwan, which could unsettle the balance of cross-strait relations and make military conflict more likely. While the U.S. says there has been no change in its Taiwan policy, U.S. lawmakers have made high-profile visits in recent months, and President Biden has repeatedly suggested the U.S. would intervene if China were to attack Taiwan, comments the White House has subsequently walked back. Some Western analysts warn that such moves could embolden advocates of Taiwan independence and push the region closer to conflict. |
| Election Victories by Trump Allies Showcase His Grip on the G.O.P. Base | |
 | Primary victories in Arizona and Michigan for allies of Donald J. Trump on Tuesday reaffirmed his continued influence over the Republican Party, as the former president has sought to cleanse the party of his critics, install loyalists in key swing-state offices and scare off potential 2024 rivals with a show of brute political force. In Arizona, Mr. Trump's choice for Senate, Blake Masters, won a crowded primary as did his pick for secretary of state, Mark Finchem, an election denier who has publicly acknowledged his affiliation with the far-right Oath Keepers militia group. The governor's race was virtually tied early Wednesday, even as Mr. Trump's pick, Kari Lake, was badly outspent. And in a particularly symbolic victory for Mr. Trump, Rusty Bowers, the Republican speaker of the Arizona House who gained national attention after testifying against Mr. Trump at the Jan. 6 congressional hearings, lost his bid for State Senate. In Michigan, a House Republican who voted to impeach Mr. Trump, Representative Peter Meijer, was defeated by a former Trump administration official, John Gibbs, and Mr. Trump's last-minute choice for governor, the conservative commentator Tudor Dixon, who has echoed his false claims of election fraud, easily won her primary. Mr. Trump and his allies have been particularly focused on the vote-counting and certification process in both Arizona and Michigan, seeking to oust those who stood in the way of their attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The victory of Mr. Finchem, who marched on the Capitol on Jan. 6, was a key sign of how the "Stop the Steal" movement that was formed on a falsehood about 2020 has morphed into a widespread campaign to try to take control of the levers of democracy ahead of the coming elections. |
| Roe jolts the midterms: 5 takeaways from a key primary night | |
 | Democrats can see glimmers of new midterm life, after the stunning defeat of an anti-abortion measure in Kansas. Eric Greitens is the big loser in Missouri -- which means the Republican Party as a whole won. And in Michigan, Rep. Peter Meijer has conceded in a primary fueled by his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. Votes are still being counted in some of the most important races. But as the multi-state primary made its return on Tuesday after a summer hiatus, the shape of the general election landscape fell more clearly into view. It would have been a victory for Democrats and abortion rights activists if they'd even kept it close in Kansas. Instead, as the heavily Republican state rejected an anti-abortion constitutional amendment, it marked a political earthquake with the potential to reshape the entire midterm campaign. In the first test of abortion politics since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, turnout soared in Kansas despite a heat advisory and little else to draw Democrats to the polls. Yet in a state where Trump beat President Joe Biden by nearly 15 percentage points in 2020, the amendment was failing badly -- in a brushback to Republican legislators who were preparing to move legislation restricting abortion. And if the politics of Roe proved fraught for Republicans in Kansas, it's going to be even more treacherous for the GOP in swing-ier, more moderate swaths of the country. |
| Surface-level drones could be future water warriors for the Great Lakes | |
 | Welcome to the future of Lake Erie water sampling: Robotics. Robots aren't by any means unprecedented in the Great Lakes region. Remote-controlled cameras, for example, have moved beneath the water for years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is nonetheless asking the public to keep its distance from a drone scheduled to be deployed Monday by its Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. Called an Uncrewed Surface Vehicle, or SeaTrac SP-48, the unusual-looking device has the shape of a small sailboat, but with solar panels and other high-tech equipment taking up areas where crew members would ordinarily sit. Ping Tuck Chai, director of sales and marketing for Massachusetts-based SeaTrac Systems, Inc., said the drone technology offered by that company has multiple uses, from tracking algal blooms to better understanding optical properties of water. Similar devices are already being used in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico by Princeton University, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Mississippi State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi, he said. NOAA's interest in such devices is part of its ongoing effort to identify and track algal toxins as close to real time as possible, not only for water-treatment plant operators but also recreationists coming in contact with water, such as kayakers. |
| Southern Miss gala will be 'A Diamond Affair' in support of the arts | |
 | An arts patron organization at the University of Southern Mississippi is preparing to host a gala for its 25th anniversary. Partners for the Arts will host a gala called "A Diamond Affair" on Sept. 15 at The Venue in Hattiesburg. Tickets are $125. Partners for the Arts was founded in 1997, and since then, it has raised more than $1.7 million to support students in the arts at USM. Organizers say the gala will be similar to others hosted by the group over the years, including "Shangri-La" and "Atlantis." Its last event, called "Casablanca," was held in 2019. "We're very excited about this theme," said Kate Smith, Partners for the Arts administrator. "It's basically stepping into 1813 London to attend one of the most coveted balls in the high social season, so we're excited. We're going to have debutantes and viscounts and queens, and it's just going to be thrilling." |
| Jackson State University will introduce a new Professional Accountancy program in the fall | |
| Jackson State University recently announced two online professional accountancy programs that will begin in the fall semester. "Professionally the program will be the same as our university in-person programs as far as the curriculum," said Dr. Fidelis Ikem, dean of College and Business at Jackson State in a press release. "The eight-week course will allow students to learn financial and accounting skills to prepare them for the accounting and business industry. "The deadline to register for the accountancy classes is the same as our university registration deadline ...which is Sept. 1 for traditional students and Aug. 20 for online students. The two new online programs align with JSU's strategic student success and academic performance." Students who enroll through the school will have free admission for the fall semester, but if not the program will cost close to $3,000, the press release states. Students will also have access to a Becker CPA Readiness Program, which is sponsored by Deloitte. "The Master of Professional Accountancy and Bachelor of Business Administration will be available for in-person learning also," the press release states. Ikem said the accountancy program classes will expand the university's reach in the state and beyond. |
| $8M grant to develop commercial space near Mississippi College | |
| An $8 million legislative grant obtained by a partnership between the city of Clinton, Mississippi College, and local developer Ben Walker will lay the foundation for a mixed-use commercial, retail, restaurant, and professional space. The complex will be located between Highway 80 and Interstate 20 west of Springridge Road in Clinton. Ben Walker will contribute a portion of land directly to the west of Springridge Road and north of the Springridge Shopping Center. Mississippi College will provide the majority of the property, connected to the west by the Choctaws' practice football field. Robinson Spring, a natural water source that has long served Clinton residents, and the Leake Family Cemetery will be preserved and not impacted by the development. Mississippi College President Dr. Blake Thompson, who has envisioned this project for quite some time, believes that it will benefit the university's students and faculty members. "This project has been dreamed about for a long time," Thompson said. "I'm grateful to the City of Clinton, the state of Mississippi, and Ben Walker for joining with us and taking the first step toward making the development a reality. The Speaker, Mayor Phil Fisher, and the Board have been remarkable partners in their support throughout this first stage of the project." |
| EMCC practical nursing students graduate | |
| Fourteen students graduated from East Mississippi Community College's Practical Nursing Program in a pinning ceremony the afternoon of July 29 in the Lyceum Auditorium on the college's Golden Triangle campus. Several awards were presented with the highest honor going to Columbus resident Destiny Andrews, who garnered the Florence Nightingale Award, which is awarded to the student who most embodies the spirit of nursing. "This is the highest award that can be received in a program of nursing," Practical Nursing instructor Michelle Melton said prior to presenting the award. "We give the Nightingale Award to one student that has shown excellence in clinicals and has been a student that others look up to for their caring and compassion in all areas of nursing. She exhibits concern and compassion for the class as well as patients." EMCC Vice President of Operations Dr. Paul Miller welcomed the attendees. The guest speaker was Sam Ivy, director of the Baptist Student Union at EMCC and the Mississippi University for Women. Ivy said friends and family in attendance were aware that the students had encountered roadblocks and difficulties during their educational journey. "That is all the more reason to celebrate that you are here on your graduation day," Ivy said. "You have run the race well." |
| U. of Florida engineers are researching how technology is impacting marginalized communities | |
| University engineers received a received a 7.5 million dollar grant from the National Science Federation. University of Florida engineers plan to use the money to make technology more inclusive in a 5 year project. Researchers say groups like the poor, elderly, disabled and children are all marginalized by current technology including the use of smart phones and video conferencing. For example, one of the issues they saw, was the move to virtual courtrooms during the pandemic. Kevin Butler is the principal investigator on the project and a professor at UF. He said even though the move was meant to be convenient, people without access to zoom and those that could only call in to the courtroom, lost their cases. To find a fix, Butler said they will look at the experiences of students with diverse backgrounds and knowledge. "Our students will form the basis of this new generation of computing professionals who have these design principles in mind and are able to think about how to design beyond the default persona when they develop systems of their own" said Butler. |
| U. of Louisville physicians' work at abortion clinic suspended amid complaints by legislators | |
| Two University of Louisville medical professors have suspended their work at EMW Women's Surgical Center, Kentucky's only full-time abortion clinic, after questions arose from lawmakers who oppose abortion. The action follows a legislative hearing last month when legislators grilled Dr. Toni Ganzel, medical school dean, about the arrangement established to help train medical residents in abortion procedures. "If university funds are used for abortion," said Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, "the taxpayers ought to know, and the legislature should take that into account when we're talking about funding the university and other things." Monday, U of L spokesman John Karman, in a brief statement, said the university has "paused our residency training affiliation with EMW until we can determine the future of the relationship." He provided no further detail except to say U of L is "exploring various options" to ensure it meets medical training requirements for residents to maintain academic accreditation for its obstetrics and gynecology program. Jessica Loving, a former U of L board chair and abortion rights supporter, said she's concerned by the appearance that anti-abortion lawmakers are using state funding to pressure U of L. "I think it's very inappropriate for legislators to try to hold an academic institution hostage, particularly when it involves medical care," she said. |
| Colleges get creative to solve student housing squeeze | |
 | Students are scrambling to find housing as the fall semester rapidly approaches, with many colleges managing lengthy waitlists and frustrations from would-be residents desperate for a bed on campus. At some institutions, housing waitlists are a positive sign for both booming enrollment and student preferences. But even as they deal with such welcome developments, institutions still have to figure out where to place students for the coming academic year. While some universities are turning to familiar strategies -- such as placing students in nearby hotels -- others are deploying new tools to incentivize students, and even alumni, to help ease high housing demands. The coronavirus pandemic emptied many K-12 schools across the U.S., forcing high school students into remote classes and disrupting extracurricular activities. Now many college students are looking to make up for those lost experiences by embracing campus life. And it isn't just incoming first-year students who have been affected; some observers note that housing demand is up even among upperclassmen, who also had their first two years of college constricted by the pandemic when many universities emptied their dorms and went remote. Then, of course, there's runaway inflation, which stands at 9.1 percent according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Housing prices, like many goods and services, have increased dramatically. Residential halls can often -- though not always -- be a more affordable alternative, with many colleges offering housing facilities that fall below the market rate for private rentals. |
| Colleges Scale Back Covid Precautions for Fall, Saying Pandemic Phase Over | |
| Colleges this fall are no longer treating Covid-19 as an emergency upending their operations, shifting to eliminate mask requirements and mandatory coronavirus testing and letting students who contract the virus isolate in their dorms with their roommates. With easy access to vaccinations and low hospitalization rates among college-aged adults -- even during the latest surge in BA.5 subvariant cases -- administrators said it is time to lift or at least rethink restrictions and redefine the virus as endemic, not a pandemic. That means scaling back mass testing, removing bans on large indoor gatherings and preparing for a fall term that more closely resembles life before Covid. Another issue driving the decisions is exhaustion, according to public-health experts and academics on several campuses. Students and staff have been subjected to two years of daily health checks, weekly trots to a testing center and a roller coaster of mask protocols. "It really comes down to a change in mind-set," said Ken Henderson, who was co-chair of Northeastern University's Covid-management operations until the group disbanded in January. Citing clinical therapies and the reduced severity of current variants, he said, "We've pivoted significantly to more living with the virus." |
| Six GOP senators ask Education Department about transgender Title IX changes | |
 | Six GOP senators sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona late last month asking about the potential ramifications of the Biden administration's proposal to extend Title IX protections to transgender students. The letter, sent by Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Ted Cruz (Texas), Josh Hawley (Mo.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Marco Rubio (Fla.), describes the proposal as likely to "force a radical gender ideology" into classrooms and cites recent high-profile controversies related to transgender protections in schools. The proposals, which the Education Department announced on the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which prevents federally funded schools from discriminating on the basis of sex, would extend those protections to LGBTQI+ students, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. "Your interpretation of Title IX will undermine that law's very purpose by making schools and sports unsafe and unfair for women and girls," the senators wrote. The letter, which was dated Thursday, asks 10 questions of Cardona, with many referencing recent events that have been used as culture war examples by Republican lawmakers. |
| Billions more for US science: how the landmark spending plan will boost research | |
| The US National Science Foundation and other research agencies could see major infusions of cash, thanks to the US$280-billion CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which the US Congress passed last week. Two years in the making, this landmark legislation promises one of the biggest funding increases in years for science. But it remains unclear whether Congress will ultimately deliver the money it has pledged. The legislation centres on boosting domestic manufacturing of semiconductors -- or chips -- which are crucial for electronics. Currently, the United States produces only 12% of the world's chips, and Congress has vowed to decrease reliance on other countries to enhance national security and grow the domestic job market. CHIPS and Science authorizes multibillion-dollar budget increases over the next five years to federal research agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. By investing in these agencies, legislators aim to foster scientific and technological innovation in the United States. When Congress approved CHIPS and Science, it felt like "a big breath of relief", says Deborah Altenburg, associate vice-president for research policy and government affairs at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities in Washington DC. But, she adds, "It's also only one step." Most of the increases represent authorizations to spend a certain amount -- not budget appropriations, which provide funding. |
| Financial straits may force hospital ownership changes | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: Hospitals in Mississippi face unprecedented financial pressures. Now two more have been forced to seek out new owners. The city of Greenwood and Leflore County have put jointly owned Greenwood Leflore Hospital up for bid. Jackson County supervisors will hold a public hearing on Aug. 17 after voting to consider putting county owned Singing River Health Systems (SRSH) up for bid. ... Both hospitals are the second largest employers in their counties. ... Sales and mergers of Mississippi hospitals represent a growing trend. In addition to the Rush/Ochsner merger, others in recent years include Mississippi Baptist Health Care in Jackson merging into Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis and St. Dominic Health Services in Jackson being acquired by Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady (FMOL) Health System in Baton Rouge. One knowledgeable source said to expect additional mergers, acquisitions and even some closures as hospital finances continue to deteriorate. "All this turmoil could be avoided if state officials would agree to some form of Medicaid expansion," he added. Another said officials should consider this a disaster and provide emergency relief. Whatever, community controlled hospitals may soon be a relic of the past. |
| Air conditioning state prisons is a measure of both basic humanity and business acumen | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Those who are, like me, old enough to remember life before air conditioning in the Deep South often flinch a bit when passionate, well-meaning young prison reformers launch into a lecture about the cruelties of operating state prisons without the benefit of that comfort. Air conditioning on a national scale in the U.S. was a decidedly post-World War II development. Depending on one's socioeconomic status and geography, it was in the period between 1970 and 1990 when a solid majority of Mississippians first enjoyed residential air conditioning. As I've noted before in writing on this topic, the notion that the taxpayers of Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida were submitting prisoners in those states to "cruel and unusual punishment" in violation of 8th Amendment rights by not providing air conditioning for their cells was news indeed to people of a certain age across the South. Beyond that, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for the comfort of criminals -- some violent, repeat offenders among them -- is a political non-starter among taxpayers who favor a more "get tough on crime" approach. That said, it seems to me that the decision of the Mississippi Department of Corrections to air condition first the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman and later the Central Mississippi and South Mississippi prison complexes is a decision that reflects both basic humanity and surprising business acumen. |
SPORTS
| Scouting the schedule, Game 12: Mike Leach and Mississippi State seek much-needed rivalry win at Ole Miss | |
| Mississippi State might still be thinking about the dropped passes and missed opportunities that swung the 2021 Egg Bowl in favor of Ole Miss. The Bulldogs' early momentum fizzled out in a 31-21 loss as the Rebels maintained their hold on the Golden Egg Trophy. MSU hasn't won it since Mike Leach was hired. And with an NFL draft exodus in Oxford, the Bulldogs seem to stand a decent chance in 2022. Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral? He's a Carolina Panther. Offensive line-wrecking defensive end Sam Williams? A Dallas Cowboy. Running back Snoop Conner and three Ole Miss linebackers were also drafted. Coach Lane Kiffin made amends in the transfer portal, but the Rebels' losses seem significant compared to those of their in-state counterparts. MSU will have to depend on its returning talent to get a sorely needed Egg Bowl win in Oxford. Mississippi State will end the regular season with a 6:30 p.m. matchup with Ole Miss on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. |
| Ole Miss preseason camp begins Wednesday, Mississippi State Friday | |
| College football fans will have to wait a little longer for the games, but the grind to get to the games begins this week. Ole Miss starts August camp Wednesday with a 9 a.m. practice, while Mississippi State begins Friday at 2. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and select players will meet with media Wednesday afternoon. MSU coach Mike Leach will address media following the Bulldogs' first practice. NCAA rules that went into affect last season allow teams 25 practices in 29 days for the month of August. Teams are allowed 18 contact days but only nine in full pads and two scrimmages. Leach and Kiffin are each entering their third season at their respective schools. A handful of teams around the country will participate in "Week Zero" games on Aug. 27, but MSU and Ole Miss will both begin play on Sept. 3. Ole Miss will be at home for a 3 p.m. kickoff against Troy. The game will air on The SEC Network. MSU will be at home against Memphis in a 6:30 start in a game that will air on ESPNU. The Bulldogs' Davis-Wade Stadium will debut its "balconies," designed to give fans standing and walk-around space in the west side upper deck. A construction project for the Rebels' Vaught-Hemingway Stadium west side has been delayed. |
| UK basketball fans flock to Rupp for flood relief efforts: 'It shows that people care' | |
 | Hours before the doors to Rupp Arena opened Tuesday, the line started to form. It pretty quickly wrapped around the corner of the building, growing steadily as the afternoon wore on. It snaked all the way down High Street --- spanning the entire length of the outside of the arena --- before working its way down a set of stairs and back around the other end. The hundreds of people who formed that line -- most of them dressed in blue -- stood in the hot August sun and visited with one another. Most of the talk was about -- what else? -- Kentucky basketball. There was reminiscing over favorite teams and players of the past. There was excitement over the Wildcats that will take the Rupp court this season. There were strangers talking to strangers, with UK basketball as the common thread. On this afternoon, however, the Cats weren't the main reason many of those had joined the congregation. "The bottom line is to support the benefit," said Roger Long, who sat in a chair at the very front of the line. The reason for the event -- thrown together over a matter of 48 hours -- was to raise money for victims of the flooding that has devastated communities in Eastern Kentucky. The reason for the festivities in Rupp Arena -- and the corresponding telethon on WLEX-18 -- was to raise money for the flood relief efforts that will continue in the region for a long time to come. Several local businesses announced donations during the telethon, and Joe and Kelly Craft said they would match up to $1 million in donations. |
| No more Sir Big Spur? Controversy over South Carolina Gamecocks' live mascot ruffles feathers | |
 | You've seen him, petted him, perhaps held him. Ever since Mary Snelling got the idea to start bringing a live rooster to University of South Carolina athletic events, Sir Big Spur has been a sideline staple and a photo favorite. He'll still be there for this football season, baseball season and future games. But he'll have a different look, and a different name, because of a bone of contention between the original owners and the new owners. Make that, a comb of contention. Sir Big Spur debuted at a 1999 baseball game, strutting atop the home team's dugout at the old Sarge Frye Field. He began coming to football games in 2006 and has been a popular sight before games, as Snelling and husband Ron Albertelli operated a remote-controlled cart ("The Roost Roller") for the bird to perch atop as it motors around the North end zone at Williams-Brice Stadium. "We did this out of love," Snelling said. "We didn't get any money out of it, but put quite a lot of money into it, although the university helped us with travel expenses. It's a personal thing with us, too." It's why this latest kerfuffle has ruffled their feathers. Snelling and Albertelli have been in charge of the bird for over 20 years and are each getting older with some health issues. In 2019, they began looking for someone to potentially take over their duties. They found someone in Beth and Van Clark. |
| AFCA executive director Todd Berry opens up about near-death experience with COVID-19 | |
| Lisa Berry told her husband to put the doctor on the phone. She couldn't believe the words she had just heard. They want to put you on a ventilator?! That doesn't make sense. But that was exactly what the doctor told her. Hospital staff were preparing to connect her husband to the breathing machine by inserting a tube down his windpipe and into his lungs. He had COVID-19 double pneumonia, and doctors said he had a 50-50 chance of survival at best. About a year earlier, Lisa's seemingly healthy brother was in the same position. Doctors put him on a ventilator, but he died 28 days later at age 53. She knew a ventilator was a last resort for her husband. After speaking with the doctor, Lisa heard her husband's withering voice next. He fought for each breath. The conversation was short. They told each other, "I love you," and she added, through tears, "You'll be fine. ... You'll be fine." Then, moments later, Todd Berry's world went dark. To most in college football, Berry is the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association and one of the most influential leaders in the sport. He sits on various NCAA governance committees that create and approve policy and is the leader and spokesperson for hundreds of college football coaches. A former coach himself, Berry had stints with Army and Louisiana-Monroe. But among doctors and nurses at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center's ICU unit, Berry had a nickname: "Golden Boy." |
| Baylor President Linda Livingstone elected chair of NCAA Board of Governors | |
| The NCAA Board of Governors met Tuesday for the first time in its new iteration, choosing Baylor President Linda Livingstone as board chair. Madeleine McKenna, a former volleyball student-athlete at California (Pennsylvania), was elected as the student-athlete voting member. "It is an honor to be chosen by the board to lead the group at such an important time in the history of college sports," Livingstone said. "We are at a critical moment, with an opportunity to shape the Association and successfully navigate the transformation taking place across all three divisions. We are also undergoing a search for the next president of the NCAA. The work of this smaller board will be vital in determining our way forward." Outgoing chair John J. DeGioia will still serve as a member of the Board of Governors. DeGioia, president at Georgetown, has been board chair since October 2020. "I'd like to thank Jack DeGioia for his service to the board as chair during an unprecedented time," NCAA President Mark Emmert said. "He steadily led his colleagues and the Association with a practical, reasonable approach to the issues. Undoubtedly, we will still benefit from his leadership as a board member." The new board includes nine voting members and seven nonvoting ex officio members. All three divisions are represented, including among the three graduated student-athletes represented on the board. The board also appointed a Subcommittee on Congressional Engagement and Action to provide guidance to the board on what actions the Association should take to seek congressional partnership in addressing legislative issues. |
| Bailey Howell on Bill Russell: 'The best who ever stepped on court' | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Most impressive sports statistic of all-time? In my mind, Bill Russell owns it. Get this: Russell played in 21 winner-take-all basketball games in his career. Those include college, NBA and Olympic championship games. In those games, Russell's team was 21-0. "Bill Russell was the greatest basketball player who ever stepped onto the court," Bailey Howell, Russell's teammate for three seasons with the Boston Celtics, said Tuesday morning, two days after Russell's death at age 88. "He was a winner. He was all about winning. In my mind, Russ was the Most Valuable Player of all-time. I think the record bears that out." The record does: Russell led the Celtics to 11 NBA Championships – two of those as a player-coach. In those 11 championship-deciding games, Russell averaged 29 rebounds. Speaking from his home in Starkville, Howell continued, "There were other players who were bigger, could shoot it better or had more basketball skills. But there was nobody who made his team better than Russ. He made everyone around him better. He was the leader of 11 championship teams. Without him, the Celtics would not have won a single one of those." Today, most fans argue between Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the greatest-ever basketball player. Jordan won six championships, James has won four. Again, Russell won 11. Eleven! ... Howell knew Russell as an opponent before they were teammates. Howell went to the Detroit Pistons as the NBA's second overall draft choice out of Mississippi State in 1959. Russell played against Russell for seven seasons, both as a Detroit Piston and a Baltimore Bullet. "A couple times I heard Russell tell his teammates to keep me off his back," said Howell, who averaged 12 rebounds per game in those seven pre-Celtics season. "I'd battle him as best I could. I didn't get as many as he did, but I battled him." |
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