| Tuesday, March 14, 2023 |
| Local MSU Alumni chapter honored | |
 | Photo: Lisa Riley, president of the Clarke County Chapter of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association, is shown with a Silver Cowbell (next to the Egg Bowl Trophy) the local chapter received at the 2023 Leadership Conference recently held at the Hunter Henry Center on the MSU campus in Starkville. The weekend event began with the Chapter and Volunteer Awards Reception, which recognizes honor chapters, cowbell winners and volunteer awards. The Chapter Recognition Program awards outstanding chapters each year according to their membership and achievement within the Honor Chapter Point System. Gold, Silver and Bronze distinctions are presented to the top three chapters in each of the association's five existing categories. Honors awards are also given to qualifying, high-achieving chapters. The Clarke County Chapter is now the recipient of two Silver and two Bronze Cowbells in recognition of outstanding service and membership achievement. |
| From Hog to Hog Wild: How a 'Stealth Gene' Transforms Pigs Into Wild Boars | |
 | It may be the year of the rabbit, but it's the pig that has been making headlines lately. A so-called super pig is invading the prairie region of Canada, demonstrating a surprising ability to survive the region's harsh climate and frigid temperatures. These animals are hardy, hard to catch, and destructive, causing billions of dollars in agricultural damage and soil erosion, and making life difficult for native species. While feral pigs are a recent problem for our neighbors to the north, here in the U.S., farmers and land managers have been battling the invasive species for decades, often with little to show for their efforts. What makes these porky ungulates so successful? A lot of it has to do with genetics. "If it's got a calorie in it and they can get their mouth around it they will eat it," Bill Hamrick, an expert in Nuisance Wildlife and Damage Management at Mississippi State University Extension, tells Popular Mechanics. "Plants, snakes, turtles, frogs, birds' nests -- anything." Hamrick doesn't subscribe to the notion of a "super pig," but explains that the feral pigs on the lam today are so successful because of their superior genetics. "You take a Eurasian boar, which is [a] rangier, tougher species and then mix that with a domestic stock that's been strengthened by selective breeding, and you have a very strong hybrid," he says. As it turns out, even domestic pigs can turn feral in short order, relying on the ancient boar genes still encoded in their DNA. These "stealth genes," as scientists call them, can be activated by changes in the pigs' surroundings. |
| Anglers land great white shark on Baldwin County beach | |
| Everybody loves a good fish tale and two shark fishing guides from Pensacola have one they'll never forget. It was Monday night, March 6, 2023, when they met their clients on the beach near the Flora-Bama in Orange Beach. Little did they know that before the sun would rise Tuesday morning, they would land what's believed the be the first great white shark ever caught from the beach in Alabama. After what had been an uneventful several hours, line began to peel off the Shimano Tiagra 130 about 4:00 a.m. It was the sound Coastal World Wide's Dylan Wier and partner, Blaine Kenny had been waiting for. It didn't take long to realize they'd hooked into a monster fish. Both have caught their share of big sharks from area beaches, but nothing could have prepared them for what was about to happen. The fishing party took turns videoing the event and with Wier on the rod and the fish close to the beach, Kenny is heard yelling, "It's a great white. It's a great white." It you're thinking this catch is unusual, the northern Gulf of Mexico's leading shark expert would agree. "They're relatively rare individuals, especially in this part of the world and especially from the beach," explained Dr. Marcus Drymon with Mississippi State University. "This is a very rare event and maybe, if those guys continue to fish from the beach for the next several years and never catch another one like it." Dr. Drymon said the 10 to 11 foot great white was just a juvenile shark and the cooler waters we have near to the coastline right now may have drawn him closer to the beach. |
| Bump up those wheat yields | |
| In fall 2022, many Midsouth wheat producers were either new to or returning to wheat production after several years off. Midsouth wheat specialists want to remind growers that late winter is a great time to maximize wheat productivity, but they must make timely management decisions to realize that potential. "After five or six years of historically low wheat acreage, there has been a renaissance in interest in growing wheat this year," said Erick Larson, extension professor at Mississippi State University. "A lot of the interest is driven by prices, but 2022 was a rather droughty year, which limited the productivity of our summer crops. That has also shifted some folks' interest into wheat." In March, growers may make a post-emergence herbicide application to control ryegrass, if needed. Ryegrass is the biggest weed problem for wheat and can cause tremendous crop loss. Fall herbicide applications for ryegrass typically provide better control and result in greater yields. "We have a good opportunity to control ryegrass with preemergence applications in the fall," Larson said. "But if producers find substantial amounts of ryegrass in their fields, they will need to employ a post-emergence application, but management is key to achieving reliable control and producing good results." |
| Want a healthy cereal? Then be sure to look for these ingredients. | |
 | Few breakfasts are easier to make than a bowl of cereal. What isn't easy is figuring out which cereals are good for you. There are dozens of brands and flavors to choose from, and many of the claims on the box can add to the confusion. You can find cereals with a good balance of nutrition -- and great taste, too. But it requires a little more scrutiny than just a glance at the front of the box. In Consumer Reports' recent tests of breakfast cereals, we found that even some with healthy-sounding names and lofty claims about their ingredients didn't always nutritionally stack up. "Look past the glitz and glamour, and go right to the ingredients list," says Qula Madkin, a certified diabetes educator and extension instructor with Mississippi State University. Once you're there, checking a few key factors, such as fiber and added sugars, can help you select the best healthy cereal for you. |
| STEAM Break kicks off with science, singing | |
| Stormin' Bob Swanson, also known as the Singing Weatherman, was at the Mississippi Children's Museum-Meridian on Monday in an effort to teach children the basics of meteorology and the science of weather in an innovative and interesting way through song using musical instruments like the guitar, harmonica and accordion. "It was important to have Bob visit the museum today because he not only teaches the children about science and technology but does it through fun," said the museum's Program Assistant Melinda Goff. "He makes it very entertaining for the kids." Swanson's visit kicked off a week of programs throughout downtown Meridian as part of STEAM Break. The week of activities focusing around science, technology, engineering, art and math offers both fun and learning for local children during spring break. |
| $140 million and counting: Castle Properties looking to continue investing in Starkville's commercial potential | |
 | Castle Properties is about to grab ownership of the former Cadence Operations Center to create a professional development building. The 40,000-square foot property west of Cannon Ford, will be turned into a multi-office space building for prospective tenants or purchasers, Castle Properties owner Mark Castleberry told members of the Starkville Rotary Club at Hilton Garden Inn. "They've allowed us already to start doing some work on it," Castleberry said. "You may have seen it's actually being painted today. ... We believe there's a great need (for the office space)." Castleberry told Rotarians the purchase of the building, which is slated to close next week, is part of a strategy by the commercial development company to purchase vacant buildings in Starkville and flip them to prospective tenants or buyers to promote economic growth in the region. "Think about how much growth has occurred in Starkville," Castleberry said. "Apartments, student housing, single family, but there hasn't been a whole lot of retail builds. I think you're going to see a lot more commercial development. So the next five years is going to be continued good growth for Starkville." |
| Officials assure consumers, public that Mississippi banks are safe | |
 | The collapse of two banks over the weekend -- and the subsequent moves by the FDIC and the Treasury Department to reassure consumers -- isn't a sign of widespread problem in the financial system, Mississippi banking officials say. "An over concentration in the technology sector is a major contributing factor to the problems at SVB," said Gordon Fellows, president and CEO of the Mississippi Bankers Association. "Mississippi's banks are much more diverse in terms of their client base. In fact, Mississippi banks are well capitalized and well managed." On Friday, California-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was shut down by regulators as deposit outflows increased and the bank failed to raise needed capital. Primarily serving the tech sector, the nation's 16th largest bank had $209 billion in assets and $175.4 billion in deposits, but concerns grew as deposit withdrawals had snowballed, threatening its stability. Meanwhile, New York-based Signature, which served many crypto currency clients, was shuttered Sunday after its shares fell more than 16%. "It's important for Mississippians to remember that FDIC-insured bank accounts are the safest place money can be kept," Fellows said. "The FDIC has been insuring bank accounts for nearly 90 years, and no depositor has ever lost money in an FDIC-insured account." In an effort to shore up confidence in the banking system, the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and FDIC said Sunday that all SVB clients would be protected and able to access their money. |
| Mississippi is home of the blues and key to civil rights past. Locals tell the story | |
 | Bluesman Robert Johnson played the guitar with such genius that legend has it his talent was a gift from the devil in exchange for the musician's soul. That deal was done, according to lore, at "the crossroads" in Clarksdale, Miss. That exact crossroads, of U.S. Highways 61 and 49, is about an hour's drive south of Memphis in the huge, pancake-flat Mississippi Delta. It's the largely rural region in the northwest corner of the state that runs along the Mississippi River. Walk down John Lee Hooker Lane in Clarksdale and visitors can admire the markers honoring the famous musicians who got their start here -- from Johnson to Muddy Waters to Howlin' Wolf. Now new local artists like Christone "Kingfish" Ingram are carrying on the tradition. And you can catch live music just about any night of the week at authentic juke joints such as Red's and the Ground Zero Blues Club. The Mississippi Delta is world famous as the home of the blues. But less publicized is the fact that the region is also integral to America's civil rights story. Now some are hoping to tell both stories in a fuller way. At the Ground Zero juke joint, booker Tameal Edwards is proud to see the changes in the economy of her hometown. "Mississippi has the worst rep for everything," Edwards says. "They say we have lower education. They say we're poor. They have all these negative things to say about us yet, we have so much good." |
| MPB's 'Mississippi Roadshow' coming to Columbus April 21 | |
| Is that keepsake a valuable heirloom? Find out on April 21, when the 2023 "Mississippi Roadshow" makes a stop in Columbus at the Trotter Convention Center, located at 402 2nd Avenue North. Hosted by Mississippi Public Broadcasting and the MPB Foundation, the first "Mississippi Roadshow," held last fall in Jackson, drew around 200 people from across the state. Residents brought items for appraisal ranging from delicate crystal to Native American tapestry. The event was filmed for the MPB Original "Mississippi Roadshow" program that began airing on the PBS affiliate station in March. The April 21 event starts at 10 a.m. and it also will be filmed for the new mini-series. Residents can bring items for appraisal, including artwork, glass, porcelain, textiles, metals, memorabilia and printed materials. The $100 cost covers a ticket, complimentary food, beverage and a single appraisal. Highlights of the 2022 "Mississippi Roadshow" included an 1800s music box/photo album that appraised for up to $20,000 and a signed photograph by Gordon Parks that also appraised for $20,000. At the Columbus event, more treasures are likely to be found. |
| Mississippi agriculture industry continues to see record success despite economic woes | |
| Agriculture remains the leading industry in the state of Mississippi. It employs upwards of 20 percent of the state's workforce, according to Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson. He said if you include jobs outside of production, into food service and distribution, that number could look closer to 30 percent. Roughly two percent of the American population grows food for the entire country. Rewind to World War II, that number was closer to 50 percent. "We are representing what I believe to be the greatest industry, not only in Mississippi but in the world," said Gipson. "It is the industry that meets the basic needs of all human beings regardless of race, where we come from, how much money we have – we all need to eat." Commissioner Gipson shared that 2022 was one for the history books with record success in the agriculture arena. The year also offered its share of challenges. He likened the struggles but continued success to the old Hank Williams song, "A County Boy Can Survive." Inflation impacted farmers and consumers alike. "We've faced inflationary pressures like we've never seen, and those pressures are putting more pressure and more pain on farmers than anybody else," said Gipson. However, Gipson said despite all of those challenges, Mississippi farmers have had record levels of production in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2022 alone, the state made $9.7 billion in just farm gate value, not including processing. Typically, Mississippi's forestry industry is the number one money maker, but, in 2022, that went to chicken at $3.8 billion. Forestry was number two at $1.3 billion and beans followed with roughly $1.79 billion. Mississippi still leads to world in farm raised catfish and maintains top producing status for sweet potatoes and pine trees. |
| Legislation aimed to help military members and families enacted into law | |
| Governor Tate Reeves has signed three bills into law that aim to reduce financial burdens for military service members and their families. On Monday, Reeves gave his approval of Senate Bill 2649, Senate Bill 2700, and House Bill 49, expressing his support of all service members located across the state. Out of the three bills, SB 2649 makes it easier for beneficiaries of life insurance policies where the insured is a member or veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces -- including the National Guard or Reserves -- to receive benefits. SB 2700 exempts qualified homeowners whose spouse served in the United States Armed Forces and was killed or died on active duty, including in training, from property taxes on their primary residence. HB 49 reduces the number of steps needed for the children of active-duty service members who were born in Mississippi to obtain a resident lifetime sportsman hunting and fishing license. The bill eliminates the 18 consecutive month residency requirement for the lifetime sportsman hunting and fishing license and reduces the licensing fee by over 33%. |
| Gov. Reeves signs bill into law decriminalizing use of fentanyl testing strips | |
| Governor Tate Reeves has signed into law a bill that decriminalizes the use of fentanyl testing strips in order to prevent overdose deaths. House Bill 722, which was authored by Representative Chris Bell, D-Jackson, states that "'paraphernalia' does not include any materials used or intended for use in testing for the presence of fentanyl or a fentanyl analog in a substance." Lawmakers in the House approved the bill with a 117-0 vote in late January, with the Senate passing HB 722 unanimously on March 3. Dr. Katherine Pannel, who serves as medical director at Right Track Medical Group, explained that the passing of the bill will help Mississippians get easier access to the test strips. "You can continue to get them on Amazon or other places, but what this does now is allow Mississippi to get federal funding for these test strips so they'll be free to the public," Pannel said. "They'll be found in community-based health centers like health departments and other health systems. People can actually go and access them, learn how to use them properly, and while they're there, get other resources for substance abuse treatment." The legislation was drafted due to cases of fentanyl overdoses becoming a rising epidemic not only in Mississippi but also across the nation. |
| Poll: 79% of Mississippians support full funding of public education | |
| Mississippi voters, by an overwhelming margin, support full funding of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which provides to local school districts the state's share of money to pay for their basic needs. A Siena College/Mississippi Today poll released on Monday found that 79% of respondents -- including 91% of Democrats, 73% of Republicans and 77% of independents -- support fully funding MAEP, while just 9% are opposed. Eleven percent of respondents are undecided. The poll was conducted on March 6-8 of 764 registered voters. The poll was conducted soon after the state Senate, in a surprise move, voted unanimously to make a few changes to the MAEP formula and appropriate an additional $181 million to achieve full funding. If the House and Gov. Tate Reeves agree to the Senate proposal, it will mark the first time the formula, viewed as landmark legislation nationally when it was passed in 1997, has been fully funded since the 2007-08 school year. |
| Mississippi's troubled mental health system shows signs of repair, report says | |
| Fewer Mississippians in mental health crises are stuck waiting in jail cells for a hospital bed each day than they were a year ago, but the state has yet to eliminate the troubling practice completely, according to a new report. The latest data available shows that from December to mid-January, an average of 23 people in crisis waited for a hospital bed each day. Eight of those waited in jail, despite not being charged with any crime. Those numbers were much higher not long ago: In the first quarter of this fiscal year, which started in July, an average of 72 people waited for a bed with 24 in a jail cell each day. Similar numbers had been reported for the prior fiscal year. "The scope of progress is substantial," wrote Dr. Michael Hogan, the author of a court-mandated biannual report on the state of Mississippi's mental health system. "But the work is not complete, and some conditions remain that should satisfy no one." Hogan's report comes as the result of a 2016 lawsuit filed against the state by the U.S. Department of Justice. A judge sided with the federal government in 2019, finding the state had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by separating people with mental illness in hospitals from their homes and families. Hogan, a former New York State Commissioner on Mental Health, is now tasked with writing the twice-yearly reports on the state's compliance with the lawsuit's consent agreement as a court monitor. Ultimately, the report found DMH was compliant or in partial compliance with all key issues pointed out in the agreement. |
| Husband-wife duo withdraw from legislative races, leaving their children as lone candidates | |
| A husband and wife who serve as Mississippi legislators have withdrawn their names for reelection, leaving their children as the only candidates remaining on the ballot. After qualifying to run for reelection early in the process, Representative Ed Blackmon, D-Canton, and Senator Barbara Blackmon, D-Canton, later had their positions in the state legislature challenged by their children, Lawrence and Bradford, respectively. The process raised suspicions that the two lawmakers had qualified early in order to dissuade other potential suitors for the government positions so that they could essentially hand the seats to their children. Now that Representative Blackmon and Senator Blackmon have officially taken their hats out of the ring, Lawrence and Bradford Blackmon are anticipated to be shoe-ins as newly elected members of the Mississippi legislature barring any unforeseen circumstances. |
| Biden Seeks to Strengthen Gun Background Checks | |
 | President Biden on Tuesday is expected to announce an executive order aimed at reducing gun violence, including increasing background checks, while visiting the area of a January mass shooting in Monterey Park, Calif. The White House said Mr. Biden's actions are designed to move the U.S. "as close to universal background checks as possible" without the passage of legislation in Congress, where partisan divides have left most gun-safety legislation dead on arrival. Under the new order, Mr. Biden will direct the Justice Department to step up FBI background checks of would-be gun buyers and take steps to ensure firearms dealers who have had their licenses revoked can't continue to sell guns, senior administration officials said. The president is also urging the independent Federal Trade Commission to produce a public report examining how manufacturers market guns, with a specific focus on marketing directed toward minors, including through the use of military imagery. Last year, Mr. Biden signed the widest firearms legislation in decades after lawmakers on a bipartisan basis approved a requirement that background checks cover the juvenile and mental-health records of gun purchasers under 21 years of age. The law also encouraged states to enact extreme risk-protection orders, also known as red-flag laws, to allow people to petition a court to remove guns from people deemed dangerous. |
| Biden, in a challenge to China, announces major submarine deal | |
| President Biden appeared at a naval shipyard here on Monday afternoon with his British and Australian counterparts to announce a major new plan to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines in what amounts to a direct counter to China's growing influence in the region. Standing with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Biden unveiled details of the arrangement at a time of rising tensions with China and amid a global realignment that is triggering dramatic increases in military spending in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We stand at the inflection point in history where the hard work of enhancing deterrence and promoting stability is going to affect the prospects of peace for decades to come," Biden said, standing in front of a backdrop that included flags from each country and several submarines and naval destroyers at Point Loma in San Diego. "We're showing again how democracies can deliver our own security and prosperity," Biden added. "And not just for us, but for the entire world." The agreement is a substantial one, as Australia over the next several decades will be spending more than $100 billion to buy the submarines and build up its own industrial capacity, as well as shore up America's and Britain's shipbuilding capability, officials said. Responding to the announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Tuesday that the deal was "going ever further down a wrong and dangerous road" and was "typical of a Cold War mentality and will only provoke an arms race, break international nuclear nonproliferation mechanisms and harm regional peace and stability." |
| Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says supporting Ukraine is not a 'vital' U.S. interest, calls the war a 'territorial dispute' | |
 | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox News Host Tucker Carlson that aiding Ukraine is not a "vital" interest for the United States, a position that is similar to that of former President Donald Trump. "While the U.S. has many vital national interests – securing our borders, addressing the crisis of readiness within our military, achieving energy security and independence, and checking the economic, cultural, and military power of the Chinese Communist Party -- becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them," DeSantis wrote in response to a Fox News questionnaire, which Carlson shared on Twitter Monday. DeSantis added that while "peace should be the objective," he opposed sending F-16s and long-range missiles, saying the U.S. shouldn't provide aid that could prompt the involvement of U.S. troops or allow Ukraine to initiate an offensive beyond its borders. Trump shared similar sentiments as DeSantis in his response to Carlson, stating that opposing Russia'swar in Ukraine is not a vital interest for the U.S., though it is for Europe. Trump also suggested that the Biden administration was responsible for Russia's invasion. DeSantis and Trump's opposition to supporting Ukraine is a significant break from their party as most GOP lawmakers, including party leaders, have continued to support military aid to the Ukrainian government. |
| Trump takes aim at Ron DeSantis in first Iowa visit of 2024 caucus presidential campaign | |
| Former Republican President Donald Trump began shadowboxing with potential rival Ron DeSantis in his first Iowa campaign stop of the 2024 presidential election Monday, throwing punches at the Florida governor who has yet to announce a run. "He was very, very bad on ethanol and fought it all the way. And he also fought against Social Security," Trump said, calling DeSantis "Ron DeSanctus." Trump leaned into the attacks after appearing to hesitate, suggesting, "Maybe I shouldn't mention this part. But we have to!" DeSantis made his first trip to Iowa last week, holding events in Davenport and Des Moines, where several Republican attendees said they had previously supported Trump but were interested in someone who could take the party in a new direction. He made few references to the former president, instead focusing on his agenda in Florida. DeSantis has previously supported repealing the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates how many gallons of biofuels must be blended into the nation's fuel supply each year -- a key component of Iowa's ethanol industry. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds introduced the former president at the Adler Theater in downtown Davenport and watched his speech from the front row of the audience. She said Trump never turned his back on middle America. "In short, he delivered for Iowa," she said. At one point, Trump marveled at the huge response he received for talking about education issues. "I basically said, 'Parents you have rights,' and the place goes crazy," he said. "Because our country has gone crazy with this nonsense." |
| Nikki Haley promotes her version of American ideals during Myrtle Beach presidential stop | |
 | Presidential candidate Nikki Haley hit on traditional Republican talking points during her March 13 visit to Myrtle Beach, denouncing critical race theory and emphasizing border control. Haley also condemned runaway federal spending by both parties and Biden administration regulators for their plan to address the recent collapse of two major banks -- a move some have likened to a Wall Street bailout similar to what occurred after the 2008 financial crisis. "So you look at all that spending. And you see how we got into this situation. That's where the inflation came from," Haley told a crowd pushing toward 1,000 at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Myrtle Beach Campus. "That's where we had the supply issues come from. And now they want to bail out a bank? If one of our small businesses went into bankruptcy, do you think they'd bail us out? They wouldn't." This was Haley's first Palmetto State stump visit since launching her presidential bid in Charleston last month and comes on top of other trips to Iowa and New Hampshire. Regarding K-12 education, she denounced teaching children about LGBTQ issues and critical race theory, which examines racism in public policy and legal institutions. Although CRT is not taught to K-12 students today, Haley still called it "abusive" to White children and said it should not be taught. |
| Former Rep. Pat Schroeder, pioneer for women's rights, dies | |
 | Former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, a pioneer for women's and family rights in Congress, has died. She was 82. Schroeder's former press secretary, Andrea Camp, said Schroeder suffered a stroke recently and died Monday night at a hospital in Celebration, Florida, the city where she had been residing in recent years. Schroeder took on the powerful elite with her rapier wit and antics for 24 years, shaking up stodgy government institutions by forcing them to acknowledge that women had a role in government. Her unorthodox methods cost her important committee posts, but Schroeder said she wasn't willing to join what she called "the good old boys' club" just to score political points. Unafraid of embarrassing her congressional colleagues in public, she became an icon for the feminist movement. Schroeder was elected to Congress in Colorado in 1972 and became one of its most influential Democrats as she won easy reelection 11 times from her safe district in Denver. Despite her seniority, she was never appointed to head a committee. Schroeder helped forge several Democratic majorities before deciding in 1997 it was time to leave. Her parting shot in 1998 was a book titled "24 Years of Housework ... and the Place is Still a Mess. My Life in Politics,″ which chronicled her frustration with male domination and the slow pace of change in federal institutions. |
| Women's labor force participation is rising, but barriers remain | |
| One thing we learned from the February jobs report is that women are continuing to return to the labor force. Women's participation declined sharply early in the pandemic, and the slow reopening of schools and childcare centers made it hard for many to return to work -- at least full-time. Women's labor force participation is still lower than pre-pandemic, but it's creeping up. "We're definitely seeing some progress over the past year -- women rejoining the labor force," said Jasmine Tucker at the National Women's Law Center. One factor limiting growth though, Tucker said, is childcare. "There's almost 60,000 fewer childcare workers than there were in February 2020, more people looking for affordable care than there are providers," she said. Quality care is costly, pay is low and many centers are under capacity, said Abby Copeman Petig at UC Berkeley's Center for the Study of Childcare Employment. She knows this first-hand, with her four-year-old. "My son's childcare center is licensed officially to care for 204 children, but they only have teaching staff to support about 120 slots right now," Copeman Petig said. |
| It's Equal Pay Day. The gender pay gap has hardly budged in 20 years. What gives? | |
| Tuesday is Equal Pay Day: March 14th represents how far into the year women have had to work to catch up to what their male colleagues earned the previous year. In other words, women have to work nearly 15 months to earn what men make in 12 months. This is usually referred to as the gender pay gap. Women earn about 82 cents for every dollar a man earns. For Black women, it's about 65 cents. For Latina women, it's about 60 cents. Those gaps widen when comparing what women of color earn to the salaries of White men. These numbers have basically not budged in 20 years. That's particularly strange because so many other things have changed. More women now graduate from college than men. More women graduate from law school than men. Medical school graduates are roughly half women. That should be seen as progress. So why hasn't the pay gap improved too? Francine Blau, an economist at Cornell who has been studying the gender pay gap for decades, calls this the $64,000 question. "Although if you adjust for inflation, it's probably in the millions by now," she jokes. Blau says one of the biggest factors here is childcare. Many women shy away from really demanding positions or work only part time because they need time and flexibility to care for their kids. "Women will choose jobs or switch to occupations or companies that are more family friendly," she explains. "But a lot of times those jobs will pay less." |
| In the Gun Law Fights of 2023, a Need for Experts on the Weapons of 1791 | |
 | Saul Cornell's corner of academia has historically been sleepy. So few scholars share his specialty that the Fordham University professor jokes that he and his colleagues could hold a national convention "in an English phone booth." But in the months since a landmark Supreme Court decision upended the standards for determining the constitutionality of gun laws, Dr. Cornell has been booked solid. An authority on the history and laws around American weapons, he has served as an expert witness in at least 15 federal cases on gun control laws, which is roughly 14 requests more than he used to get in a busy year. "This is what the courts have unleashed upon us," said Darrell A. H. Miller, a Duke University law professor and faculty co-director at the Duke Center for Firearms Law. In a 6-3 decision last June, the Supreme Court dramatically shifted the standard for firearm restrictions. Writing for the majority in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, Justice Clarence Thomas found that gun laws should be judged not by the longstanding practice of balancing gun rights against the public interest, but according to the Second Amendment's text and the "historical tradition" of gun regulation. Some judges have bristled at the new rules. In a Mississippi challenge to a law prohibiting felons from carrying firearms, U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves last fall wrote in a blistering order, "This Court is not a trained historian," adding, "And we are not experts in what white, wealthy, and male property owners thought about firearms regulation in 1791." Judge Reeves wondered if the court should hire a neutral history consultant; both sides objected, preferring experts of their own. |
| Amazon's drone business can't get off the ground as regulations, weak demand stymie progress | |
| Jeff Bezos predicted a decade ago that a fleet of Amazon drones would take to the skies in about five years. But as of now, drone delivery is restricted to two test markets -- College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California, a town of about 3,500 people located south of Sacramento. Even in those hand-picked areas, operations have been hamstrung by FAA restrictions that prohibit the service from flying over people or roads, according to government records. That comes after years of challenges with crashes, missed deadlines and high turnover. So, while Prime Air has signed up about 1,400 customers for the service between the two sites, it can only deliver to a handful of homes, three former employees said. In all, CNBC spoke to seven current and former Prime Air employees who said continued friction between Amazon and the FAA has slowed progress in getting drone delivery off the ground. Prime Air's FAA problem is not a new phenomenon, and the company has long been working to try to maneuver through restrictions that limit its flying capabilities. Meanwhile, Amazon is working on development of its next-generation Prime Air drone called the MK30, and known internally as CX-3. The MK30, expected to launch in 2024, will have to go through the same regulatory process, including a separate D&R campaign, as well as so-called type certification, an even more rigorous FAA benchmark that allows a company to produce drones at scale. It's not a distinction the FAA is quick to hand out. |
| CDC urges bivalent booster in new push. Will people listen? | |
| Three years into the pandemic, COVID-19 vaccines are an increasingly hard sell -- especially in Georgia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only about 10% of residents in the state have gotten an updated bivalent booster, which targets the original strain and omicron subvariants circulating now. People are either unaware or simply not interested in the latest booster. And they likely aren't getting the nudge from their doctor. A recent CDC study showed that nearly 60% of people surveyed had not received the bivalent booster because it had not been recommended by their health care provider. The CDC is hoping to change that and move the needle. The agency is launching a nationwide initiative to talk to physicians about encouraging this latest booster, starting here in Georgia. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution interviewed on Monday Dr. Debra Houry, CDC's chief medical officer, about this new CDC initiative, and whether everyone even needs a booster. And for those early adopters of the bivalent booster, is it time for another one? |
| Sales in Lafayette could exceed $2B | |
| The Mississippi State University Extension Office released its economic profile for Lafayette County on Monday showing total sales at around 2.1 billion dollars for the Feb. 2022 to Jan. 2023 time-frame. Since the data comes from the Mississippi Department of Revenue and has not yet been reconciled, the numbers in these monthly reports will not likely sum to the annual report. The county exceeded one million dollars in total sales in 2016 and has been on track to reach the two billion mark ever since. With Oxford's university, historic places and people, and retail/food community, the city is a place that many visitors still want to enjoy and spend their buck. The estimated change in sales numbers show that retail trade and accommodation and food services garnered the most dollars from Feb. 2022 to Jan. 2023. The third highest being the construction sector. Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation President Jon Maynard explained that the burst in sales in 2022 occurred for a multitude of reasons. "A couple of things contributed to this," Maynard said. "Number one, the record freshman enrollment at the university. When you have more people on campus, you bring in more students, parents, and games. When there's more students here, the bigger the impact will be on everything else. That is a key driver. I also believe that people are still spending money after COVID-19. Some people are spending more money because they can." |
| In rural Mississippi, E.R. staff are being trained to care for moms and deliver babies | |
 | Two medical teams wait patiently in the hallway outside of a hospital room at the Mississippi Center for Emergency Services at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in mid-February. It's quiet as they slip on blue gloves and consult with their team on tasks. One will help the mother. The other will receive the baby. Dr. Tara Lewis presents today's patient and students listen carefully as she lays out the scenario, making note of the patient's age, symptoms and what's missing from her chart. Then, as the patient -- Victoria Tubby -- screams through the door, they ready themselves. It's time to deliver a baby. But this is no ordinary hospital room, and Victoria is no ordinary patient. For starters, she's not a real person. She's a high-tech mannequin that simulates a woman in labor. She bleeds, screams and has a removable belly and placenta. And the delivery of her baby -- a slippery, 5-pound doll -- is all part of a STORK training simulation underway at MCES. As hospitals in rural Mississippi continue to cut maternal and neonatal services, residents are strapped to find options in an emergency --- like going into labor. The STORK program launched in May to prepare paramedics and health care providers for those rising gaps in care. Lewis, an emergency medicine physician, said the response to STORK has been overwhelmingly positive. At its creation, the plan was to teach 10 classes in a year, but demand turned it into two per month. By the end of the program's first year, more than 400 people will have attended a STORK session, whether at the MCES or at a hospital across the state. |
| MGCCC's plans for new entrance design causing debate | |
 | In Biloxi, some neighbors are not happy about changes that could be on the way from Pass Road to Eula Street. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College presenting the project to build a new entrance for the Harrison County campus back in January. Some Biloxi residents aren't on board with the decision to install a new entrance way for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College -- near their property at least. This development was announced by representatives just a few months ago. Cedric Bradley says the design calls for less traffic on Debuys Road and directs to Eula Street. "It's a new road that's not only going to be beneficial for the new college, but for the community as well," said Cedric Bradley, Vice President of MGCCC Harrison County campus. Sherry Giacone believes creating a new entry way only increases the possibility of catching a red light, bringing the number of stops up to three in a short distance. "From our traffic study with the Mississippi Department of Transportation, it shows there's not going to be any traffic backup in their neighborhood, " said Bradley. |
| Panama City Beach police arrest hundreds during start of spring break | |
| Spring Break season is drawing in large crowds and Panama City Beach Police are doing all they can to keep locals and visitors safe. "This isn't our first rodeo, Spring Break has been a part of Panama City Beach culture for a very long long time," Panama City Beach Police Chief J.R. Talamantez said. Panama City Beach police officers have been busy with people breaking the law and the local Spring Break ordinances. "We've made 202 arrests, those are adults for a wide variety of crimes, everything from city ordinance, spring break violations to narcotic arrests, to disorderly conduct," Talamantez said. Based on preliminary numbers, Talamantez said 30 of those arrests are for underage drinking. "The officer has the discretion to proceed in the manner in which they feel would best benefit the city so if they feel that somebody needs to go to jail, that's exactly where they'll go or they'll come here to the police department, and sit in our drunk tank until they sober up and figure out that they made a mistake," Talamantez said. On March 3rd, the department welcomed six new K9's to the team. "They're out there trying to do drug interdiction as we speak, they are a great asset to the police department," Talamantez stated. |
| Auburn to host trash audit on March 15 | |
| Students of Auburn University's sustainable studies minor are conducting a trash audit on Cater Lawn from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 15. Maggie Tennant and Taylor Osterbauer, seniors in global studies, are members of the team conducting the audit for their senior capstone project in sustainability. "The purpose is to essentially see what measures the Department of Waste Reduction and Recycling can put into place in the future to promote more sustainable practices regarding trash and waste disposal," Osterbaur said. A trash audit is a common practice across American universities. They help provide necessary data to identify how recycling programs can improve and better understand the contamination rate in specific areas. Contamination is the amount of waste improperly discarded. "If you have recycling and a container is only supposed to have mixed paper in it, but it has paper that was used in food packaging, then that's contamination and can cause you not to be able to recycle the entire thing," Tennant said. Tennant and Osterbauer's research will add to recycling revitalization efforts led by Joan Hicken, the Department of Waste Reduction and Recycling manager. |
| U. of Arkansas selects Varady as new vice chancellor for university advancement | |
| The University of Arkansas has named a new vice chancellor for university advancement. Scott Varady is set to take on the role effective April 17. He is a University of Arkansas alumnus and currently the director of the Razorback Foundation. "During some challenging times, Scott provided transformative leadership in building an outstanding team of fundraising professionals who helped the Razorback Foundation become a full-menu, fundraising organization; successfully cultivated hundreds of friends and volunteers; and raised millions of dollars in private gift support benefiting Razorback student-athletes, athletics programs and facilities," said Chancellor Charles Robinson in a news release. During Varady's tenure at the Razorback Foundation, the organization raised more than $71 million for the expansion and renovation of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the Frank O'Mara Track and Field Performance Center and the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Baseball Development Center. Varady will replace outgoing Vice Chancellor Mark Power, who will remain with the university as a senior adviser. |
| Colleges Showcase Mass Timber, in Research and on Display | |
| Mass timber, an engineered wood product that offers durability and sustainability benefits, has become increasingly prominent at colleges across the country, where it is included not only as a concept in the curriculum but also as a material in campus buildings. Experts say universities are helping to increase awareness of mass timber -- layers of wood bonded with glue or nails -- by demonstrating its potential as a low-carbon alternative to steel and concrete. The University of Arkansas is among those at the forefront. "We are almost a pilgrimage site for a lot of people," said Peter B. MacKeith, the dean of the university's Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, who added that he helped persuade campus leaders of the benefits of mass timber. The Fayetteville campus now has two buildings showcasing the material and a third on the way. By using mass timber in a library storage annex, completed in 2018, the university saved more than $1 million over the original steel-and-concrete plan, Mr. MacKeith said. He added, "That's when people start to sit up and say, 'Well, maybe we should at least be looking at this as an alternative form of construction.'" Soon, the university will break ground on the $33.5 million Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation, which was designed by Grafton Architects. It will house the school's graduate program in timber and wood design (among other programs), and enable students to build large-scale mass timber prototypes, with a focus on affordable housing and new construction technologies. |
| DeSantis push to overhaul Florida universities advances in House | |
 | Diversity, equity and inclusion programs would be outlawed at Florida colleges and universities and campus hiring practices dramatically changed under legislation approved by a House panel backing Gov. Ron DeSantis' call for the sweeping overhaul. The legislation (CS/HB 999) was approved in a 12-5 party-line vote Monday as Republican lawmakers advanced the measure broadly outlined more than a month ago by DeSantis. The changes are seen by critics as part of the governor's continuing drive to push Florida universities to the political right. But the bill's sponsor, Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, said the legislation was merely intended to clear campuses of programs designed to tell students "what to think." "Universities should be focused on how to think," Andrade told the Postsecondary Education & Workforce Subcommittee. Dozens of opponents, however, testified against the legislation. Many were students concerned about how the proposal could undermine gender studies and social work programs which often incorporate some of the principles specifically banned by the bill, including critical race theory, intersectionality and what the legislation titles "radical feminist theory," and "radical gender theory." |
| Gov. Ron DeSantis' takeover of New College of Florida puts $29 million in donations at risk | |
| A former trustee at New College of Florida says 13 major donors told her they are canceling more than $29 million in planned contributions since Gov. Ron DeSantis began transforming the school, a huge financial blow to the small college. Charlie Lenger served on the New College board until Jan. 6, when DeSantis replaced her in a dramatic move that saw six conservative board members appointed with a mandate to transform the college. The newly appointed board, after an emotional meeting Feb. 28, voted to abolish the office handling diversity, equity and inclusion programs at New College. DeSantis previously pushed through legislation governing how K-12 schools in Florida discuss race and gender identity and recently prohibited an Advanced Placement course in African American studies. Lenger served on the New College Foundation board for 35 years, helping to bring in donors, and has been a longtime donor herself. A Sarasota, Florida, resident, she founded a plant-leasing company in 1981 that grew out of her senior thesis at New College. After DeSantis' takeover, donors started contacting Lenger to get more information about what was happening. A number shared their intentions to remove New College from their estate plans and stop other contributions. The $29 million in canceled contributions would be big money for a small school with just 700 students and a relatively small donor base. New College's Foundation had $43.5 million in net assets in 2019 and received $2.4 million in total revenue that year, the most recent year that IRS records are available. |
| Texas bills on higher ed would end tenure, diversity policies | |
| A bill filed Friday in the Texas Senate would prohibit public colleges and universities from awarding tenure to professors hired after September, legislation that critics have said would make it extremely difficult for the state to recruit top faculty and negatively impact the reputation of its higher education institutions. The bill, filed by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, is one of three pieces of legislation in Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's list of priorities for higher education this session. Creighton also filed a bill that would prohibit Texas' higher education institutions from considering diversity, equity and inclusion when hiring new employees. The third bill, filed by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, would prohibit faculty members from teaching that any race, ethnicity, sex or political belief is "inherently superior to another." If they pass as filed, the bills would markedly change how the state's universities operate. Critics contend this legislation will create a chilling effect in college classrooms as teachers and students try to determine what is acceptable to discuss, putting restraints on core tenets of higher education, such as academic freedom and free inquiry. |
| Texas A&M TEEX leader encourages women to use their voices, move past glass ceilings | |
 | In honor of Women's History Month, a representative of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, wanted to enlighten and empower women to utilize their purpose in order to grow as leaders. "I would hope that these women leave here feeling optimistic about what they can do," Tracy Foster, associate agency director and chief financial officer for TEEX, said after a recent Women's Empowerment Luncheon. "Women so often second guess themselves and so often say they are not qualified or that they can't do something; and I hope they leave here with the knowledge in knowing that they can and they can try." During the luncheon at the Lincoln Recreation Center in College Station, Foster spoke to a group of women who represent and work in different areas of Bryan-College Station. One of the attendees, Crystal Carter, who works at Texas A&M as a communications specialist, said after hearing Foster's empowering speech she learned women need to empower themselves to grow. "We need to use our voices, use our resources and not limit ourselves but grow where you are," she said. "Grow in relationships and grow along your career ladder." |
| Mizzou Dean of Students to leave school for Harvard role | |
 | Bill Stackman, the University of Missouri's dean of students and vice chancellor for student affairs, will be leaving the university in mid-July for a similar role at Harvard University. In an email to students on a leadership council announcing the news, Stackman said he will spend the coming months developing a transition plan for his successor and continuing to work with student leaders on campus. In the email, Stackman called his departure "totally unexpected" and said the decision was difficult for him to make. An MU alumnus, Stackman returned to Columbia in 2019 to serve in his current position, which involves working with students and administrators to promote student success, well-being and inclusion. Before MU, Stackman worked at the University of Notre Dame as associate vice president of student affairs. As to who will succeed him, MU spokesperson Christian Basi said that because Stackman is not leaving until the summer, as of now, "there isn't a specific timeline that's been announced." |
| Crises Continue to Mount at New Mexico State U. | |
 | The chancellor of New Mexico State University, Dan Arvizu, wanted to make one thing clear. While a hazing scandal and a "culture of bad behavior" unearthed in its basketball program had left a stain on the university's reputation, the problems were "contained" to that team. The university as a whole wasn't in crisis. His remarks, delivered during a press conference last month, were intended to reassure those who live and work at the Las Cruces university, which over the past few years has experienced a spiraling series of leadership setbacks. The abuses in the basketball program, which prompted the university last month to fire the head coach, Greg Heiar, and cancel the rest of the season, were just the latest controversies confronting the land-grant institution. In the span of three months, starting in November, both the former provost and former Title IX coordinator filed lawsuits over their dismissals, accusing the university of retaliating against them for doing their jobs. The Board of Regents decided not to renew the chancellor's five-year contract, which expires June 30. And a New Mexico State basketball player, apparently ambushed by students from a rival university, was involved in a shootout that left him injured and a University of New Mexico student dead. Combined with last year's arrest of Arvizu's wife on a misdemeanor battery charge that was later dismissed, the university appeared to some to be lurching from crisis to crisis. |
| As California student housing crisis deepens, solutions face roadblocks at UC and elsewhere | |
 | As California's student housing crisis deepens, plans to build more campus apartments and dorms are facing myriad roadblocks that could delay construction of thousands of urgently needed beds across the state's three public higher education systems. Litigation blocking student housing projects, a potential delay in state funding and escalating construction and labor costs, are posing formidable challenges to easing what students say is one of their most urgent needs. An estimated 417,000 students lack stable places to sleep, according to surveys conducted across the three systems, amounting to 5% of undergraduates at the University of California, 10% at California State University and 20% at California Community Colleges. At the same time, student activists say their housing needs are growing more urgent as inflation drives up rents and competition increases for apartments particularly in many of the pricey communities where UC campuses are located, such as Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and La Jolla. "What we've seen across the board is that students are starting to make different choices about where to go to school" based on housing costs, said Zennon Ulyate-Crow, a UC Santa Cruz student who heads a new housing advocacy coalition of peers from all three public higher education systems across the state. Nathan Brostrom, UC chief financial officer, said the demand for campus housing has escalated in recent years as living costs skyrocket throughout California. |
| What Does a Healthy Campus Actually Look Like? A New Study Offers Ideas. | |
| Small campus interventions -- like adding hydration stations and making healthy foods more visible -- can make a big difference in how students, faculty, and staff feel about well-being at their college, according to a new study. Conducted at the University of California at Riverside, the study examined how health factors into university policy and how health-promotion programs contribute to campus culture. UC-Riverside is part of the Healthy Campus Network, an alliance of the UC system's 10 institutions that's focused on improving physical and mental health on each campus. Eighteen focus groups of UC-Riverside students, faculty, and staff participated in the study in 2018, 2019, and 2020. As part of the research, Healthy Campus created some new health interventions and sought to raise awareness of existing efforts. Participants were increasingly aware of health-promotion efforts on campus as the study progressed, according to the focus groups. In the last two years of the study, participants talked more about broader, institution-wide health policies, rather than specific programs. Faculty and staff reported feeling left out of campus health services, researchers said. They could name many resources available to students, like the food pantry and recreation center, but they were unaware of what was available to employees. Those perceptions improved by the end of the study. |
| At Wellesley College, a Fight Over Whether to Admit Trans Men | |
| Wellesley College proudly proclaims itself as a place for "women who will make a difference in the world." It boasts a long line of celebrated alumni, including Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright and Nora Ephron. On Tuesday, its students will vote on a referendum that has divided the campus and goes straight to the issue of Wellesley's identity as a women's college. The referendum, which is nonbinding, asks whether admission should be open to all nonbinary and transgender applicants, including trans men. Currently, the college allows admission to anyone who lives and consistently identifies as a woman. The referendum would also make the college's communications more gender inclusive -- for example, using the word "students" or "alumni" instead of "women." The vote is in some ways definitional: What is the mission of a women's college? Opponents, including the president, Paula Johnson, say the referendum is a rewriting of the mission of Wellesley, which they say was founded to educate women. In a message to the campus last week, Dr. Johnson, held firm on her stance. She described Wellesley as "a women's college that admits cis, trans and nonbinary students -- all who consistently identify as women." There was fierce pushback. |
SPORTS
| Gameday: Five Things To Know MSU-Pitt | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball will have the national stage in a standalone matchup with Pittsburgh during the opening night of March Madness on Tuesday in NCAA First Four action at UD Arena hosted by the University of Dayton. The Bulldogs (20-11, 8-10 SEC) will make their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance and have secured eight of the program's trips dating back to 2001-02. State's best run came in 1996 under Richard Williams when State defeated Virginia Commonwealth, Princeton, Connecticut and Cincinnati during its NCAA Final Four run. The Bulldogs finished the season as one of the SEC's hottest teams winning 9 of their last 13 games. The run has been highlighted by a trio of NCAA NET Quad 1 wins over No. 11 TCU (01/28), at Arkansas (02/11) and against No. 25 Texas A&M (02/25) in addition to three NCAA NET Quad 2 triumphs over Missouri (02/14), securing a rivalry sweep over Ole Miss (02/18) and a SEC Tournament victory over Florida (03/09). The Bulldogs season profile is fueled by a three-point victory over No. 6 Marquette, the BIG EAST regular season and tournament champion. State is joined by No. 5 Purdue, No. 8 Arizona and No. 11 Connecticut to earn an undefeated mark with multiple victories over NCAA NET Quad 1 nonconference opponents. Mississippi State and Pittsburgh are meeting for the second time in the postseason. The Bulldogs emerged with a 66-61 road win during the 2001 NIT Round of 16. Derrick Zimmerman, now an assistant coach at NCAA Tournament bound Louisiana-Lafayette, provided a team-leading 15 points off the bench. |
| 'It was a sigh of relief seeing our name get called' | |
| When Mississippi State men's basketball head coach Chris Jans took to the podium on Sunday evening, he reflected the same sentiment as the week prior. Heading into the Southeastern Conference tournament, the message was to find a way to win in Nashville, and the Bulldogs did, defeating Florida, 69-68, in overtime in the second round. That mindset has now transitioned to a new endeavor as Mississippi State was one of 68 teams selected to make the NCAA tournament on Sunday, taking on Pittsburgh in the First Four on Tuesday. Tipoff is 8:10 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on truTV. "We're going dancing," Jans said. "That was the ultimate goal that we've had since we arrived. It's something we talked about since Day 1 that it wasn't about trying to build a program, it was about building a team each and every year with the goal of playing in the NCAA tournament." March Madness is a place familiar to the first-year head coach for the Bulldogs (21-12) as before heading to Starkville, he took New Mexico State to the tournament three times. Including those years, this will be the fourth trip for Jans to the Big Dance in the last six years. It will be a quick turnaround for Mississippi State as the team heads to Dayton for a matchup on Tuesday with the Panthers (22-11), a team that finished fifth in the ACC with a 13-5 record, but one that has struggled to end the season, losing four of their last seven. |
| Ben Howland Sees Pitt's Growth Under Capel, Challenge in Mississippi State | |
| Jeff Capel and Ben Howland have some similarities when it comes to their coaching tenure at Pitt, with the biggest of those being the state of the program when they took it over. Like it was when Capel took over in 2018, the Pitt program was a complete mess when Ben Howland was hired in 1999, taking over for Ralph Willard. Prior to "Gentle Ben's" arrival, the Panthers had registered losing records in five of the previous six seasons and hadn't qualified for the NCAA Tournament in six years. Although Pitt struggled in his first season, going just 13-15, that would be the end of losing for the Panthers for a long time. Starting in Howland's second year, Pitt had a winning record for the next sixteen seasons and the Panthers qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 13 of 16 years, missing postseason play just once. While Jamie Dixon was there for the majority of the glory years for Pitt basketball, it was Howland who got the winning started, taking Pitt to the Sweet 16 in two of his four seasons (2002 and 2003) as head coach. It's taken Capel a bit longer to turn Pitt around, but his circumstances were a lot worse, with a 24-41 run under Kevin Stallings completely sucking the momentum out of the program. That aside, both coaches will be remembered as men who revived Pitt basketball when it was on life support. Pitt makes its return to NCAA postseason play on Tuesday night as they take on Mississippi State in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. The Bulldogs are coached by Chris Jans. Jans is in his first season after taking over for Howland, who was left go last season, following seven seasons as Mississippi State's head coach. Monday, Pittsburgh Sports Now spoke with Howland, to get his perspective on both Pitt and Mississippi State. Considering he's had the year off from coaching, the 65-year-old Howland has seen plenty of both of these teams both on television and in person. |
| 'Why not us?' As women prep for play-in game against Illinois, fate may be pointing to big MSU tourney run | |
| Selection Sunday was the one-year anniversary of Sam Purcell taking the women's basketball head coaching job at Mississippi State. In his Monday press conference, he took a moment to reflect on that time and the journey since, as well as the team's mantra from day one: "Why not us?" "To think about it, I was here a year ago," Purcell said, "and we were talking about where the program was and where we wanted to go, and for us to get back in the NCAA tournament in year one. But most importantly, I just couldn't be more excited for our young women. We came together, we brought back the returners, we brought in some great people, we looked in the room and we said: Why not us?" Mississippi State women's basketball (20-10) will play in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019, earning an 11-seed in the Greenville Region and a play-in game with fellow 11-seed Illinois on Wednesday in South Bend, Indiana. Tipoff is 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU. If the Bulldogs win, they will face No. 6 seed Creighton on Friday in the tournament's first round. |
| Asianae Johnson sparks Mississippi State women back to March Madness | |
| Whether she's the star player at St. Bonaventure or the first player off the bench for Mississippi State women's basketball, guard Asianae Johnson brings an unmatched mentality. There's a swagger to her game she's not shy about discussing. "I bring a lot of energy," Johnson says. "I bring a lot of heart. I bring a lot of toughness. Just understanding that when I step on the court, I can't be beat. I'm the best player on the court." Johnson isn't averaging the 18.1 points per game she did last season with the Bonnies. Her minutes have dipped by 13 per game with the Bulldogs (20-10). However, she was at integral part of coach Sam Purcell's first offseason in Starkville and has embraced a crucial role at State. The Brooklyn native, who models her game after Derrick Rose and Damian Lillard, brought a needed attitude to Mississippi State, with the goal of playing in March Madness and returning MSU to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. Her dream will be fulfilled Wednesday (6 p.m., ESPNU) when Mississippi State faces fellow 11-seed Illinois (22-9) in a First Four matchup in South Bend, Indiana. |
| Bulldogs Make Final Preparations For SEC Play With Pair Of Midweek Matchups | |
| Mississippi State softball is preparing for a pair of spring break games that will serve as its final tune-ups before opening conference play this weekend. State has added a game with North Dakota State on Tuesday at 4 p.m. CT, and its originally scheduled meeting with Purdue on Wednesday has been pushed back to 5 p.m. MSU is 1-1 against the Bison, with their only meetings coming in the 2018 Tucson Regional. State lost a one-run game before eliminating NDSU in run-rule fashion with a 12-0 victory. The Boilermakers and Bulldogs have not met since 2011, and MSU holds a 3-1 edge in the all-time series. Purdue's last trip to Starkville came in 2007. Both the Bulldogs and the Bison have won seven of their last 10 games. The Bison enter the midweek matchups on a three-game winning streak. Purdue is on a two-game losing skid, but is 5-5 across its last 10 contests. The Boilermakers will also play the Bison on Wednesday at 2 p.m. before their matchup with State. Admission to all MSU home games at Nusz Park is always free. The Bulldogs' original promotional schedule has been tweaked with their modified schedule. Wii Sports Night is now Tuesday with sound effects and video board elements that fit that theme. Fans in attendance may enter a raffle to win a free Wii. |
| Diamond Dawg Gameday: Hancock Whitney Classic | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs look to continue their five-game winning streak as they move forward to midweek action in the Hancock Whitney Classic. The Dawgs are slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday against Nicholls, with game two against Louisiana on Wednesday starting at 5 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The games will also be carried on the Mississippi State Sports Network powered by Learfield, along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/Listen. After winning game one of the doubleheader against Lipscomb, Head Coach Chris Lemonis earned his 150th win as the Mississippi State head coach. He is just the fifth coach in Mississippi State history to achieve that mark. Second-year head coach Mike Silva leads the Colonels. Before arriving at Nicholls, he was the associate head coach at Louisiana Tech. Nicholls comes in with an 11-7 record on the 2023 campaign after finishing 26-25 in 2022. The pitching staff for Nicholls have thrown four shutouts in their first 18 games, which is tied for third-most nationally. This will be the 12th meeting between the two programs. The Dawgs are 10-1 in program history against the Colonels. This will be the first meeting since 2018. |
| Streaking Diamond Dawgs look to keep winning in Biloxi | |
| Question marks popped up for Mississippi State baseball following a 1-2 showing at the Frisco College Basketball Classic two weekends ago. Those question marks have been answered over the last week as the Bulldogs stretched their winning streak to five games, punctuated by a weekend series sweep of Lipscomb. Some noticeable holes in the pitching staff took center stage early on, but with a string of recent pitching performances carrying Mississippi State, things look to be heading in the right direction as Southeastern Conference play begins this weekend. "We're going to have to have everyone chip in," Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis said on Saturday. "We play two good opponents during the week. Both teams are playing well, so we're going to take it game-by-game and see what we got and try to maximize our staff." The Bulldogs (11-5) head on the road, first to Biloxi on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Hancock Whitney Classic. Mississippi State takes on Nicholls State and Louisiana-Lafayette at MGM Park, home of the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers, before traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, for a weekend series against the Wildcats, a team the Bulldogs haven't faced since sweeping them in Starkville in April 2021. |
| WLOX revisits Biloxi's bet on baseball as MGM Park approaches 10 year anniversary | |
| Mississippi State will play a pair of games at MGM Park this week, and the games are expected to attract two of the biggest crowds of the year for the stadium that's now eight years old. With the ballpark approaching a decade in existence, WLOX explored if Biloxi's bet on baseball is paying off. When construction of the stadium was finished in 2015 at a cost of $36 million, the ballpark came with a promise of home runs inside and outside the stadium. "I know that there was a brewery around the corner, now there is a thriving brewery in Fly Llama, there's restaurants across the street," said Garrett Greene, Shuckers media relations manager. "The Josette's building has been renovated, there's housing there, Howard Ave. has had a complete renaissance and has all kinds of new things there. I think the economic development of all that stuff is directly tied to what this place (MGM Park) offers." Across the street from the stadium, Fly Llama manager Courtney Stephens said the suds flow when the Shuckers are in town. "Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are always busier when it's baseball season," said Stephens. "We'll have this big rush of people before and after." When those baseball fans are spending money before and after games, they're also paying sales tax to Biloxi. "On the game nights there's a lot of people eating, drinking beer and wandering around town that wouldn't be here if there wasn't a baseball game," said Mike Leonard, Biloxi chief administrative officer. |
| SEC baseball announces new format with additions of Texas and Oklahoma | |
 | SEC baseball is moving away from divisions when Oklahoma and Texas join the conference ahead of the 2024-25 athletic year, the league announced on Tuesday. Each of the conference's 16 teams will play 10 three-game series that add up to 30 conference games. That means, despite the growth of the league, the SEC will not be adding additional games to its conference schedule. Every program will have two permanent opponents on its schedule to account for six of those conference games. The other 24 games will be made up of eight opponents that rotate annually. The SEC has operated with a divisional format for most of its modern history, going division-less briefly in the 1980s before returning to the split format in 1992. The league said the baseball SEC Tournament format will be determined at a later date. |
| Gun laws, campus policies perplex college sports programs | |
| At Alabama, one of the team's best players allegedly delivered a gun that was used in a fatal shooting. At New Mexico State, a player avoided charges for shooting and killing a student in what he said was self-defense, even though he was carrying a gun in violation of school rules. At Michigan State, sports were suspended after gun violence on campus left three students dead. At LSU, the team's leading wide receiver was arrested, but not charged, for carrying a gun through the French Quarter in New Orleans. The headlines over the past few months illustrate the challenge for athletic departments in determining how gun laws in their states and regulations at their schools should be applied to their programs and communicated to their players. An Associated Press analysis of more than a dozen schools in the NCAA tournaments shows a wide range of policies that govern guns at those schools and uneven efforts to regulate them. The NCAA has no gun policy on its books, calling it a law-enforcement issue. That means rules for sports teams, if they exist, are derived from a mixture of state laws, university policies and, in some cases, supplements to those policies in the student-athlete handbooks. In some instances, coaches implement their own team rules. But as cases across the country have shown -- just in the past four months alone -- there is confusion, mixed messages and what some perceive as seat-of-the-pants decision-making on issues that can have life-or-death consequences. |
| Student Athletes Get Mental Health Strength Training | |
 | To reduce the negative social stigma around mental health services among its student athlete population, the University of California, Irvine, implemented two programs to improve self-care and support the athletic community. The need: A May 2022 study from the NCAA found 55 percent of male student athletes and 47 percent of female student athletes believe student athletes' mental health is a priority to their athletic department. Two-thirds of student athletes know where to go on campus for mental health concerns, but only 47 percent feel comfortable seeking help from a mental health provider on campus. At UCI, over half of student athletes identified personal struggles as their top mental health concern, according to an internal survey. A quarter of the students identified family as their second challenge, and around one in eight students struggled with death, loss or suicide. The fix: Behind Happy Faces, an evidence-based curricular program from the Human Power Project, provides students with tools and resources regarding mental health, mental illness, receiving care and supporting peers, among others. The program is "designed to get student athletes comfortable with talking about and supporting each other with mental health issues," says Doug Everhart, director of student wellness and health promotion at UCI. UCI also has a universitywide bystander intervention program called Step Up! UCI, which teaches students to intervene in times of need and provide aid to their peers. |
| New NCAA president: Indianapolis 'perfect home' for organization, more events | |
| New NCAA President Charlie Baker got the hard sell from Gov. Eric Holcomb as the two sat together at the Indiana Pacers game on Monday night. The pitch? That the Indianapolis-based NCAA should host more events in its home state. "One of the things Gov. Holcomb talked about was how much people in Indianapolis and Indiana love sports, especially college sports," Baker told IBJ on Friday. Baker, who officially stepped into the head job at the NCAA last week, replacing longtime leader Mark Emmert, said he's receptive to the idea -- particularly given the state's long track record of hosting major amateur and professional sporting events. That list of college sporting events for the city has had some notable entries in recent years, in particular the entire NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2021, the non-NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship last year and the Division II swimming and diving championships underway this week at the IU Natatorium. Keeping Indiana and Indianapolis in mind for more big events makes sense, Baker said, because residents have "proven over and over again that they will turn out and support those kinds of activities," and organizing groups like the Indiana Sports Corp. continue to be good partners. "So, I would fully expect that there will continue to be a lot of activity here," Baker said. "But as a national organization, we need to ... do the best we can to give lots of destinations an opportunity to be part of this." |
| 9 days as NCAA president, Charlie Baker's phone is blowing up with 'things I need to fix' | |
| All of this is familiar to Charlie Baker. So very familiar. He has been down this road before. He pulls out his cell phone from the pocket of his suit and holds it up inside a conference room at NCAA headquarters. This phone comes with, shall he call them, suggestions. A lot of suggestions. Baker, the former two-term Massachusetts governor turned NCAA president March 1, compares his government job to the one he has now, leading the organization that oversees college athletics during what he calls "very turbulent and challenging times." There are plenty of parallels between the two jobs, but Baker noticed one right away -- the phone calls with the "suggestions." When he was elected as Massachusetts governor, Baker had a 2-month waiting period before he was sworn in. For two months, his phone blew up with people telling him all the things he needed to fix. When Baker was named NCAA president in December, he had a waiting period, and it happened again. "I had two months of just ... this thing buzzing all the time with people who got my number from who knows where, calling me to fill me in on all the things I needed to fix in my first month," Baker, 66, said. "That part of it felt pretty familiar." The things he needed to fix. Baker knows that is not going to be an easy task, taking on an amateur sports empire of more than 520,000 athletes, 19,000 teams and 1,100 schools. Nine days into his job, Baker sat down with IndyStar to talk about some of those issues people brought up in their phone calls to him, the challenges he is focused on and the hot topics invading college sports -- NIL, athlete mental health, gender equity and sports facilities. |
| On the NCAA seeking a narrowly focused NIL bill and the 'inexorable road' to athletes becoming employees | |
| Is it a mistake for the NCAA to push Congress on passing federal legislation that addresses too many big-ticket items, namely NIL, potential employee rights for athletes and antitrust issues? Would it be better served to focus on achieving a relatively smaller victory and pushing Congress only on NIL legislation right now? Tom McMillen, a former Congressmen who is the CEO of LEAD1 Association, which advocates on policy issues facing FBS athletic departments, says pursuing an NIL-only bill right now is the way to go. LEAD1 Association creates working groups on issues such as NIL, transfers, diversity, equity and inclusion and enforcement, and it provides feedback to the NCAA on best practices for representative governance. It also seeks to generate consensus opinion among FBS athletic directors on significant issues. Two of the important takeaways from a wide-ranging discussion with McMillen: McMillen sees Congress passing a federal bill addressing NIL. But it needs to be narrowly focused. It could include other related items, such as Title IX protections. McMillen says new NCAA president Charlie Baker needs to get all conferences behind him -- "get his army behind him" -- and focus on achieving this initial victory before seeking help on larger issues, such as potential employee rights for athletes and antitrust issues. And: McMillen believes college sports is on an "inexorable road" toward athletes having employee rights. Among athletic directors, he said there is a "high level" of concern regarding this scenario taking hold. |
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