| Wednesday, February 8, 2023 |
| Value of US-UK relations highlight ex-PM's speech at MSU | |
 | When former United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron recalls flying once on Air Force One with former United States President Barack Obama, he remembers how tired he was. "It was 3 a.m. in the U.K.," Cameron said. "I hadn't slept for about 18 hours. He said, 'David, you look a little peaky. Why don't you use my bed?' And he opened a door in the front of the plane to reveal a double bed in the nose of Air Force One. I lay down on the blanket emblazoned with the White House crest, and he proceeded to tuck me in. I'm not making this up. He says to me as he did, 'I bet that (Franklin) Roosevelt never did this for (Winston) Churchill.'" Cameron served as the U.K. prime minister from 2010-16 as leader of the conservative party. He championed Scotland staying in the U.K. and was against Britain leaving the European Union. On Tuesday evening, Cameron visited the Magnolia State for the first time when he spoke at Mississippi State University as part of its Student Association's Global Lecture Series, the first installment of the event in two years. In a question-and-answer session moderated by Sid Salter, MSU's chief communications officer, Cameron spoke more on the Russia-Ukraine War and how it has unified the Western world with countries supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion. |
| MSU program allows some students access to regular college experience | |
 | It's a chance to give more students access to the full college experience. Mississippi State University's ACCESS program allows students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to take classes and live on campus, and enjoy a regular college experience. Molly Stafford, the program's Academic Coordinator was in Columbus today to present an overview of the program to area business and community leaders. The four-year residential program is designed to help students become more successful in academics, socialization, independent living, and career development. "Their internship opportunities are wonderful! We partner with MDRS, and we have a wonderful Job Employment Coordinator, Jamey Bachman, and what she does is, she sets our students up with internships that really -- that they're interested in, and that they can thrive in. We have students everywhere around Starkville; we have students placed. We have students placed on campus," said Stafford. The application process for ACCESS begins October 1 |
| Governor's Job Fair Network at MSU-Meridian | |
 | The Mississippi Department of Employment Security hosted its Meridian area Job Fair at MSU-Meridian today. The job fair had a great turnout with 45 companies making an appearance. Adam Todd, Director of the Governor's Job Fair Network spoke about the event's success. "We've had roughly 200 people come through our doors. When you have this many organizations needing to make hires and that many people coming in the doors wanting to go to work, a lot of great things are going to happen for the local economy here," said Todd. Todd said if you missed the fair today be sure to go to jobfairs.ms.gov to find a list of companies and positions. You can also find a calendar of upcoming events. |
| Workers turn out for Meridian Job Fair | |
 | Job seekers from the East Mississippi region flocked to MSU-Meridian's College Park campus Tuesday as the Governor's Job Fair Network of Mississippi held it 2023 Meridian Area Job Fair. The fair brought at total of 45 industries ranging from health care to off-shore oil rigging together with hundreds of Mississippians looking for work. Adam Todd, director of the Governor's Job Fair Network of Mississippi, said he was very pleased with the number of folks who turned out for the event. "We couldn't fit anybody else in," he said. "We're very happy." Todd said job seekers were in charge this year as employers struggle to hire and retain workers. At the fair, he said, applicants not only had the opportunity to pick from a wide range of industries, but they could also negotiate to make a position more flexible to their needs. With more than 120 job seekers passing through the fair in the first 90 minutes, Todd said the impact of Tuesday's fair will be felt in the community. |
| It's official: Ninth grade will move back to SHS | |
| At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, ninth-graders will be back at Starkville High School. Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District trustees unanimously approved the move Monday night at their monthly board meeting. Freshmen have been attending along with eighth-graders at Armstrong Junior High School for the last three years. Returning freshmen to SHS -- where they attended prior to the 2020-21 school year -- would allow the students to have all of their classes and extracurricular activities at one campus instead of traveling between two. Currently some freshmen are beginning and ending their days at the high school and only coming to Armstrong for the middle of the day. "I've seen it as a parent both ways -- with the ninth grade over (at SHS), with the ninth grade here in this building," board member Sumner Davis said during the meeting at Armstrong. "To me, (moving ninth grade back to SHS) is the right decision." The move will transfer roughly 400 more students to SHS, which will house 1,450 students rather than the 1,043 attending there now. But it will also reduce the Armstrong campus, which has supported as many as three grades, to housing just one. |
| Juveniles face slew of charges in Oktibbeha County | |
 | Authorities arrested six juveniles and a seventh is still at large in connection to auto burglaries in Oktibbeha County. Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Capt. Brett Watson said the auto burglaries were reported on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Links Apartments. Law enforcement tried to pull over the suspects' vehicle but was instead led on a chase that ended in Crawford. Seven juveniles occupied the vehicle. Officers arrested five at the scene and Starkville Police arrested a sixth suspect on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The seventh juvenile remains at large. Because of the suspects' ages, Watson would not identify them. They all face charges of auto burglary, felony fleeing and armed robbery. The armed robbery charge stems from a separate incident. |
| ARC to host grant application workshop Feb. 23 in Tupelo | |
 | Community leaders later this month will learn how they can tap into millions in federal dollars during a daylong workshop of the Appalachian Regional Commission. ARC will host one of its three scheduled regional workshops on Feb. 23 at the ICC Belden Conference Center off McCullough Boulevard in Tupelo. The other workshops are in Knoxville and Pittsburgh. Named "Getting the Grant: Successfully Applying for ARC Funding Opportunities," the workshop is part of a new in-person series designed to help prospective applicants prepare to submit applications for ARC's 2023 funding opportunities. Attendees will meet with ARC program staff to ask specific questions about the development of attendees' projects, learn from case study presentations showcasing how successful ARC projects have created economic growth across the region, hear expert insights on the qualities of a well-rounded application and speak with ARC staff, grantees and community leaders working to strengthen economies across the Appalachian Region. ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin will attend the workshop, as will ARC executive director Brandon McBride, congressional liaison Guy Land, federal policy advisor Jennifer Garrison and other ARC staff. |
| Lawmakers ponder stripping state retirement system authority after board votes to raise rates | |
 | After Public Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees voted to require an additional $345 million annually from state and local governmental entities to fund the pension plan for their current and former employees, lawmakers are considering changes to the system's authority. The PERS board voted in December to increase the employer contribution rate, which is paid by state governmental agencies, school districts, county and city governmental entities. The current government contribution is 17.4% of the employees' paycheck. The board voted to increase the rate to 22.4%. Ron Higgins, PERS executive director, said the increase is needed to ensure the system is properly funded long-term. The increase means state agencies will have to provide an additional $265 million toward their employees' retirement, and local governmental entities will have to provide the rest. If more money is not appropriated by the Legislature to pay for the increase, the state agencies, university and community colleges and local school districts will have to make cuts in other areas so they can meet the mandate of the PERS Board. Local governmental entities also are required to provide the funds for the increase. Under current law, the Legislature cannot prevent the employer increase from going into effect. A bill is pending in the Legislature, though -- House Bill 605 -- that could be used to give the Legislature final authority over whether to enact such an increase. Legislators have expressed frustration this year with the PERS board's decision to increase the employer contribution rate. |
| Mississippi Senate votes again to extend postpartum care. House vote remains uncertain | |
| For the fourth time in two years, the Republican-led Mississippi Senate voted to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to mothers from 60 days to one year. Supporters, including Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, call the move a "pro-life" effort to deal with the state's new abortion ban and long-running high rates of death for infants and mothers. It heads now to the House, where Republican Speaker Philip Gunn killed the measures without a vote last year, and where a similar House bill this year died in committee without a vote. But a recent survey of lawmakers by Mississippi Today shows a majority of House members said they support extending the coverage, as 28 other states have done and eight others are considering. On the floor Tuesday, Sen. Barbara Blackmon, D-Canton, tried to amend the bill to include broader Medicaid expansion to cover the working poor per the federal Affordable Care Act. Mississippi is one of 11 GOP-led states to refuse to accept federal money to expand the state-federal health program. Although Hosemann and a growing number of Republican lawmakers say they are at least open to expansion, Gunn, Gov. Tate Reeves and many other Republicans remain opposed. |
| Senate passes postpartum Medicaid for fourth time in recent years | |
| State senators overwhelmingly passed a measure on Tuesday that will allow mothers in Mississippi, the state with the highest infant mortality rate, to receive Medicaid benefits for up to a year after they give birth. "Part of being pro-life is taking care of our most vulnerable children and mothers after they give birth," Republican Sen. Chad McMahan of Guntown said. Twelve senators, all of whom are Republicans, voted against the measure. Three senators from Northeast Mississippi -- Kathy Chism of New Albany, Ben Suber of Bruce and Neil Waley of Potts Camp -- voted against the proposal. Chism has consistently opposed postpartum extension legislation, but Suber and Whaley last year supported efforts to give additional Medicaid benefits to qualified mothers. Suber did not respond to a request for comment, but Whaley told the Daily Journal Tuesday night that he changed his mind last year about postpartum extension after studying the issue further. "It just looks like Medicaid expansion to me," Whaley said. The legislation, in theory, is not adding anyone new to the Medicaid program, which is paid for by a mix of federal and state funds. It's only giving mothers who already qualify for Medicaid additional benefits. Numerous medical leaders such as Dr. LouAnn Woodward, the leader of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Dr. Daniel Edney, the state health officer, have endorsed the proposal. |
| Mississippi Senate passes postpartum Medicaid extension | |
 | Mississippi state senators passed a bill Tuesday that would let mothers keep Medicaid coverage for a year after giving birth, up from the current two months. "This is the exact same bill that we passed last session three times 45-5," said Sen. Kevin Blackwell, a Republican from Southaven. State senators voted last year for an extension, but it failed in the House amid opposition from the Republican House Speaker, Phillip Gunn. The speaker said he did not want to advance anything that would appear to be a broader expansion of Medicaid. This year, he has said that he would back the extension only if it is supported by the state Division of Medicaid. Supporters of the policy, including the state health officer, have said it would help improve health outcomes in Mississippi, where deaths from pregnancy complications have become more prevalent. A report released by the state health department in January showed that Mississippi's maternal mortality rate has risen in recent years. The bill will head to the House for further consideration. |
| Mississippi House considering a bill that would give civil immunity to certain armed teachers | |
 | The "School Safety Guardian Act" would allow anonymity for teachers that go through the proper training to carry a concealed weapon on campus as well as provide them with protection should they be charged with a crime while using their weapon. Brian McGairty is the MDE's Director of Safe and Orderly Schools. He says the education department was consulted prior to the bill's filing, and they support the bill. "Obviously this bill can change as it goes through [the chambers]," he said. "But as it was drafted, as we saw it, it definitely aligns with some of the priorities we put in place." He also says a committee within the MDE on school safety has been discussing the possibility of legislation like this since last year, and that the priority of his division as well as the entire education department is the safety of students. Julian Miller is a Senior Supervising Attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, and he says this bill will likely cause some problems. He also says that the solution to gun violence is not to put more guns in the hands of civilians. "The gun lobby is looking out for the interest of the gun industry," he said. "So, the policy response is to have more guns, when in reality, you're not gonna curb this problem unless you get dangerous automatic weapons off the streets." |
| New bill would raise starting salary for teacher's assistants to $20,000 annually | |
| Teacher assistants could receive a $3,000 raise next school year under the amended bill that passed the House of Representatives last week. Teacher assistants in Mississippi currently have a minimum salary of $17,000. The full-time employees can receive a local supplement from their district to bolster their salaries, but the Mississippi Department of Education does not track the size of these supplements for teacher assistants. Rep. Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach, chair of the House Education Committee, introduced the raise as an amendment to his bill that prohibits districts from decreasing their local supplement when the state provides a raise. Bennett said this happened last year after the Legislature gave a $2,000 raise to teacher assistants as a part of the teacher pay raise. "It is needed," Bennett told Mississippi Today. "It will bring them up to $20,000 in state funding, not including local supplements. It is still very low ... It is a shame it is so low, as valuable as they are." When Bennett introduced the amendment on the House floor, he was met with applause from the chamber. The amended bill passed 114-3. The Mississippi Department of Education said last month that the number of vacancies for teacher assistants across the state increased last year by 32 spots, leading to a total of 564 teacher assistant vacancies. Districts attributed this increase to an uptick in responsibilities related to pandemic recovery for teacher assistants, including one-on-one tutoring, without a raise. |
| Mississippi House OKs court with unelected judges in Jackson | |
| The Republican-controlled Mississippi House on Tuesday passed a bill to create a new court district in part of the capital city of Jackson with judges who would be appointed rather than elected. Black Democrats pushed back vociferously against House Bill 1020 during a nearly five-hour debate, arguing the measure unconstitutionally strips voting rights from many residents in the majority-Black city. "Don't create a city within the city," Democratic Rep. Bryant Clark of Pickens implored the House. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Tray Lamar, a Republican from Senatobia, sponsored the bill. He told the House that a new court system would help deal with a backlog of criminal cases, including a large number of homicides. "Jackson is the capital city," Lamar said. "It belongs to all Mississippi." The bill passed 76-38, largely along party lines. It was held for the possibility of more debate in the next several days, but opponents are unlikely to be able block it from eventually moving to the Senate for more work. The bill would expand the boundaries of the existing Capitol Complex Improvement District. The district currently encompasses parts of Jackson that have state government buildings, including much of downtown and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The proposed expansion includes busy shopping and entertainment areas along Interstate 55 in north Jackson. |
| Over accusations of racism, Mississippi House passes bill to create unelected court system | |
 | The passage of House Bill 1020 came in spite some of the starkest possible opposition from Jackson's mayor, its city council and its representatives in the House, many of whom said the bill reminded them of the darkest days of Mississippi's racist past. After nearly five hours of debate on the House floor the chamber passed the bill that would create an unelected state-appointed court system within the city of Jackson, as conflict between the city and state continues to be one of the key themes of the 2023 legislative session. The bill passed, 76-38, with only one member of the Jackson delegation supporting it. The bill has faced significant criticism since it was first introduced last month. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, who looked on from the House gallery during the debate, said last week that it "reminds me of apartheid." Also last week, a number of judges from the Hinds County court system spoke out against it, including Senior Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd. As Rep. Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, came forward to propose the bill Tuesday, he seemed to address the news headlines that his bill had made, saying Jackson has a crime problem and a judicial backlog that must be managed. "I don't know what you've heard, I'll say that, but this bill is designed to help make our capital city of Mississippi a safer city. This bill is designed to assist the court system of Hinds County, not to hinder it. It is designed to add to our judicial resources in Hinds County, not to take away. To help, not to hurt," Lamar said. |
| 'Only in Mississippi': White representatives vote to create white-appointed court system for Blackest city in America | |
| A white supermajority of the Mississippi House voted after an intense, four-plus hour debate to create a separate court system and an expanded police force within the city of Jackson -- the Blackest city in America -- that would be appointed completely by white state officials. If House Bill 1020 becomes law later this session, the white chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court would appoint two judges to oversee a new district within the city -- one that includes all of the city's majority-white neighborhoods, among other areas. The white state attorney general would appoint four prosecutors, a court clerk, and four public defenders for the new district. The white state public safety commissioner would oversee an expanded Capitol Police force, run currently by a white chief. The appointments by state officials would occur in lieu of judges and prosecutors being elected by the local residents of Jackson and Hinds County -- as is the case in every other municipality and county in the state. The bill was authored by Rep. Trey Lamar, a Republican whose hometown of Senatobia is 172 miles north of Jackson. Democrats offered seven amendments, including one to make the judges elected. All were defeated primarily along partisan and racial lines. "We are not incompetent," said Rep. Chris Bell, D-Jackson. "Our judges are not incompetent." An amendment offered by Rep. Cheikh Taylor, D-Starkville, to require the Capitol Police to wear body cameras was approved. Lamar voiced support for the amendment. |
| House passes bill to expand Capitol Complex Improvement District, create appointed court | |
| A bill that would create an unelected governing body within Mississippi's capital passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday night after nearly five hours of rigorous debates. The bill received 76 yea votes and 36 nay votes. Representative Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, authored House Bill 1020 which would enact a court system within the Capitol Complex Improvement District that would operate separately from the Hinds County Court. HB 1020 would also expand the Capitol Complex Improvement District (CCID) from under 10 square miles to over 26. Capitol Police would have exclusive jurisdiction over the land mass if the legislation is passed by the Senate and signed by Gov. Tate Reeves. The legislation has been subject of mixed reviews from various government officials and advocacy groups. Some leaders have praised the bill for its initiative in curbing crime in the capital city while others deem it an unconstitutional attempt to take power away from Jackson voters. Representative Lee Yancey, R-Brandon, argued that the bill was created because many in the legislature felt an obligation to intervene to try to reduce crime in Jackson and make the city a safer place. Yancey said that the legislation is not racially-motivated. "It's terrible the way things are in Mississippi now. You basically have a white Republican Party and a Black Democrat Party, and no longer can you have a debate about policy. Every single thing is about race... I understand that people who are of African American race have a perspective that I don't have and I try to put myself in their shoes," Yancey said on The Gallo Show. "The fact of the matter is, people are scared to go to the city of Jackson because of the crime rate, because of the murders, because of the carjackings, and something has to be done." |
| Jackson water system a step closer to getting new owners | |
| Jackson's troubled water system could be one step closer to getting new owners after legislation passed the state Senate Tuesday. It's the latest development in a crisis that has left residents of Mississippi's capital without consistent access to running water and has aggravated divisions between the Democratic-led city and the Republican-controlled state government. The bill would transfer ownership of Jackson's water system to a new regional public entity overseen by a nine-member board -- with the majority appointed by state leaders. Sponsored by Republican Sen. David Parker of Olive Branch, it passed in a 34-15 vote and will move to the House for more work. Parker said he introduced the bill to establish how the water system will be governed after Ted Henifin, the system's interim manager appointed by a federal court, concludes his work. Parker also said Jackson's water woes are stymying economic development. "This crisis has been a black eye on the city of Jackson. But it's also been a problem for the state as a whole," Parker said. Parker recounted an incident where a German company was considering expanding to Mississippi. The company asked if the state had running water. |
| Bill to regionalize the Jackson water system takes step forward in Mississippi Senate | |
| The City of Jackson is one step closer to losing sole ownership of its troubled water system, after the Senate gave tentative approval to a bill Tuesday that would pave the way for the system to be run by a nine-member board. That board, which would take over upon the departure of the system's federally appointed administrator, would be made up of four members appointed by the mayor of Jackson, three members appointed by the governor and two appointed by the lieutenant governor. The bill's sponsor, Sen. David Parker, R-Olive Branch, said it was important to give the mayor the most seats on the board, and to list the mayor first in the bill despite traditionally listing the governor first due to that being the highest executive office in the state. Parker, who represents a district in Northern Mississippi, said this bill is important to him because Jackson is the Mississippi capital, but also because his daughter lives in Jackson and he lives with her during session. "I do this because I know that in this city and this region that we have an opportunity to do better, and that we can do better," Parker said. The bill is one of a number making their way through the legislature that would impact Jackson over the opposition of Jackson lawmakers. |
| Senate passes bill putting Jackson water under state control, House to vote next | |
| The state Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would place the long-term control of Jackson's water, wastewater and storm water systems under a nonprofit-led regional authority. Under Senate Bill 2889, the majority of the board leading the nonprofit would be appointed by state leaders: three members from the governor, two from the lieutenant governor, and four from Jackson's mayor. The board would then appoint a president of the authority, who would take charge of daily tasks and hiring personnel. The new structure would take effect once the city's federally appointed water manager, Ted Henifin, is no longer in his role. The federal judge who appointed Henifin left the timeline for that transition open-ended, only requiring Henifin to remain in Jackson until the city can maintain the water system on its own. Henifin suggested recently he would need at least five years to complete his duties. The bill's author, Sen. David Parker, a Republican who lives about 200 miles north of Jackson in Olive Branch, said that while the city's water troubles have been a "black eye for Jackson, it's also been a problem for the state as a whole." Despite the proposed structure in the bill, Parker refused to characterize the bill as taking control of the water system away from Jackson. |
| Mississippi House passes legislation requiring municipalities to bill water, sewer based on usage | |
| On Tuesday, by a vote of 83-28, the Mississippi House passed H.B. 698 which would "ensure just, reasonable and transparent billing for municipal water, wastewater and sewer services." A similar measure, S.B. 2338, passed the Mississippi Senate and has been referred to the House Public Works Committee. State Representative Shanda Yates, now an Independent who represents Hinds and Madison counties, authored the House bill. The District 64 Representative said the bill "simply requires" that a municipality issue water and sewer bills based on the amount of water or sewer used by a customer. "The rates at which water, wastewater, and sewer services shall be supplied shall be just and reasonable, and rates may not be unreasonably preferential, prejudicial or discriminatory but shall be sufficient, equitable and consistent in application to each class of inhabitants," the bill states. "Rates shall be calculated in equitable proportion to the services and benefits rendered. Except as provided in Section 21-27-77, the calculation of an inhabitant's bill shall be limited to the actual amount of usage, plus those fees reasonable and necessary for the cost of capital expenses, system operation and maintenance, and debt service." The legislation sets forth that nothing in the statute shall be construed as prohibiting an inhabitant or governing authority of any municipality from applying for and receiving any federally or privately subsidized payment assistance. |
| 'Kids will kill themselves': Providers of gender affirming care say anti-trans bill will be a direct cause of suicide | |
| As the owners of the only clinic in Mississippi that exclusively provides gender-affirming care to trans people, nurse practitioners Stacie and Lee Pace get a lot of hate mail. But more frequent are the emails from trans kids, who write to the clinic just to say "I'm so glad you exist." Stacie always writes back. "That's really sweet of you," she'll say. "Keep living. You're so brave." In 2021, the same year that lawmakers banned trans athletes from competing on teams that match their gender identity, the Paces started accepting a handful of trans teenagers -- 16 and 17 year olds -- as patients. Today, Spectrum: The Other Clinic --- the blue house on a busy street -- is likely the only one in the state writing prescriptions for trans kids. But they may not be able to for much longer, if the legislative session proceeds as expected. This year, Mississippi lawmakers have filed more than 30 bills aimed at curtailing the rights of LGBTQ+ Mississippians. Following behind Alabama and Arkansas, lawmakers fast-tracked one in particular: House Bill 1125, the "Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures" (REAP) Act. If passed, it will immediately ban evidenced-based "gender transition procedures" like puberty blockers and hormones for trans minors, as well as surgery, even though lawmakers could not name a single instance of that happening in Mississippi. No lawmakers have reached out to the Paces about the bill. But the couple has something to say. Sitting on a brown sofa in Spectrum's colorful waiting room, next to a fake ficus tree draped in trans flags, Stacie delivered a blunt message to lawmakers. If there was one thing lawmakers should know about HB 1125, Stacie said, it was this. "Kids will kill themselves -- period," she said. |
| Joe Biden Pushes Economic Gains, Jousts With GOP in State of the Union Speech | |
 | President Biden used his State of the Union address to try to sell Americans on his economic agenda and called for renewed bipartisanship, but his appeals for unity were punctuated by Republican lawmakers' loud objections to his remarks. The annual speech -- delivered in the House chamber before a joint session of the newly divided Congress on Tuesday -- gave Mr. Biden, 80, a chance to test his message in front of a large audience weeks or months before he is expected to announce his reelection bid. Recent polls show a majority of Democratic voters don't want him to run for a second term, and his approval ratings remain low. Mr. Biden's 72-minute address was interrupted several times by Republican lawmakers. One GOP representative was caught on camera calling the president a liar, and another yelled, "your fault," when Mr. Biden spoke of the rise in fentanyl-related deaths. The president sought to explain to the public how they stand to benefit from the trillions of dollars in spending Mr. Biden helped shepherd through Congress -- including a wide-ranging infrastructure bill; a climate, healthcare, prescription-drug and tax package; and a measure to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. He argued that his policies have helped the U.S. economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic -- pointing to recent positive economic news, including that the unemployment rate is at a 53-year low. |
| Sanders: Biden 'unfit,' time for new GOP generation | |
| Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders offered a stark contrast to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday evening, contending Democrats have failed to manage America's most-pressing issues amid a "left-wing culture war." While Biden used part of his address to urge Republicans and Democrats to work together in the split Congress, Sanders -- who began her governorship on Jan. 10 -- railed against the Biden administration while leaning into cultural issues that have ignited conservatives across the country. "The dividing line in America is no longer between right or left; the choice is between normal and crazy," Sanders said from the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock. "It's time for a new generation of Republican leadership." Sanders followed Biden's second State of the Union address of his presidency with the Republican Party's official response. GOP leaders described Sanders and her agenda as part of a "rising generation" of Republican governors in announcing the selection last Thursday. Sanders, 40, is the youngest governor in the country currently serving in office and the daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee. Her response marked the second time an Arkansan has responded to a State of the Union address; then-Gov. Bill Clinton helped deliver the Democrats' response to President Ronald Reagan's 1985 address. |
| GOP on GOP: Romney scolds Santos, 'You don't belong here' | |
| Republican Rep. George Santos positioned himself in a prime location for President Joe Biden's State of the Union address --- an uncomfortably prominent place for the embattled new lawmaker who faces multiple investigations and has acknowledged embellishing and even lying about his life story. Santos' presence at the center aisle to see and be seen with the arrivals was met with a stern rebuke from a fellow Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney. "You don't belong here," the Utah Republican scolded Santos as he entered the House chamber and spotted the New York Republican on the aisle. Words were exchanged, it was reported, though Romney said later he did not hear it all. "He shouldn't be in Congress, and they are going to go through the process and hopefully get him out," Romney told reporters afterward, his office confirmed. "But he shouldn't be there, and if he had any shame at all he wouldn't be there." Santos retorted with a tweet: "Hey @MittRomney just a reminder that you will NEVER be PRESIDENT!" Other Republicans heard the exchange and one Republican lawmaker who was told about it said there was widespread displeasure that Santos had situated himself in such a prominent spot. The center aisle basically gave Santos the chance to seize the limelight by greeting the president and other prominent officials as they entered the House chamber and made their way down the aisle. As senators entered the House in a line, it was then that Romney spotted Santos and delivered his message. |
| How the House GOP blew up at Biden's State of the Union | The Hill | |
 | Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) had said that Republicans would not play "childish games" during President Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday. While it started as a cordial event, by the end, the speech had some of the rowdiest pushback from an opposing party in recent memory. House Republicans started the day with a reminder that there would be hot mics and cameras all over the House floor leading up to and during the address, according to a person in the room. McCarthy told CNN that Republicans would portray themselves in line with the congressional "code of ethics," and that he would not play "childish games like tearing up a speech" -- a reference to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ripping in half a copy of a State of the Union from former President Trump. McCarthy and other Republicans shook Biden's hand as he entered the room. And at the start of the address, Republicans kept decorum on par with years of State of the Unions past. That changed around the halfway point. McCarthy -- who is eager to strike a spending cuts deal with Biden as a condition of raising the debt ceiling -- could be seen appearing to shush his conference at multiple points during the speech. Ahead of the speech, Greene defended the idea of Republicans vocally opposing Biden. "People stand up and clap for the president. I think we can stand up and oppose things he's saying," Greene said. "Just like a sports team, right?" |
| U.S. intel says Chinese balloon part of vast aerial surveillance program | |
 | The U.S. intelligence community has linked the Chinese spy balloon shot down on Saturday to a vast surveillance program run by the People's Liberation Army, and U.S. officials have begun to brief allies and partners who have been similarly targeted. The surveillance balloon effort, which has operated for several years partly out of Hainan province off China's south coast, has collected information on military assets in countries and areas of emerging strategic interest to China including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines, according to several U.S. officials, who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Officials have said these surveillance airships, operated in part by the PLA air force, have been spotted over five continents. "What the Chinese have done is taken an unbelievably old technology, and basically married it with modern communications and observation capabilities" to try to glean intelligence on other nations' militaries, said one official. "It's a massive effort." U.S. officials have begun to share specifics with officials in countries such as Japan whose military facilities were targeted by Beijing. "There has been great interest in this on the part of our allies and partners," said a senior administration official. |
| 'What Poetry Can Do': US Poet Laureate Ada Limón speaks at Ole Miss | |
| Ada Limón is often asked what poetry can do. On Tuesday evening, Limón, the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States, sought to answer the question for a packed auditorium in Fulton Chapel on the University of Mississippi campus. The author of six books of poetry -- including her latest, "The Hurting Kind" -- Limón delivered the address as speaker for the UM English department's annual Baine Lecture for Scholars and Writers. Titled "What Poetry Can Do," Limón's talk began with another question: "Someone posted on social media the other day, 'Songs are great because what even are they?'" Limón said. It was an offhand comment that she's thought about ever since. Descriptions of art always dissolve into memories or personal feelings, Limón said, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the feeling a person gets from listening to a song or viewing a painting are important and real. "You may hear a song by, say, Elvis, and think of old cliches or cheesy movies or propaganda," Limón said. "While someone else might hear a song by Elvis and hear the deep sounds of Tupelo, the rounded voice of someone sorrowful, soulful." The same thing goes for poetry, she said. No one will be moved by the same poem in quite the same way. |
| Hinds County Sheriff's Dept. offers internship to Jackson State students | |
| Jackson State University students studying criminal justice are getting a chance to see the Hinds County judicial system up close with a new sheriff's department internship program. Four Jackson State University students are stepping out of the classroom and into Hinds County offices for the next several weeks to learn a little bit about each department in the county judicial system. "It gives you a front-row action of things that you may not know go on... on things that you will learn about. I think over the course of only a month, I have learned so much, especially with me wanting to be a lawyer," graduate student and intern Casharia Wiley said. Sheriff Jones said by using $100,000 worth of ARPA funds, he created the program to build up not only students but the department as well. "Each semester, they will come to the sheriff's office, and they will work a minimum of 20 hours a week, and they will make $15 an hour. So, they get paid for the internship, as well as receive a letter grade with the university," Sheriff Jones explained. Sheriff Jones added that the department will continue with the program for another year. He hopes to receive funds each year from the county to continue this internship in the future. |
| Belhaven University taking a stand after rash of crime on campus | |
| Belhaven University is fighting back against a recent rash of crimes on or near campus. Surveillance video from Friday shows a thief driving up to a truck on the Belhaven campus and stealing several items before making a run for it. "Right now, as you know, they are targeting every campus in the metro area. Everybody has been hit," said University President Dr. Roger Parrott. Parrott said the university has had to dramatically increase security as a result of a recent rash of auto burglaries and car thefts on campus. He sent out a letter to faculty and students alerting them to the crimes and what was being done about them. "We just said we are going to stop it and the only option is zero car break-ins, so we have come with patrols that check I.D.s when they come onto campus. We have added a lot of security cameras. We have added a lot of light," Parrott said. Capitol police have increased patrols in the Belhaven area, capturing the suspects after an armed carjacking took place in December. "The Belhaven area has been getting hit pretty hard lately. It has been going on for a month, or so," said Capitol Police Chief Bo Luckey. "We have upped our patrols. We are trying to make sure we focus our efforts that way, so the criminal element that may be in the area looking to find an easy target will see us instead." |
| Auburn is making a big move in high-tech Huntsville | |
 | Ask people how to find the new Auburn University Research and Innovation Campus in Huntsville and you might get an answer like this: "You can't miss it." Auburn's new Huntsville home stands out even in Cummings Research Park, which bills itself as the country's second-largest research and technology park with 300 companies and 26,000-plus employees. Tech company LogiCorp. originally acquired the 9 acres of land and erected the building Auburn now occupies at 345 Voyager Way. Now, Auburn has big plans for the land and 40,000 square feet of ultra-modern space. A mini-campus with more buildings is coming, Auburn says, and this is just the start. "We know that Huntsville is 'a' if not 'the' center of tech today in Alabama ... so university leadership felt like we had to have a greater presence there," Auburn Interim Engineering Dean Steve Taylor said in January. Huntsville is the post-graduation destination of most Auburn engineering students, Taylor said, and research done in the city by Auburn graduates is growing. Auburn needed a bigger and better presence, Taylor said. The campus will be a new home for Auburn in the area and connect its educational, outreach and extension programs. Auburn’s vision for the new Huntsville facility sounds like Wernher von Braun’s 1961 vision for the Huntsville research institute that became the University of Alabama in Huntsville. UAH has grown to 9,237 students now with 3,194 in engineering. “There’s room for both of us, and I’m saying that genuinely,” Taylor said. He acknowledged the potential for competition, but said, “The market is very strong for engineers. It’s going to take all of us – UAH, UA, UAB, Auburn, (University of) South Alabama -- all of us producing young engineers to fill the demand that’s out there.” |
| Campus Safety and Security warns students of outside groups on campus | |
| On Tuesday afternoon, students were notified by Campus Safety and Security of reports they received last week of a non-university affiliated group on campus claiming to be Auburn students. The group was subsequently banned from university property after selling cookies to students and attempting to convince students to participate in their activities. The email followed their alert with reminders to students about suspicious activity on campus, including notes to ensure the group is affiliated with the university; to research the group if you are unsure of them; do not eat goods from those you do not know; do not provide strangers with personal information; ignore attempts to persuade through attention and gifts and report behavior you find strange. |
| Florida universities were told to prioritize diversity plans. Now, DeSantis aims to gut them | |
 | The chairman of the Florida Board of Governors stepped up to a plexi-glass barrier and removed his face mask. The meeting of the group that oversees the state's 12 universities fell just a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic. But, at the end of May 2020, another tragedy gripped the news cycle. The police murder of George Floyd played out on screens across the country, tipping off a racial reckoning that seemed to touch every facet of American society. That included the state's higher education system and Board of Governors, whose chairman at the time, real estate developer Sidney Kitson, began the June meeting with a somber recognition and call to action. "The shocking and horrific events of these past weeks have both angered and saddened all Americans," Kitson said. "It is time for everyone to examine the inequities of our society, recognize the conditions that have created those inequities, and work to repair the racial divide and restore equal justice for all Americans." Kitson, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott, continued with a plan for how the Board would address those racial inequities, saying that he and other Board leaders would be speaking to faculty and students at Florida universities. Two and a half years later, in January, DeSantis embarked on a similar inquiry -- but with opposite aims. While Kitson would go on to form a diversity, equity and inclusion committee that concluded such efforts "will need to continue long after our urgent responses to the crises of 2020," DeSantis announced Jan. 31 that he would dismantle them. |
| U. of Florida exploring potential Jacksonville satellite campus | |
| The University of Florida is looking to expand further in Jacksonville, officials announced during a press conference Tuesday. New UF President Ben Sasse, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and members of the school's board of trustees provided some details about the expected satellite campus, but little is publicly known about possible locations for the campus or a projected timeline. "Today the city of Jacksonville and University of Florida are committing to explore opportunities to create a new campus in Jacksonville," said UF board Chairman Mori Hosseini. City Council would have to approve upcoming financial proposals, as well as potential sites for the university. The campus would be for graduate students in medicine, business and engineering fields, especially in technology relating to simulation, health applications of artificial intelligence, patient quality and safety, health care administration and financial technology. Jacksonville welcomed the opportunity now to strengthen the existing job force, Curry said, calling it a "generational game changer." "We are excited about the possibility of hosting this University of Florida expansion to foster opportunity, a talent pipeline and further grow our region's industry," Curry said. |
| Texas A&M researcher helps bring medication treatment for epilepsy | |
 | Samba Reddy saw his professional life's worth of work come to fruition last year. Reddy, a researcher at Texas A&M University School of Medicine, had studied for almost 25 years on how a drug could treat patients with epilepsy. His team's medication, ganaxolone, which is sold under the brand name Ztalmy, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in March 2022 to treat a rare form of refractory epilepsy called CDKL5-deficient epilepsy (CDD) in children above the age of 2. The drug was designated a first-in-class medication since it was the first drug to be approved to treat this condition. The anti-seizure drug hit the market in July 2022. CDD is a genetic disorder first identified in 2004, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. CDD is rare and occurs in just 1 in 60,000 births and affects four times as many females as males. "The last 25 years of my life since getting a Ph.D., I've been working on these compounds and specifically on this molecule for nearly 18 years," Reddy said. "We kind of gave up the hope that it would ever reach the market and be helpful to any patients, but I never gave up. A lot of companies and trials gave up, but I continued my work and I'm so thrilled that finally it saw the light and hit the market." Reddy is a regents professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics and the founding director of Texas A&M's Institute of Pharmacology and Neurotherapeutics. He began his research on ganaxolone in 1999 and spent the last 14 years of his research at A&M after he spent time at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and North Carolina State University. He works out of A&M's Health Science Center in Bryan. |
| U. of Missouri students to protest outside curators meeting, demand access to Plan B pill | |
 | Students with the Coalition for Bodily Autonomy plan to rally outside a University of Missouri System Board of Curators meeting on Thursday to protest a lack of subsidized emergency contraceptives on campus. The coalition says anywhere from a dozen to 40 of its members plan to attend the meeting on the MU campus. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. but members of the coalition posted on social media asking its followers to gather outside Stotler Lounge in Memorial Union beginning at 10 a.m. The coalition is not on the curators' agenda, and it isn't known if the curators or administrators will address the group's concerns at the meeting. "Everyone else that shows up in support of us will rally outside of Memorial Union and make sure that they're heard through the windows of Stotler Lounge," said Galen Zavala Sherby, the chair of Mizzou Young Democratic Socialists of America, which is a member of the coalition. Members of the coalition said they hope the rally will produce a public meeting between them and the university's higher ups, specifically President Mun Choi or anyone with the power to implement policies on student health. |
| Confusion over a new unit at Chapel Hill | |
 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill leaders have given mixed messages about what sounded, at least initially, like the university is trying to resurrect plans for a conservative campus center. David Boliek, chairman of Chapel Hill's Board of Trustees, was rather specific in a Jan. 28 interview on Fox and Friends. "This is all about balance," Boliek told the network. "At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, we clearly have a world-class faculty that exists and teaches students and creates leaders of the future," Boliek said. "We, however, have no shortage of left-of-center, progressive views on our campus, like many campuses across the nation. But the same really can't be said about right-of-center views. So this is an effort to try to remedy that with the School of Civic Life and Leadership, which will provide equal opportunity for both views to be taught." That interview came two days after his board passed a resolution asking Chapel Hill's administration to "accelerate its development of a School of Civic Life and Leadership," with "a goal of a minimum of 20 dedicated faculty members and degree opportunities for undergraduate students." The evening that passed, the Wall Street Journal editorial board was already praising the university for planning "to build a syllabus free from ideological enforcers." "Students will be able to choose the new classes to fulfill university core requirements," the Wall Street Journal board wrote. "Those who aren't interested can stay in the existing courses." |
| Family sues fraternity for $28M over pledge's hazing death | |
| The family of a Virginia Commonwealth University fraternity pledge who died from alcohol poisoning in a 2021 hazing is suing the fraternity for $28 million. A police investigation found that Adam Oakes, a 19-year-old who had received a bid to the Delta Chi fraternity, was told to drink a large bottle of whiskey in February 2021. The freshman from Loudoun County was found dead the next morning. The office of the chief medical examiner ruled Oakes' death was caused by alcohol poisoning. Courtney White, Oakes' cousin, filed a wrongful death suit naming Delta Chi Fraternity Inc., Delta Chi Educational Foundation and the VCU chapter of Delta Chi on Monday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Six members of the fraternity were found guilty or pleaded guilty to misdemeanor hazing or providing alcohol to a minor. None of them received jail time. Charges against another five members were dropped. VCU expelled Delta Chi in June 2021, and in September, the university settled with the Oakes family for nearly $1 million. |
| What Do Big Tech Layoffs Mean for STEM Programs? | |
 | One of the hottest fields for recent college graduates has recently cooled off, as layoffs have hit the technology sector. On Tuesday, Zoom announced it will be eliminating 15 percent of its staff. Spotify, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have all made cuts in their work forces in the past month. In November, the Facebook parent company Meta announced it would be cutting 13 percent of its workers. Amazon and Google are also expected to hire fewer interns in 2023 than in past years. It is being called the largest wave of tech layoffs since the dot-com crash in the early 2000s, and it's creating headaches for colleges' career-counseling offices and soon-to-be-graduates who flocked to majors that once promised plentiful jobs. For the past two decades, colleges, think tanks, and policy makers have touted the wage-earning potential of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degree programs. Enrollments in many of those fields have grown accordingly, particularly in computer science. If history is any guide, it will most likely take some time for students and undergraduate academic programs to adjust to the changing job market. For now, undergraduate programs across the country remain optimistic about interest in their disciplines and students' job prospects. The College of William & Mary plans to expand its data-science program; data is one of the four tenets of its "Vision 2026" plan. That's because data fluency is a skill that students can apply in a variety of industries, said Kathleen Powell, chief career officer at William & Mary. |
| Education Department hints at possible delay of new FAFSA | |
| The new version of the Free Application of Student Aid might not be ready by Oct. 1, Federal Student Aid officials said Tuesday, though the agency is planning to launch the application in the fourth quarter of this year. Melanie Storey, deputy director of policy implementation and oversight for the Office of Federal Student Aid, told attendees at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators' leadership conference that the agency wouldn't commit to a launch date this fall, though it is working aggressively toward an Oct. 1 launch. Tuesday's conference was the first time officials publicly disclosed that the application might not open Oct. 1, as it has since 2016. Legally, the agency has until Jan. 1 to release the application. The conference was not open to the press, but NASFAA staff shared Storey's quotes with Inside Higher Ed and published a recap of the panel discussion. Pushing back the FAFSA's launch could be "massively disruptive," NASFAA president Justin Draeger said. The FAFSA is at the center of the college financial aid system. Students, high school counselors, state aid agencies and colleges and universities, among others, rely on the application, which is key to unlocking billions in federal financial aid for millions of students each year. A delay in the form could mean a delay in getting financial aid offers to students, and it could hamper students' college searches and affect state aid agencies that have earlier deadlines. |
| A new generation of conservative student newspapers | |
| Nathaniel Greve launched an alternative student newspaper at the Georgia Institute of Technology as a way to help heal what he saw as the flawed political speech environment on campus. "We were noticing that the way that students were handling their political discourse using platforms such as Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, YikYak, the school newspaper just simply was not a productive means of ... making any kind of argument," said Greve, a junior majoring in computer science. "I think this is a big issue to our school, and it was an issue at schools across the board and just the nation as a whole." He said conservative voices were being pushed out of mainstream student news and that the main student newspaper, The Technique, wasn't serving the student population as well as it could. Greve launched The Liberty Jacket in 2021. The Liberty Jacket is one of at least a dozen conservative or right-leaning student newspapers that have launched on college campuses since the beginning of 2020. The papers vary in everything from content -- some are opinion-focused, while others include more traditional news stories -- to medium; the recently relaunched Harvard Salient, for one, is predominantly print-focused. But many share a funding source: the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, an organization with chapters across U.S. colleges that trains young people to become conservative leaders. |
| Delbert Hosemann expected to take the fight to primary challenger McDaniel | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Back in 2014, Mississippi politicos underestimated Tea Party zealot state Sen. Chris McDaniel, and it almost resulted in one of the state's most shocking political upsets. At the outset, most thought McDaniel was taking on then-incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran as an exercise in building name recognition for a future race. Not so. Cochran, then the state's most influential member of Congress and in line to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee, was pushed to the limit by McDaniel's insurgent campaign -- a campaign financed largely by out-of-state super political action committees representing Club for Growth and Senate Conservatives Fund. But in the GOP second primary, Cochran rallied to win the nomination and eventual re-election to his final term in a 45-year career on Capitol Hill that saw him render heroic and historic service to Mississippi and the Gulf South after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In every race, the McDaniel playbook is nothing if not predictable. His opponent is "not conservative enough" and fails McDaniel's political purity test. McDaniel postures as a courageous champion of conservative issues and a skilled legislator who can effect real change really fast. But the reality of the McDaniel shuck-and-jive is somewhat different -- and often jarring in its hypocrisy. ... After losing the 2014 and 2018 U.S. Senate campaigns, McDaniel now returns to a statewide race challenging incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann. ... the key difference in this race for McDaniel is that in Hosemann, he faces an opponent who will take the political fight to him. |
SPORTS
| How Chris Jans, Mississippi State are adjusting to 3-point shooting woes | |
| Basketball players aren't exactly trained to pass up open shots. But the way Mississippi State (15-8, 3-7 Southeastern Conference) has been shooting the basketball from distance, coach Chris Jans knows that might be the Bulldogs' best option in many cases. "We can't just throw it up because we're open," Jans said Monday. "There's some shots out there that we're taking in almost every game that probably aren't the best for us right now." Just looking at the numbers proves Jans right. Mississippi State as a team is shooting just 27.6 percent from behind the 3-point line, the sixth-worst percentage in all of Division I. hat's despite a 40.5 percent mark from point guard Dashawn Davis, hinting at how bad some of the Bulldogs' other regulars have been from 3. Guard Shakeel Moore has improved, but he's still at 27.5 percent. Forward D.J. Jeffries sits at 24.8 percent. Guard Eric Reed Jr. is down to 23.7 percent. That makes it easier for Jans to preach passing up some 3-point attempts, although the first-year MSU coach knows it's a fine line to walk. "That's a touchy subject because you want them to play with great confidence and you want to give them a lot of freedom, and I think we do that," Jans said. "But at the same time, we want to play in that character that we talk about a lot of how we need to play and be successful." |
| After huge game, Derek Fountain looks to help LSU end losing streak in his home state | |
 | Derek Fountain did everything he could on both ends of the floor Saturday to help LSU try to snap a frustrating nine-game losing streak. The willowy 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward put together the best game of his three-year college career when his team battled then-No. 4 Alabama. He stuffed the stat sheet with a career-high 26 points while going 6 of 9 from the field, was 12 of 15 from the free-throw line, and had seven rebounds and four blocked shots. He also handed out two assists and drew nine fouls on Alabama, which blasted LSU by 40 points just three weeks earlier in Tuscaloosa. The Tide did prevail again Saturday, but the final score was a much more respectable 79-69. Even though the Tigers' losing streak reached double digits, Fountain's timing couldn't have been better. His monster game came four days before his return to Mississippi State, where the Holly Springs, Mississippi, native played two seasons before transferring to LSU last summer. Fountain will be eager to put up another top performance when LSU (12-11, 1-9 Southeastern Conference) and Mississippi State (15-8, 3-7 SEC) meet at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Humphrey Coliseum. The game will be televised by the SEC Network. |
| Baseball Announces Opening Weekend Game Times | |
| The 2023 Mississippi State baseball season is nine days away and the opening weekend game times are set. The Diamond Dawgs will open the season at 3 p.m. CT on Friday, Feb.17, at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville. The Diamond Dawgs host VMI in a three-game series to pen the season. Following the season opener at 3 p.m., the Bulldogs and Keydets return to action on Saturday (Feb. 18) for a first pitch at 2 p.m. The series finale is set for Sunday (Feb. 19) at 1 p.m. at The Dude. Friday's game will be carried on the Mississippi State Sports Network powered by Learfield along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/plus. General admission season tickets are currently on sale at $260 for the general public or $208 for Mississippi State University faculty and staff. MSU faculty and staff tickets must be done over the phone. Tickets can be purchased at HailState.com/tickets, in person at the MSU Athletics Ticket Office located in the Bryan Athletic Building, or via the phone at (662) 325-2600. Mississippi State's 56-game schedule features 33 home games, 16 road contests, and seven neutral-site matchups. The schedule features a pair of lengthy homestands, as Dudy Noble Field hosts an 8-game homestand to open the campaign (Feb. 18 - 26), followed by nine straight home games from March 21-April 4. |
| Projecting Mississippi State baseball's 2023 starting lineup, pitching rotation | |
 | Mississippi State baseball coach Chris Lemonis brought a pair of guest speakers to address the Bulldogs prior to the start of practice for the 2023 season. When asked who expected to be a relief pitcher, three players raised their hand. Lemonis wasn't happy to see that. "So, I have three relivers and 17 starters," Lemonis joked with reporters on Jan. 27. Much of that is due to pitchers who were starters throughout high school having to accept a new role. Some of it is due to the uncertainty surrounding the pitching rotation. Pitching was a struggle for Mississippi State in a losing season last year. The Bulldogs finished last in the SEC with a team ERA above six and had the third-most walks. Injuries plagued depth with ace Landon Sims and reliver Stone Simmons have season-ending arm injuries in March. Parker Stinnett, who started in six of 12 appearances, saw his season end in April. KC Hunt, who developed into MSU's closer after one start in 15 appearances, was out for more than a month early in the season. Despite Sims and fellow starter Preston Johnson departing for the MLB after the draft, Mississippi State will have more depth and options this season. However, as the guest speakers made clear, it's unclear who fits where. Even junior right-handed pitcher Cade Smith, who started 14 games last season, hasn't been announced as a starter. |
| SEC, ESPN Announce Softball Television Schedule | |
| Mississippi State's softball program will play 11 nationally televised games this spring. In addition, all remaining home games and conference contests will air on SEC Network+. The No. 23 Bulldogs will play in the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational, hosted by ESPN Events next weekend (Feb. 17-19). State opens the tournament against Indiana on SEC Network at 11:30 a.m. CT on Feb. 17 and closes the event against UCF on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. on Feb. 19. The remaining three games in Clearwater will be available on ESPN+. One game of the Bulldog Invitational in Starkville will be carried by SEC Network. The Bulldogs host No. 1 Oklahoma on March 11 at 3 p.m. CT on the conference network. When MSU travels to Athens, Georgia, their Saturday contest (March 25) against the other Bulldogs will air on SEC Network at 11 a.m. State's series at Texas A&M (April 8-10) will be the league's showcase series as the Bulldogs and Aggies meet in Bryan-College Station in SEC Network's Saturday-Monday slot. All three games will be carried on the network with first pitches set for 7 p.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. CT. On Sunday, April 16, a Super Bulldog Weekend crowd will be on display when State hosts No. 9 Alabama on SEC Network at 1 p.m. |
| No. 11 Women's Golf Caps a Record-Setting Performance to Finish Second at UCF Challenge | |
| Mississippi State women's golf completed the final round of a record-setting three days of golf from the UCF Challenge on Tuesday. After 54 holes of play, State finished second shooting 826 (38-under par). The Bulldogs used a late push to card an 8-under par on the last four holes to pull one stroke ahead of Northwestern but fell short of No. 2 Wake Forest who finished with a 42-under par (822). The Bulldogs were propelled by strong performances from top to bottom over the entire tournament as State did not record a round over par across the entire team. The UCF Challenge marks the lowest 54-hole score in program history (38-under par) as they blasted past the previous record of 32-under in the 2021 Westbrook Invitational. State carded a 10-under (278) third round to achieve the feat, the second-lowest third round in program history. 278 moves into the ninth-lowest round in MSU history. Julia Lopez Ramirez captured her third consecutive, and twenty-first total round, in the 60s in the Maroon and White to lead State through Tuesday's final round. Lopez Ramirez now sits only four spots back of the legendary Ally McDonald for most rounds in the 60s in a career (25). |
| Darius Slay: Mississippi State football 'real, true dogs, not Georgia' | |
| Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay is a native of Brunswick, Georgia, and plays alongside former UGA defensive lineman Jordan Davis, but it's clear his allegiance to Mississippi State football holds strong. Even as the Eagles prepare to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's Super Bowl 57, the SEC rivalry is fresh in Slay's mind. He made that clear during Monday's opening night in Glendale, Arizona. "Mississippi State got the dogs -- the real, true dogs. Not Georgia dogs," Slay told reporters. "Boo. Tell Jordan Davis I said that." Slay, who played under Dan Mullen from 2011-2012, is among 12 players in the Super Bowl with ties to Mississippi high schools and colleges. That includes Eagles linebacker and former Georgia Bulldog Nakobe Dean, who is a native of Horn Lake, Mississippi. Slay isn't alone in the Eagles locker room trying to defend Mississippi State -- though UGA is 20-6 all-time vs. MSU, including a 45-19 win in Starkville last season. Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox played at Mississippi State. |
| What a 'major modernization' of Williams-Brice could mean for U. of South Carolina football home | |
| South Carolina athletics -- and the Gamecocks' football stadium in particular -- could be on the verge of big changes. The university announced Tuesday the first steps of a proposed development project they say will include a "major modernization of Williams-Brice Stadium." USC filed a request for information (RFI) with the state that will explore the potential of developing over 800 acres of land located mostly adjacent to Williams-Brice and Colonial Life Arena. Those expected future agreements to develop that USC-owned land would "generate significant private funding for improvements to Williams-Brice Stadium, allowing for the expansion of the venue's use for other public events in addition to football games," according to a new release. What that eventually means for the future of the Gamecocks' venues remains to be seen. For Williams-Brice Stadium, it could lead to accelerating such things as adding more luxury suites and modernizing seating, concourses and bathrooms throughout the venue. "This is a project potentially that is a game changer," USC athletic director Ray Tanner said. "We have a blank canvas." Any project involving USC's undeveloped land is unlikely to break ground for another 18 months or more as it goes through the state process required for an undertaking that senior USC officials estimate could include an investment of "billions of dollars." |
| Hootie & the Blowfish honored by South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame | |
 | Hootie & the Blowfish, almost as well known for their love of sports as music and hosts of the popular Monday After the Masters Golf Pro-Am, is getting some official love. The South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 8 announced the mega-popular band with Palmetto State roots will receive the Willie Jeffries Ambassador for Sports Award to be presented during the 2023 SCAHOF induction ceremony and banquet May 15 at the Columbia Convention Center. Hootie front man Darius Rucker of Charleston is well known for support of various sports things, and as a South Carolina Gamecocks super fan. Monday After the Masters is an annual celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament held in Myrtle Beach and featuring PGA Tour pros and celebrities. It has raised millions for children's educational programs and junior golf. Along with Rucker, the band includes Mark Bryan, Dean Felber and Jim Sonefeld. Jeffries was a ground-breaking head football coach at South Carolina State. "The Jeffries Award is one of our premier honors and we're thrilled to present it to Hootie & the Blowfish," SCAHOF Executive Director Andy Solomon said. "The band, through their decades of generosity and through the sport of golf, has demonstrated to be the epitome of what this award and its namesake reflect." |
| What Georgia's Foley Field project upgrades are expected to include for Bulldog baseball | |
 | While designs on major upgrades to Foley Field are still being finalized, some of the features of the project are coming into clearer focus. Still in the plans are a player's lounge, an indoor hitting cage, pitching lab, coaches' offices, added premium seating and an extended canopy that will offer more shading to fans at the baseball stadium that currently seats 2,760. Athletic director Josh Brooks showed images to the UGA athletic board on Tuesday at its winter meeting at the Georgia Center. The board will be asked to approve funding for the project in the spring when a price tag will be revealed. It's possible the project could cost more than triple the $12 million of renovations done at the last major upgrades in 2015. Construction for this project is expected to be completed in time for the 2025 season, which is later than originally anticipated due to rising construction costs, Brooks said previously. A first phase of construction with underground utility work will being in the summer. Georgia is behind most other SEC teams in the baseball facility arms race. Plans for a weight room on the third base side are expected to be scrapped, but more space will be freed in the current Stegeman Coliseum training facility weight room with other sports moving to a new weight room at the soccer/softball complex on S. Milledge, Brooks told the board. |
| Uneven revenue distribution model picking up steam in the ACC? | |
| The ACC will hold winter meetings this week in Charlotte, and there's one certain topic of conversation that administrators in attendance expect to be prevalent. "We'll have a lot of discussions on how to close the revenue gap in the ACC," Clemson athletic director Graham Neff said last week. More specifically, is the league on the verge of going to an unequal distribution of revenue? Neff said he's spoken to league commissioner Jim Phillips as well as administrators at the other 13 ACC institutions, who have indicated to him that the idea might not be as far-fetched as it may seem. "Now everybody has their hat or their polo on for different schools based on where you invest, what your priorities are and probably what your appetite is, but everybody is at the table and understands it's time to order," Neff said. "So I've been pleased and optimistic about the general understanding within the league that, hey, this is something we really need to look at, and that's not easy. "I emphasize that because I don't take it lightly. Because forever, the ACC, let alone all other conferences that I'm aware of, has been equal revenue share. So the notion of kind of jumping the ditch or really considering rolling up the sleeves on, hey, we need to look at this differently, I think there's a really good understanding of that." Locked into a media rights agreement with ESPN until 2036, the ACC is well behind many of its Power Five counterparts when it comes to revenue generation, particularly the SEC and Big Ten, which are driving the latest round of conference expansion. |
| Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announces $350M to renovate FedExForum and Liberty Stadium | |
 | Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland asked for $350 million to renovate several sports venues in the city -- including FedExForum -- and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wants to deliver. Lee unveiled the proposal in his upcoming budget pitch for the next fiscal year. Lawmakers will have to approve the funds, but House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, has previously said he is in favor of the funding. In October, the city revealed $684 million in stadium plans. The plans are contingent on state funding -- more than $500 million worth. That would pay for a $150 million to $200 million renovation of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, a renovation for FedExForum, a new soccer stadium to replace Mid-South Coliseum and an overhaul for AutoZone Park. The state's money appears to not include funding for the Mid-South Coliseum soccer stadium or AutoZone park. Still, Lee's budget proposal would be a major head start in that effort to revamp the city's sports venues. Strickland unveiled his request to the state in November 2022. Memphis is also asking the General Assembly for permission to raise the hotel-motel tax to 5% -- up from the current 3.5% -- and for the extension of two tax incentives that already help subsidize FedExForum. City leaders want the money in the hopes that a renovated FedExForum will keep the Memphis Grizzlies in the city long-term and help the University of Memphis join a larger athletic conference. |
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