| Tuesday, August 23, 2022 |
| Fall Convocation to welcome new freshmen, transfers Aug. 23 after two-year hiatus | |
 | New freshman students and transfers will take part in a university tradition on Tuesday [Aug. 23] for Fall Convocation, a celebratory event seeing a welcomed comeback after being canceled in 2020 and 2021 amid the pandemic. Commissioner of Higher Education Al Rankins Jr. of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning is the featured speaker at the 5:30 p.m. assembly in Humphrey Coliseum. Students will also hear from MSU President Mark E. Keenum and Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw. The Famous Maroon Band and State Singers will perform the National Anthem and the university's alma mater, "Maroon and White." A commemorative Convocation coin will be given to students as a keepsake at the conclusion of the program, along with MSU ice cream. Bus transportation will be available for students at the Oak Hall shuttle stop on Magruder Street beginning at 3:30 p.m. Buses will make a continual loop to the Hump until 5:15 p.m. and then will run back to Oak Hall after the event until 8 p.m. Students, families and other guests are asked to arrive early due to construction on and around Bailey Howell Drive which runs adjacent to the Hump. All are asked to enter the coliseum on the northeast side, near the southeast entrance to Dudy Noble Field, due to the construction. Parking Garage North is open for parking and is a pay by the hour service. All lots south of the coliseum will be available for parking. |
| MSU-Meridian celebrates 50 years Thursday | |
 | The community is invited to celebrate Mississippi State University-Meridian's 50th anniversary during an EMBDC Business After Hours in the Riley Campus Courtyard from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25. MSU-Meridian opened the Meridian branch, as it was called at the time, on the campus of Meridian Community College on Aug. 17, 1972. The first MSU-Meridian office was located temporarily in MCC's Ivy Hall, before the operation moved to what is now known as Hardin Hall. Originally designed to serve only 350 students. The first MSU-Meridian office was located temporarily in MCC's Ivy Hall, before the operation moved to what is now known as Hardin Hall. Fifty years later, the university has grown to two campuses. The College Park Campus built in 1993 and located on Highway 19 North across from MCC, houses the divisions of Arts and Sciences and Education. The Riley Campus located in the heart of downtown Meridian, encompasses the MSU Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts, which opened its doors in the fall of 2006. The center is the result of a $10 million contribution in 2000 by The Riley Foundation to restore the Grand Opera House and the Marks Rothenberg department store into the state-of-the-art, multi-functioning facility it is today. In 2009, The Riley Foundation donated $6.2 million to expand MSU's Meridian Riley campus and strengthen its downtown presence for the university. This gift included the donation of the Newberry Building, a four-story structure adjacent to the MSU Riley Center. Opened in January 2012, the Robert B. Deen, Jr. building, which was named after one of the founding members of the establishment of The Riley Foundation in 1998, houses the Division of Business. Adjacent is the I. Alfred Rosenbaum building which houses a state-of-the-art Physician Assistant program, its first inaugural class began January 2021. The three-story facility, renovated with a $5.5 million grant from The Riley Foundation, opened in 2016. |
| Delta-based weather center stations part of honeybee study | |
 | Delta Agricultural Weather Center stations typically record historical weather data and help growers make production decisions. Now, they're a key component of a new honeybee study at Mississippi State University (MSU). Esmaeil Amiri, an assistant professor of apiculture with the MSU Extension Service and researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, is using the facilities and datasets provided by the weather center for his research team's study on the effect of weather on honeybee health. The center, which features 37 fixed weather stations and various mobile stations for crop variety trials, is located at the MSU Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. "Honeybee activities highly depend on climate conditions. Rainfall, low temperature and high winds are all known to restrict honeybee foraging activities," Amiri said. "In recent years, poor weather in spring and summer, when colonies are highly active, has been a challenge for beekeepers and possibly led to increased pathogens in honeybee colonies and caused colony mortality. Amiri said his team's long-term goal is to use the data from the Delta Agricultural Weather Center to find out how long- and short-term climate change can impact honeybee health in respect to pests and pathogens. Amiri, who joined MSU earlier this year, said the Mississippi Delta is an ideal place for his research activities. |
| Applications open for Feral Swine Eradication program | |
| Delta Wildlife, Inc., along with state partners Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission (MSWCC), Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC), and Mississippi State University (MSU), are accepting applications from landowners for the South Delta Feral Swine Control Pilot Projects. They said enrollment is open and will continue through 2024. These projects and others awarded across ten states are part of the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP), which is a joint effort between USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) funded by the 2018 Farm Bill to help address the threat that feral swine pose to agriculture, ecosystems, and human and animal health. Counties open for applications include Claiborne, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Sharkey, Warren, Washington, and Yazoo. The annual impact this feral swine population has on cropland exceeds $60 million annually. |
| Scientists and engineers in Mississippi prepare for historic launch of Artemis I mission | |
 | The Artemis 1 mission will send an unmanned rocket around the moon next week, launching efforts to return to the lunar surface. Engineers say this is a culmination of years of hard work at the John C. Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi. NASA Engineer Tristan Mooney says they used a large structure to hold the rocket in place while conducting engine tests simulating the full launch. "So there's a couple of things that are very significant about Stennis. First of all there is water access, so the core stage was actually brought in on a barge," says Mooney. "And second, Stennis has a buffer zone that is roughly 15 miles. That allows us to perform extremely loud rocket tests that would annoy the neighbors if there were any." The Orion spacecraft will be powered by four RS-25 rockets along with two solid rocket boosters, and the Artemis 1 mission is essentially a test run of the rocket's capabilities. It's expected to reach Mock-23, equivalent to more than 17,000 miles per hour, in an acceleration that only takes eight minutes. The state-of-the-art engine is built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, and is designed to create an immense amount of lifting power capable of deep-space travel. Each engine can generate a maximum of 512,000 pounds of force, totaling around 2 million pounds of force for every launch across four rockets. Program manager Jeff Zotti says the data they collected at Stennis has informed them on ways they can fine-tune the rocket for a variety of payloads. |
| Robert St. John to open Enzo in old Biaggi's location in Ridgeland | |
 | When Andrew Mattiace knew Biaggi's would not renew its contract at Renaissance in Ridgeland, he returned to the person who wanted to be in that space all along. Famed restaurateur, Emmy-award winner and general renaissance man Robert St. John will be opening the Italian restaurant he has always wanted when Enzo opens in late September or early October. "Andrew called me and said the Biaggi's contract was ending, and he wanted to know if I was interested," St. John said in a Friday-morning conversation around the bar at the restaurant he will be taking over. "I told him I would be absolutely interested. We had been looking at doing Italian up here for about six years." Negotiations got more serious. St. John did his due diligence and returned to Mattiace after he knew that the Biaggi's location checked all the boxes. St. John actually considered the location in 2007. "I worked with developers on a restaurant in this exact spot, and that was before anything was up in this location," St. John said. "Then the financial crisis hit, which kind of scared me away. In retrospect, it would have been fine. But things happen the way they are meant to happen." Biaggi's will officially close on Sept. 7, when St. John and crew will close the building for renovations for at least two weeks. He expects to change out a lot of the kitchen equipment and re-work the design with the help of his daughter. |
| Not your typical dealership: Mississippi's first Tesla showroom opens to public | |
 | Mississippi's first Tesla showroom is now open to the public and it is unlike any ordinary car dealership that you have ever experienced. In a recent interview on MidDays with Gerard Gibert, Linda Martin, General Manager of the new Tesla showroom in Brandon explained that the process of purchasing a vehicle from their store is more online-centered than the typical dealership. "You can't walk onto our property and say, 'I want this car right here and I'll take it today.' How our customers work and how the process works are you place an order online, you build your custom car. The downpayment for that is $250, and we tell our customers to be ready to take delivery of your vehicle next week or in six months," Martin said. "By the time they get to us, financing has been completed and they drive off into the sunset and off of our lot." Martin added that a substantial portion of the customers that they have encountered have already placed an order on a vehicle without even taking one out for a test drive, which is rarely seen in the automobile purchasing process. I'd say probably 60 percent of the customers that we've seen just in Mississippi and Louisiana alone, they have placed their order prior to ever coming in and test driving a vehicle," Martin said. "So, they call us after the fact and say, 'Hey, I've placed my order last week. Is there any way I could come in and test drive?' And the answer is yes. It's as easy as booking an appointment online." |
| The Wall Street Journal visits Ocean Springs and discovers local charm on the Coast | |
 | Locals say "OS the best" and a reporter writing for the Wall Street Journal would agree. Journalist Chelsea Brasted, who lives in New Orleans, recently visited the Jackson County city and enjoyed fine dining, local restaurants, the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, the beach and more. Brasted comments early on in her article that the charm of Ocean Springs comes from its authenticity and local feel. "Souvenir shops packed with T-shirts and floating toys are conspicuously absent. There are no beach bars overflowing with sunburned bodies, and a lunch out doesn't mean mediocre fish sandwiches and warm beer buckets," she wrote. Brasted enjoyed a meal at Vestige, which she said was one of the best she's had recently. She toured WAMA and got to relax on the water. She chronicled her coffee at Bright Eyed and her stays at the Inns of Ocean Springs and at the Beatnik hotel. She shopped at Buddyrow, Shearwater Pottery and Ocean Springs Mercantile. |
| Where Are People Living the Longest? See Where Your State Ranks in Life Expectancy | |
 | Where should you live to have the longest life expectancy? New data suggests heading out West is a good bet. Hawaii has the highest life expectancy of any U.S. state, according to new federal figures released on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The combined average life expectancy for men and women in the state was 80.7 years old, the only U.S. state with an average expectancy rate above 80 years. Washington state has the second-highest life expectancy, at 79.2 years. California was also high on the list, at 79.0 years. Other states with the highest life expectancies included Minnesota, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Life expectancy rates in the U.S. fell sharply in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. Americans' average life expectancy fell to 77 years in 2020, down 1.8 years from 2019 and the biggest decline since at least World War II. While Hawaii, Washington and Minnesota had the highest life expectancy rates, several Southern states had the lowest. Mississippi came in at the bottom of the list, with a life expectancy of 71.9 years. West Virginia was second to last at 72.8, followed by Louisiana at 73.1 and then Alabama, at 73.2. Iliya Gutin, a postdoctoral fellow at the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin, said people aren't inherently in worse health in one state versus another, but rather the regionality of life expectancy comes down to history, public policy and lifestyles. |
| Court to hear case on Mississippi grants to private schools | |
 | A Mississippi judge is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit that says the state is violating its own constitution by directing $10 million in pandemic relief money to private schools. In April, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed two bills. One created a grant program to help private schools pay for water, broadband and other infrastructure projects. The other allocated the $10 million of federal money for the program, starting July 1. The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, the Mississippi Center for Justice and Democracy Forward filed the lawsuit June 15 in Hinds County Chancery Court on behalf of Parents for Public Schools, an advocacy group founded more than 30 years ago. The lawsuit asks a judge to block the program, which allows grants of up to $100,000 to any in-state school that is a member of the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools and that is accredited by a state, regional or national organization. The parameters of the program exclude public schools from applying for the infrastructure grants. In arguments filed Aug. 4, attorneys for the state responded that the federal funds "were never earmarked for public schools in the first place," so public schools "stand to lose exactly nothing" as a result of the grant program. |
| Brandon Presley, a potential candidate for governor, boasts list of noteworthy campaign donors | |
| Brandon Presley of Nettleton will host a political fundraiser on Thursday featuring a diverse and noteworthy group of donors -- especially noteworthy for a campaign for the down-ticket office of Northern District Public Service commissioner. The fundraiser, which will be held in Tupelo at the birthplace and museum of Brandon Presley's famous cousin Elvis, will net at least $209,000, based on the level of commitment of donors listed on an invitation card. Whether the 94 people named on the fundraiser invitation are donating to Presley's 2023 reelection campaign to the three-member Public Service Commission or to another post is not clear. Presley has long been rumored as a possible Democratic candidate for governor -- presumably against Republican incumbent Tate Reeves in 2023. But Presley still is publicly non-committal. "I am concentrating on trying to get internet to every household in the state, trying to keep utility rates affordable during this time of high inflation," Presley told Mississippi Today. "I am trying to work on things that make a difference for average Mississippians." He also has been active in trying to ensure all Mississippians have access to safe water. If Presley does opt to run for governor, presumably against Reeves, the Democrat will need multiple fundraising efforts like what will be held at the Elvis birthplace and museum on Thursday. |
| State Auditor report links fatherlessness to costly issues in Mississippi | |
| State Auditor Shad White says the costs of homes with an absent father go beyond a financial strain on the mom. His new report does the math on the costs to taxpayers. "As State Auditor, I think that I've got a responsibility to show the taxpayers the cost for the taxpayers of any of the big societal challenges that we face here in the state," said Shad White. The report calls attention to the domino effect of fatherless homes, saying that it often leads to higher incarceration rates, high school dropouts, and teen pregnancies. "The studies will show you that having two parents in the home is a very, very powerful thing for kids," explained White. "I mean, one, it means another income, sometimes two, it means another set of hands added discipline for the children, and you see the consequences when the fathers are not engaged." However, State Representative Zakiya Summers has some questions. "I think the way that this conversation is being framed through this report is looking at it from the wrong angle," noted Summers. "You know, instead of us looking at the things that come out of fatherlessness, we should be looking at the things that actually contribute to fatherlessness in the first place. You know, we're living in a post-Roe world." Summers says that with Roe overturned, we could very well see more homes without fathers. "We need to address the real issues, and I don't think stigmatizing fathers is the way to do it," added Summers. |
| Legislators take a look at police pursuit policies in the state | |
| Mississippi legislators on both sides have their eyes on police pursuit laws this upcoming session. There were two police chases in the metro over the weekend on the heels of two separate Pearl police chases, that ended in the deaths of innocent bystanders -- one a mail carrier, the other a motorcyclist. Rep. Nick Bain, a Republican from Corinth, has been receiving calls about police pursuit legislation. "We might need to see if it needs to be tweaked, and if it does, how is it going to happen?" Bain said. "Is this something we are seeing statewide, or is this something we are just seeing around the Jackson area?" Current state legislation leaves it up to each police jurisdiction to come up with its own pursuit policies, which is something Rep. Chris Bell, a Democrat from Jackson, wants to examine. "I want to see police departments do education and training, know when to pursue and know when not to pursue," Bell said. No action will happen until the legislative session begins in January. |
| Thompson: Jackson shouldn't expect federal help on water crisis until a plan is put forward | |
 | Congressman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat representing Mississippi's 2nd District, says the federal government will not consider helping the city of Jackson with its water crisis until a plan of action is submitted outlining how federal money will be spent. In an interview with WJTV over the weekend, Congressman Thompson said he has yet to see a proposed plan from the city of Jackson on how the municipality plans to address the continued water crisis. "I think it would be advantageous for the city to come up with a plan, and to share that plan with as many sources of help as possible. I know there's a water problem with the city of Jackson, but nobody has shared the facts on the problem with me, as one of the Representatives, as well as what the cure or the plan for correcting it." Thompson added that as soon as those who can help are informed of what the details of the issues are, they will "roll up their sleeves" to help. But he cautioned that expectations of money would not come without details. The Congressman said he was aware of concerns from the EPA and the Mississippi State Board of Health, adding that there is typically a roadmap provided from communities asking the federal government for assistance before an investment from Washington is made. "When we don't see the plan for that investment, then there's a reluctance to invest on it," said Thompson. "So, I encourage the city of Jackson to develop that plan." |
| Johnson sworn in as first woman judge in Mississippi's southern district | |
| The first woman judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi has joined the bench. A formal investiture ceremony was held last week for Judge Kristi Haskins Johnson of Brandon. "This truly was a lifelong dream of mine," Johnson said about her appointment in a February 2021 article by her alma mater, the University of Mississippi. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in Nov. 2020 by a 53 to 43 vote. Johnson previously worked as Mississippi's first solicitor general. She also worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Jackson as an assistant U.S. attorney. From 2008 to 2010, Johnson clerked for Judge Sharion Aycock of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi -- the state's first woman federal district court judge. Johnson also clerked for Judge Leslie Southwick of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Elected officials including Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, the first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress, and Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the first woman in her role, praised Johnson after her Senate confirmation. |
| McConnell says voter fraud is rare and he isn't worried about threats to democracy | |
 | Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Monday that he isn't worried about threats to American democracy after a national NBC News poll revealed voters ranked it as the top issue facing the country. The Republican Senate leader also said that there is "very little election fraud" but that it "happens occasionally," comments that clashed with ongoing claims from former President Donald Trump's wing of the party, which has insisted that voter fraud is rampant and the 2020 election was stolen. McConnell was asked at the Scott County Chamber of Commerce in Georgetown, Kentucky, about the results of NBC News' latest national poll, which showed a majority of American voters support various investigations into alleged wrongdoing by Trump. The poll was conducted after the FBI searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on Aug. 8. Asked about Americans ranking threats to democracy higher than other issues, including the cost of living, McConnell told reporters, "I do think it's an important issue. There were those who were trying to prevent the orderly transfer of power for the first time in American history," after the 2020 presidential election, "and that was not good." But the top Senate Republican does not believe that American democracy is facing immediate danger, citing efforts to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power between the election on Nov. 3 and the inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021, that were "thwarted." |
| Trump Had More Than 300 Classified Documents at Mar-a-Lago | |
 | The initial batch of documents retrieved by the National Archives from former President Donald J. Trump in January included more than 150 marked as classified, a number that ignited intense concern at the Justice Department and helped trigger the criminal investigation that led F.B.I. agents to swoop into Mar-a-Lago this month seeking to recover more, multiple people briefed on the matter said. In total, the government has recovered more than 300 documents with classified markings from Mr. Trump since he left office, the people said: that first batch of documents returned in January, another set provided by Mr. Trump's aides to the Justice Department in June and the material seized by the F.B.I. in the search this month. The previously unreported volume of the sensitive material found in the former president's possession in January helps explain why the Justice Department moved so urgently to hunt down any further classified materials he might have. And the extent to which such a large number of highly sensitive documents remained at Mar-a-Lago for months, even as the department sought the return of all material that should have been left in government custody when Mr. Trump left office, suggested to officials that the former president or his aides had been cavalier in handling it, not fully forthcoming with investigators, or both. Federal officials have indicated that their initial goal has been to secure any classified documents Mr. Trump was holding at Mar-a-Lago, a pay-for-membership club where there is little control over who comes in as guests. It remains to be seen whether anyone will face criminal charges stemming from the investigation. |
| Judge says FBI's evidence for searching Mar-a-Lago is 'reliable' | |
 | The federal magistrate judge who authorized the warrant to search Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate emphasized Monday that he "carefully reviewed" the FBI's sworn evidence before signing off and considers the facts contained in an accompanying affidavit to be "reliable." Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart offered his assessment in a 13-page order memorializing his decision to consider whether to unseal portions of the affidavit, which describe the evidence the bureau relied on to justify the search of the former president's home. "I was -- and am -- satisfied that the facts sworn by the affiant are reliable," Reinhart said in the order. Reinhart ruled last week that he would consider unsealing portions of the affidavit after conferring with the Justice Department and determining whether proposed redactions would be sufficient to protect the ongoing criminal investigation connected to the search. But in his order, Reinhart emphasized that he may ultimately agree with prosecutors that any redactions would be so extensive that they would render the document useless. "I cannot say at this point that partial redactions will be so extensive that they will result in a meaningless disclosure, but I may ultimately reach that conclusion after hearing further from the Government," Reinhart wrote. |
| Trump lawyers seek special master to oversee document inquiry | |
 | Donald Trump's lawyers are seeking to halt the continued review of classified documents seized from the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate earlier this month until a special master or third party can be appointed to ensure that possibly privileged material is shielded from scrutiny, according to court documents filed Monday. The lawsuit filed Monday by Trump's legal team cast the search in stark political terms and described the government's search warrant as overly broad because it authorized FBI agents to seize "boxes of documents merely because they are physically found together with other items purportedly within the scope of the warrant." The former president's attorneys also accused Attorney General Merrick Garland of using the criminal justice system to alter the political landscape. In their filing, Trump's lawyers also said Garland's recent statement acknowledging the search "clearly suggests that the decision to raid Mar-a-Lago, a mere 90 days before the 2022 midterm elections, involved political calculations aimed at diminishing the leading voice in the Republican party, President Trump." Trump's lawsuit comes as a federal magistrate said he would consider releasing parts of an affidavit federal authorities used as the basis for the search. |
| Reshoring high-tech jobs accelerates as supply chain woes continue | |
| Manufacturing jobs are returning to the U.S, according to a new report from the Reshoring Initiative, a lobbying group that's been tracking this since 2010. It says American companies are on pace to reshore nearly 350,000 jobs this year, the highest number in recent history. Global manufacturing and logistics have seen lots of hiccups recently, helping to motivate the movement back to the U.S. There's the pandemic, which has repeatedly shut down factories in China, while fires and flooding have done the same in Japan and Thailand. There was that ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal. Add in skyrocketing shipping costs. "This memory is going to be sticky of all of these challenges that companies have faced, and they're going to, whenever possible, I think, try to shorten the supply chain," said John Gray, a professor of operations at Ohio State University. A shorter chain means less room for error and uncertainty. But that security comes with a higher price tag, so it's not worth it for every company. "Products that are high labor content, relatively easy to ship, not a major national security or intellectual property risk, those are probably likely to remain in low-cost countries for some time," Gray said. The U.S. is not going to become a leader in manufacturing apparel or toys. But it's gaining jobs in high-tech manufacturing for things like semiconductors and electric vehicle batteries. David Simchi-Levi, a data scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said tensions between the U.S. and China and legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act will incentivize manufacturing in this country. |
| Ole Miss band members say goodbye to practice field | |
 | Even without the staccato echo of cadence, there was an air of finality as members of the Ole Miss Pride of the South band marched off their longtime practice field late last week. For more than 30 years, the nondescript field has felt the roll steps of thousands of band members as it's done its part to guide the young performers through set after set after set. On Friday, the band wrapped up what many believe will be its last rehearsal on its practice field for the past 30 years. In April, Chancellor Glenn Boyce announced the school would build a new $3.5 million practice field, set to open next summer. The new facility will have improved drainage structures, lights, a new director's tower and a storage building. Drum major Marcus Davis, a junior biomedical engineering major from Tupelo, said there's some natural sadness in retiring the old field, but believes a better practice facility will lead to a better band. "We see our ceiling getting a lot higher, and we know we can be among the greatest bands in the nation," Davis said. "There is a big heart for the (old) field, but we want to be a better band so it's going to take another field to do that." Ole Miss band director Randy Dale provided the project's planning committee with a few suggestions following a tour of existing facilities in Mississippi State and Auburn. |
| UMMC adds full-time behavioral response team to its police force | |
| After being debuted as a temporary unit in February, the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Police and Public Safety Department's behavioral response team (BRT) has been added as a permanent entity. The unit, which rapidly responds to panic alarms and disruptive patient emergencies -- also known as code white -- was designed to reduce the number of workplace violence incidents and injuries to patients, employees, students, and visitors. Dressed in plain clothes with a weapon, badge, and an ID clipped to their belts, the four officers, work in shifts of two and intervene to de-escalate situations that might otherwise become violent enough to require an arrest or hospitalization. During the 30-day initiation, the team of two responded to more than 100 calls. When the pilot was over, the calls continued to ring, helping to solidify its success. Police Chief Mary Paradis, who requested that the BRT be made permanent, said that she is grateful institutional leadership approved the request to fund the unit. "In today's world, law enforcement is routinely called to respond to folks who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis, and UMMC is not immune," Paradis said. "Through empathy and community policing, we will be able to better protect our fellow UMMC staff and visitors." |
| Focused on Mississippi: Friendship Oak | |
| Fifty-three years ago last week, Hurricane Camille made landfall along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. One of Camille's survivors has survived over 500 years of storms. I visited the Gulf Park campus of the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in Long Beach. The campus is where the Friendship Oak is growing. The tree survived Camille in a couple of ways. Gulf Park is just west of Gulfport, between Gulfport and Pass Christian. Gulf Park School was a girl's school. It started in 1921. The campus of the old Gulf Park School is shaded by Southern live oak trees. One of the trees on the campus is one of the famous survivors of Hurricane Camille. The tree was well-known before the storm because of its size. It's over 50-feet tall, which isn't huge. But its branches spread over 150-feet, branch tip to branch tip. The huge live oak was named the Friendship Oak way back. Students at Gulf Park School perpetuated its legend with a plaque they placed beneath it in 1969. "Anyone who enters the shadow of the oak will remain friends throughout their lives, no matter where fate takes them." Although The Friendship Oak did survive Camille, Gulf Park School did not. Damage from Camille and other economic issues innate by the storm forced the school to close in 1971. USM took it over in 1972. |
| 24% of Alabama students cancel college plans because of COVID, report states | |
 | The coronavirus is changing the course of young adults' educational endeavors, according to a new report. Nearly 30 percent of students across the U.S. are opting out of attending college altogether. Alternatively, 36% of students in the U.S. have chosen a different learning format such as online classes and 9% of students previously enrolled have switched schools. In Alabama, 24% (roughly 58,729 students) canceled their college plans; 26% are obtaining education in a different method; 13% are taking fewer classes; and 14% changed schools. Not having health insurance is the leading cause for these changes. For people between the ages of 19 and 25, more than 4.2 million of them are not covered. This value has risen over the past two years; in 2020 there were 3.9 million people. Because most colleges and universities require students to have some form of health insurance upon enrollment, it is advised that they stay on their parents' plans (an Obamacare perk allows students to do so until they are 26 years of age). The best combination for students on a tight budget is staying as healthy as possible while enrolling in a catastrophic plan and utilizing the benefits of cheap primary care at their college or university's student health center. |
| Teaching restaurant and food hall opens in Auburn | |
| This fall, the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center will house two new facilities that will serve the Auburn community while also acting as a teaching center for students enrolled in the university's hospitality program. On August 16, the culinary center opened 1856, a teaching restaurant intended to give culinary students hands-on experience by serving a pool of 48 guests and working under the chef in residence, Tyler Ryne. Ryne attended the Culinary Institute of America and owns multiple restaurants in Birmingham Alabama, which is where he met Hans van Der Reijden, managing director of The Hotel at Auburn. "Hans and his wife, Lisa, came as guests to our supper club," Ryne said. " He offered me the chef in residence right there on the spot. It was a relationship that we fostered over probably about a year and then when I found out about the residency thing, I was like, 'Dude, you know, if you need somebody to do that. I'm your guy.' I guess the stars aligned. He gave me a call one day and asked if I was serious about it. And I said, 'Yeah,' so then I took on the residency." For students hoping to have careers in hospitality and culinary arts, being able to work in a hands-on environment where they get the chance to serve and learn is vital. |
| UF provost said he removed Honors Program director: Decision 'was mine, and I stand by it' | |
 | The University of Florida provost issued a statement Friday afternoon saying it was his decision to remove the UF Honors Program director. In the statement, Provost Joe Glover said the board of trustees felt that Law was not "making significant progress -- and had not for some time -- toward being a program that belongs at a top five public university" after Law gave a presentation to the board in June. Law subsequently found out that he was being removed from the Honors director position. His last day in the position was Aug. 15, but he is still employed as an engineering professor with the university. Glover said Law's plan failed to provide programming that would distinguish the honors program on a national level. "As a result, the board lost confidence in Dr. Law's leadership as director of UF's Honors Program. That sentiment was shared with President Fuchs and me. I would add that the board is well within its rights to hold and express such a view," Glover said. "To be perfectly clear, there was no board action or decision on this matter. The decision to remove him from that position was mine, and I stand by it. There was absolutely no reason for the removal of Dr. Law's administrative appointment other than the one I have just stated." Amanda Phalin, UF's Faculty Senate chair and member of the board of trustees, tweeted out a statement supporting Law's termination. |
| Study shows those with University System of Georgia degree can earn $1 million more | |
 | University System of Georgia graduates from the Class of 2021 will earn more than $1 million more during their lifetimes than they would have without earning a bachelor's degree, according to a new study. The study, conducted by Jeff Humphreys, director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, revealed the breakdown of how much each level of higher education can add to a USG graduate's total earnings over their lives. "The difference higher education makes on a person's life is dramatic," system Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. "Whether you are a high school graduate trying to decide between going to college or entering the workforce, or you are a mid-career adult wanting to improve your earning potential by completing your degree or adding to your education, this study clearly demonstrates a college degree in Georgia is a worthwhile investment." The report showed that earnings increase substantially with each step up the ladder of post-secondary education. Perdue announced at this month's Board of Regents meeting the creation of a new website, Georgia Degrees Pay, where students and their families can glean comparative information on schools, majors, academic outcomes, costs and future earnings. |
| 'It feels good to show your face.' U. of Kentucky semester begins with fewer COVID restrictions | |
 | As students returned to class at the University of Kentucky on Monday, some said they were excited for the college semester they had been imagining, but hadn't yet experienced. For some, this fall is the first time they've attended UK without a mask requirement or plexiglass shields in classrooms and offices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Masks are encouraged but not required this year, and things felt like they were returning to how it was before the pandemic, several students said. Mask requirements had been in place at UK since students returned to campus for the fall 2020 semester. Cate Wollert, a junior from Louisville, said she noticed more social interaction taking place on campus. She's less worried about COVID this year than she was last year, she said, but will make decisions about wearing a mask on campus after seeing how things go this week. "I was happy to wear masks last year, so if it amps up again, I have no problem going back to that," Wollert said. "I'm feeling it out this week, and if it seems like a lot of people are wearing masks, then I'll probably go back to wearing it." In her first class on Monday, she noticed more people participating in class discussions. Without masks, it was easier to read facial expressions and respond, she said. |
| U. of South Carolina board of trustees chooses new chair despite uncertainty | |
 | Thad Westbrook will be the new chair of the University of South Carolina board of trustees even though he hasn't been officially reappointed to the board. Westbrook was chosen to replace Dorn Smith, who was elected board chair in 2020. "I want to thank the board for this honor ... I appreciate you're vote of confidence," Westbrook said. Westbrook and four other incumbent trustees -- C. Edward Floyd, John von Lehe, Smith and Charles Williams -- sought to be reappointed to the board earlier this year by the General Assembly. But after several legislators criticized the board for recent controversies, the Legislature did not take final action on them. State Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland, said all five will undergo another screening soon. "I look forward to having conversations with members of the legislature," Westbrook said. The USC board has received much scrutiny from students, donors and state lawmakers for several controversies during the last few years. One was the 2019 hiring of Robert Caslen as president. Caslen resigned two years later. The search for Caslen's successor was also rocky. A top candidate for the position dropped out of the running, and some wished that the process involved more campus community input. The multi-million dollar contract buyouts of former football coach Will Muschamp and former men's basketball coach Frank Martin were also points of contention. When the athletic department could not afford to end the contracts on its own, it borrowed roughly $10 million from the university's general fund. |
| Harvard's Status as Wealthiest School Faces Oil-Rich Contender in the U. of Texas | |
| Every day, the University of Texas System makes about $6 million off a mineral-rich swath of land it manages in the US's largest oil field. Crude and natural gas, not fundraising or investing prowess, have positioned the school's endowment to overtake Harvard University's as the richest in US higher education. The University of Texas oversees 2.1 million acres -- almost the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined -- in the Permian Basin. While other universities are shedding their fossil fuel holdings in the name of eco-consciousness, the Texas college system is leasing its land to drillers including ConocoPhillips, Continental Resources, Inc. and nearly 250 other operators. Land operated by the University of Texas System is on track to post its best-ever annual revenue in fiscal 2022 because of soaring oil prices and production on its property in the Permian Basin. Oil reached a high of $120 a barrel earlier this year as a result of a war-induced energy crunch. The revenue is expected to help narrow the gap between the Texas system's $42.9 billion endowment and Harvard's $53.2 billion as of June 2021. "The University of Texas has a cash windfall when everyone is looking at a potential cash crunch," said William Goetzmann, a professor of finance and management studies at Yale University's School of Management. "Adjusting your portfolio for social concerns is not costless." |
| U. of Missouri enrollment holds steady, with increase in number of freshmen | |
 | The University of Missouri campus was abuzz with activity on Monday as students began classes for the fall semester. Students moved into residence halls last week. There were more than 5,000 new freshmen on campus Monday, according to MU. That's a 2.7% increase from last year's first day. Preliminary numbers show undergraduate enrollment was up slightly, with 23,571 students. Overall enrollment held steady. "Students and families continue to recognize the value of a degree from MU and the incredible student experience we offer," said Mun Choi, MU chancellor and UM System president, in a news release. "From our outstanding academics to innovative research to our premier athletics, Mizzou students have an unparalleled college experience." Almost nine in 10 students who began as freshmen last year returned as sophomores, preliminary numbers indicate. Samantha Walker, a junior broadcast journalism major from Joplin, was ready to get into what she termed "heavy-duty" courses for her third year. "I feel really, really good," Walker said. "I'm glad to be back at Mizzou." |
| MU fall semester starts with few COVID restrictions, lots of new amenities | |
 | The fall semester kicked off Monday at the University of Missouri and many students said the start of a new school year truly feels like a new beginning. Returning students and faculty members said the atmosphere felt more like the beginning of a normal school year, with fewer COVID-19 restrictions and public spaces that are more crowded. They were joined on campus by over 5,000 new freshmen who walked on campus to find new restaurants and many other amenities. They also found less shade at Francis Quadrangle, where at least 15 trees were chopped down during the summer. And they found gaps in the campus streetscape where several buildings were demolished while many of the students, faculty and staff were away. "People are more willing to congregate and actually meet people," said Monica Jessen, sophomore nursing major. Beyond the shift in COVID-19 protocol, the campus welcomes several other changes this fall. This includes the introduction of a Panda Express restaurant to the MU Student Center, another incentive for people to gather. "I think it will be one of the top places to eat on campus," sophomore Trenton Sanders said. |
| These Are the Higher-Ed Jobs Being Refilled at the Highest Rates | |
 | The size of higher education's work force has been largely restored to what it was before the pandemic began, but it hasn't been clear exactly which positions have been filled, even as hiring for others has languished. But new data provides an early indication of how hiring for certain positions rose as in-person events returned to colleges. The position with the greatest growth was one with a direct link to activities: event-planning assistant. Between 2020-21 and 2021-22, the number of employees who held that job was up 193 percent, according to the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, which broke down hiring into three categories: professionals, staff, and faculty. Among the other higher-ed-professional positions that saw the most growth were institutional research analyst, and director of campus museum. Jacqueline Bichsel, director of research for the association, said in a news release that the increase in both positions may stem from, respectively, a "growing demand for data" among institutional decision makers and efforts to honor institutions' cultural histories. Among staff members, the number of tutoring jobs also more than doubled -- they were up 114 percent -- perhaps fueled by colleges recognizing that students whose learning was affected by the pandemic during high school could benefit from their help, Bichsel said. |
| The Return to In-Person Instruction Worries Disability Community | |
| Fall 2022 will be the third start to an academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed over six million people worldwide and one million Americans. For disabled students, faculty, and staff, many at higher risk of COVID-19 related complications, the pandemic presented a strange silver lining -- classes, conferences, meetings, and socialization moved online. This sudden adjustment to asynchronous, virtual learning allowed many with physical or mental disabilities open access to their education. Earlier this month, the CDC released its newest guidance for how the public should behave with COVID-19. While continuing to encourage vaccinations, the CDC ended its recommendation to quarantine after known exposure to COVID, instead urging the wearing of high-quality masks. It also no longer encourages schools and other similar institutions to run tests on asymptomatic individuals. "This guidance acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives," said CDC epidemiologist Dr. Greta Massetti. The new regulations are coupling with academia's push to return to in-person, often at the expense of the online flexibility that benefitted many in the disabled community. |
| College students return to campus without access to abortion | |
| Students returning to college are confronting a new reality in states such as Texas, Ohio and Indiana: Abortion, an option for an unplanned pregnancy when they were last on campus, has since been banned, often with few exceptions. Students said they've made changes both public and intimate since the U.S. Supreme Court decision this summer that overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Students said they're using more birth control, and some have made a plan to leave the state for an abortion if they become pregnant. They're also taking public stances, with increased activism by both opponents and supporters of abortion rights. Conversations about the changing landscape of abortion access seem to have dwindled since early summer, said Brian Roseboro, a senior at Ohio State University who's from Montclair, New Jersey. But the 21-year-old, who's single, said the new law is making him more careful and conscious about using contraception this year. "I'm definitely thinking about it way more," Roseboro said. Ohio State University said the ruling doesn't change the services provided by its Student Health Services or its medical center, noting Ohio already prohibited state institutions from performing elective abortions. It also doesn't affect how OSU's Title IX office handles reports of sexual assault. |
| At Some Colleges, the Fall of Roe Will Weaken Student Health Care | |
 | On June 24, an independent women's health center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, received cease-and-desist orders from the state's attorney general for its abortion services. The order came immediately after the US Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, overturning Roe v. Wade. The clinic's operations manager told local news that his team spent that day canceling more than 100 appointments. The clinic sits right across the road from the University of Alabama and was one of only three providers in the state. As a new school year begins on college campuses across the country, many students will move to states that promise them fewer rights now than when they applied to school last winter, or when they accepted enrollment offers this spring. On some of those campuses, health centers -- fearing legal consequences for their staffers -- will likely roll back what they can offer students, both in terms of care and information about how to access abortion services or pills elsewhere. Some health advocates worry that the chilling effect may even spread to conveying general information about birth control and sexual health. Health advocates are especially worried about how state bans might affect young survivors of assault. |
| HBCU leaders frustrated by FBI bomb threat investigation lag | |
 | Some leaders of historically Black colleges and universities say they're frustrated by a lack of communication and insufficient support from federal agencies after bomb threats swept their campuses six months ago. More than a third of the nation's HBCUs received bomb threats this year, starting in January. A wave of threats continued throughout February, Black History Month, causing particular alarm among students, faculty and staff. Though no bombs were ultimately found, repeated false alarms, police sweeps, campus lockdowns and evacuations disrupted classes and took a toll on the mental health of HBCU students and parents. Campuses also incurred costs as they ramped up security measures. "You don't get that time back," Dwaun Warmack, president of Claflin University in South Carolina, said of the time and effort spent responding to threats. Meanwhile, "no one is brought to justice, and then you have to go back to business as usual." Warmack, who spoke during a gathering of HBCU presidents in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, was not alone in his exasperation with the situation. Several other presidents voiced similar concerns. A months-long federal investigation of the bomb threats has yet to yield any perpetrators or arrests. "I'm beyond frustrated," Carmen Walters, president of Tougaloo College, said at the event. "I'm very angry that no one has been brought to justice, but there's been no conversation about the investigation at all." |
| Biden nears decision on canceling $10,000 in student loans as allies feud | |
 | The White House's close allies are feuding over whether the administration should cancel up to $10,000 in student debt for millions of American borrowers, as President Biden nears a decision after months of delays. With the Inflation Reduction Act now signed into law, White House officials have in recent days revived discussions over student debt cancellation. They face an Aug. 31 deadline, which is when loan payments are set to resume after a pandemic-driven pause. Internal White House discussions have centered on temporarily extending that pause and simultaneously canceling $10,000 per borrower for those below an income threshold, but the president has not yet communicated a decision, according to two people familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity to reflect private conversations. Another person familiar with the talks said $10,000 is among the options being considered. "It's a deep political problem," said Bill Galston, who served as a top policy aide in the Clinton White House. "The fact they have hesitated for so long to put their chips down on the table suggests they're fully aware of the potential economic and political implications of taking a major step in this direction." |
| Top economist Larry Summers says student loan cancellation 'raises demand and increases inflation.' He may also have President Biden's ear | |
| Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has some advice for the Biden Administration as it weighs whether to cancel student loan debt for millions of people: Beware of offering "unreasonably generous" relief, because it could contribute to inflation. "Student loan debt relief is spending that raises demand and increases inflation," Summers said on Twitter. "It consumes resources that could be better used helping those who did not, for whatever reason, have the chance to attend college." He added that student loan relief "will also tend to be inflationary by raising tuitions." Summers' comments come as the pause on federal student loan debt payments nears its expiration on Aug. 31. The pause was implemented by then President Donald Trump at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since been extended by both him and President Joe Biden. Some speculate that Biden will extend the pause yet again, but others say he could announce a forgiveness policy. Previously, Biden has signaled a move to forgive $10,000 worth of student debt per borrower. Summers suggested that any student loan relief should not set a precedent for future loans. "It should only be given for the first few thousand dollars of debt, and for those with genuinely middle-class incomes," he said. So does Summers' Twitter thread carry any weight in terms of Biden's decision? It might. Politico recently referred to Summers' involvement in the White House's economic planning as "quiet but deep," and stated that his influence on the White House has been felt for "some time." The Harvard University economist was also reportedly behind Sen. Joe Manchin's (D-W. Va.) unexpected support in late July of the climate, tax, and health care bill that's since been signed into law -- a major win for Biden. Nonetheless, Summers isn't alone in thinking that student loan forgiveness will contribute to already high inflation. Fifty-nine percent of Americans are concerned that student loan forgiveness will make inflation worse, according to a CNBC survey. |
| America headed to civil war? | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: So much for law and order. First crazy Democrats denounced all police. "Defund police" was the cry. Now crazy Republicans denounce all FBI agents. "Defund FBI" is their cry. Both sides seem to seek no realistic outcome other than destroying respect for law and order. That's the way things are in loudmouth America today, where so many have hair trigger emotions. Don't like something? Immediately denounce it, demean it and demand its destruction. So what if it stirs dissension, anger, hatred and violence? So what? Well, the ultimate "what" will be riots, shootouts and then civil war. We've already seen riots from the left and from the right. We've already seen hate-motivated shootings. Unless cooler heads step in, violence will escalate. Already some hotheads are calling for civil war. Few may remember the race riots and violent Vietnam War protests of the 1960s. Those of us who do, well, let's just say those were scary times. I was attending American University and working part-time on the Hill in 1968 when the Easter riots broke out in Washington, D.C. Four days of burning, looting, and shooting hit the downtown not far from the White House following the April 4 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ... Pray such dark days are behind us. But it might not take much to spark the fire. Violence invoking diatribes and hotheads toting AR15s are not what America needs to settle things down. |
SPORTS
| Chris Jans updates Starkville Rotary Club on Mississippi State men's basketball schedule, adjusting to new job | |
 | Chris Jans can't help but be honest when other coaches ask him about Jans' first few months at Mississippi State. "'Man, I'm not going to lie to you, it's just been hard,'" Jans typically replies. "'All you do is recruit.'" For a new coach unfamiliar with the region -- and still getting used to the humidity in Starkville -- that can get to be a "heavy load," Jans said at Monday's meeting of the Starkville Rotary Club. But with school underway and the Bulldogs' season opener coming into view, Jans is starting to get comfortable. The first-year coach told Rotary members that Mississippi State will open its season against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi on Nov. 7 in Starkville, part of college basketball's opening day across the country. "People are going to be questioning why I opened with a team like that, but that's just the way it unfolded," Jans said. "I have a mindset of, 'If we can't beat schools like that, then we're not going to be any good anyway, so we might as well find out right away and start getting used to having a rough season.'" But Jans doesn't think it'll be a bad year for a Bulldogs team featuring a mostly new roster. Star guard Iverson Molinar is NBA bound and several promising players left via the transfer portal, although big man Tolu Smith is among the returnees. An eight-time tournament qualifier as a head coach and an assistant, Jans emphasized the importance of getting the Bulldogs back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2019. "There's nothing like it," he said. "There's nothing like March Madness. It's the greatest show on Earth." |
| Confirming -- or debunking -- every Mississippi State football narrative entering 2022 | |
| Students are back on campus while hot takes are flying on social media. That can only mean football season is here. For Mississippi State, that's an exciting thing. The Bulldogs are coming off a seven-win season in coach Mike Leach's second year after going 4-7 in 2020. State, with 16 starters returning, enters as one of the SEC's most experienced teams. However, a brutal schedule slows some of the high hopes in Starkville. It's difficult to predict what 2022 holds for the Bulldogs, but let's try to confirm -- or debunk -- some of the most popular preseason narratives. |
| Mississippi State soccer player Alivia Buxton named SEC freshman of the week | |
| After the first week of her collegiate career, Alivia Buxton has been named the Southeastern Conference freshman of the week, the league announced Monday. Buxton led the charge at FIU on Sunday, netting a team-leading two goals off her only two shots of the match. The Fredericktown, Missouri, native's first goal as a Bulldog came in the 21st minute, finding the back of the net after an errant FIU pass inside their own box. Her second of the day was recorded in the 60th minute, converting off a cross that was sent in from the left side of the box. "We are incredibly proud of Alivia and her performances so far," head coach James Armstrong said. "She is a natural competitor who has shown the mental toughness to step into her role straight away. The two goals she scored on Sunday (against FIU) epitomized that. We are looking forward to watching her continued growth throughout the season." The freshman leads the team in both shot percentage and shots on goal percentage, sitting comfortably at 1.000 in both categories. In her first two collegiate starts, Buxton has started both road matches and logged 144 out of 180 possible minutes. Buxton and the Bulldogs get set to open their home season Thursday against Lipscomb (1-1-0) in what will be the first of four straight matches held in Starkville. Kickoff against the Bisons is set for 6:30 p.m., and the match will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus. |
| New contracts likely for Alabama football's Nick Saban, AD Greg Byrne | |
| In an offseason with several new colossal coaching contracts, Alabama football coach Nick Saban appears set to join the group with an updated deal. The compensation committee for the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees will vote in a meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday for the "consideration of athletic employment contracts at UA" including Saban, Athletics Director Greg Byrne, new gymnastics coach Ashley Johnston and men's basketball assistant Antoine Pettway. The new deal for Saban comes after Georgia coach Kirby Smart received an extension in July that moved him ahead of Saban as the highest-paid public-school coach in the country. Smart is set to make $10.25 million in 2022 on base salary and supplemental compensation. That will increase over time. In the updated contract, Saban would make $9.9 million in base salary, talent fee and completion benefit. The talent fee grows each year, moving the total to $11.5 million in base salary and talent fee in the 2028 contract year. Saban's contract stipulates that he and/or his representation meet with Byrne every February to look at marketplace trends. Saban's contract states that if his total guaranteed annual compensation is less than the average of the three highest-paid SEC football coaches or the five highest-paid NCAA coaches, UA would increase his compensation to the higher of the two averages. |
| SEC Nation to visit Vanderbilt for football game vs Wake Forest | |
 | SEC Nation will head to Nashville prior to Vanderbilt's football game against Wake Forest on Sept. 10. The weekly show, which airs from 9-11 a.m. CT on SEC Network from the campus of an SEC school, is hosted by Laura Rutledge and features former Commodores quarterback Jordan Rodgers among several other analysts. SEC Network shows Marty & McGee (Saturday, 8 a.m.) and The Paul Finebaum Show (Friday, 2 p.m.) will also air live from the Vanderbilt Commons. SEC Nation last visited Vanderbilt in 2019 prior to the game against Georgia. Kickoff against the Demon Deacons is at 11 a.m. at Vanderbilt Stadium. It is the third game of the Commodores' season, following contests against Hawaii and Elon. The Commodores are 0-4 in the games following four prior visits from SEC Nation. |
| Gary Gaines, coach of 'Friday Night Lights' fame, dead at 73 | |
| Gary Gaines, coach of the Texas high school football team made famous in the book and movie "Friday Night Lights," has died. He was 73. Gaines' family said in a statement the former coach died Monday in Lubbock after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Gaines made many stops in West Texas during a 30-year coaching career, but was best known for a four-year stint leading the highly successful program at Odessa Permian. Gaines returned to Permian later in his career. His 1988 team was chronicled in Buzz Bissinger's bestselling book, which portrayed a program and school that favored football over academics and attributed racist comments to assistant coaches. Gaines, who was played by Billy Bob Thornton in the 2004 movie, said he never read the book and felt betrayed by Bissinger after the author spent the entire 1988 season with the team. The book, which portrayed Gaines as a compassionate coach caught in the win-at-all-costs culture of a high school program in football-crazed Texas, also was turned into a TV series. Gaines led Permian to the fifth of the program's six state championships with a perfect season in 1989, then left to become an assistant coach at Texas Tech. |
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