| Thursday, March 16, 2023 |
| T.K. Martin Center featured in Jersey Mike's Month, Day of Giving campaigns | |
 | Mississippi State's T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability is partnering with Starkville's Jersey Mike's Subs for the national restaurant chain's 13th annual Month of Giving, a fundraising campaign in which patrons may make donations to the center throughout March. The event culminates with March 29th's Day of Giving, when 100% of the local Jersey Mike's sales, including profits, will benefit the center. Additionally, the T.K. Martin Center will host the Express Yourself! Art Show and Auction from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on March 24. An art show featuring Willow Brady, Kendrell Daniels, Jenna Hersey and Emma Welch is scheduled along with a live painting by Daniels. Original pieces and merchandising -- from greeting cards to prints -- will be for sale in addition to items up for auction, and all proceeds will benefit artists and the Express Yourself! program. |
| Investigators comb through a Mississippi farm field looking for bodies during forensic training | |
 | Investigators from across Mississippi have converged on Rankin County to learn the complex process of forensic crime scene investigations. It's grueling work, no doubt, that as detectives learn next-level investigation techniques. During Wednesday's training, they didn't focus on interviewing suspects, rather, what to do when they find a dead body. It's an excavation where every detail matters. They not only uncovered the remains but shell casings, too. Each layer of dirt and debris can be a chapter of what happened. Anthropology instructors from Mississippi State University were brought in. They are the people who know all too well how digging can unveil so much, and that includes evidence of a crime scene. "See how this color has consistency differences? It may tell you there is something decomposing in there," said Dr. Jesse Goliath, MSU anthropology. Instructors hope the investigators will take the lessons learned back to their own jurisdictions and make a difference in the next murder scene they discover. The MLEOTA program involves not only fieldwork, but also lab, classroom and legal training. |
| US regulators avoided a banking crisis by swift action following SVB's collapse -- but the cracks it exposed continue to weaken the global financial system's foundation | |
| Mississippi State University's Brian Blank and a colleague talk with The Conversation: U.S. regulators' swift reaction to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and two other lenders partially restored calm to markets, but concerns remain over the stability of the global financial system. Most recently, Credit Suisse became the focus of investor concern as the lender's financial woes deepened and the Swiss government promised a lifeline, which it plans to use. While Credit Suisse's issues are unrelated to those of the failed U.S. banks, they exposed deep anxiety in financial markets and led other global financial institutions to try to protect themselves from further contagion. To better understand what regulators did, the impact of their decisions and what problems remain, The Conversation turned to two finance scholars, Brian Blank of Mississippi State and Brandy Hadley of Appalachian State. |
| 4-H program teaches kids ATV safety | |
 | ATV accidents kill more than 700 people each year, but with proper safety training, many of those deaths can be prevented. The Mississippi 4-H has been hosting ATV safety training sessions to teach kids how to properly drive all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) like four-wheelers. They learn how to safely swerve, drive uphill and they learn the importance of safety gear. "The number one thing you can do is wear a helmet every single time you ride," safety coordinator Brad Staton said. Staton said the training course is four hours long and is for ages 8 to 18. He hopes courses like these will prevent four-wheeler accidents. Anyone interested in signing up for the classes should contact a Mississippi State University extension office. |
| Summer scholarships open for young artists in Oktibbeha County | |
 | The Starkville Area Arts Council has once again opened its summer scholarship program to Oktibbeha County youth who want to pursue their artistic passions. "SAAC summer scholarships ... enable youth from our community to participate in programs that nourish their love of the arts and enrich their lives by alleviating some of the financial stress that comes with those programs that are not provided as a part of their regular curriculum," SAAC executive director Mary Switzer wrote in a text message to The Dispatch. SAAC's summer scholarship program is one wing of the organization's Arts Education and Outreach initiative. The scholarship program is open to any residents of Oktibbeha County between the ages of 11 and 18 who are not attending college and want to continue participating in the arts throughout the summer. Juliette Reid, program director for SAAC, said this can include almost anything, from traditional summer camps to online courses. "Most of the students use it for MSU Summer Scholars On Stage and the 4-H summer arts programs," Reid said. "But kids can also use it for private art lessons ... or music lessons, theater lessons, ballet, anything. As long as it's arts and they live in Starkville." SAAC is accepting applications until April 10. |
| Are Mississippi banks safe despite recent bank failures? What to know | |
 | The bank closures in California and New York were a long way from the Gulf resort where the Mississippi Young Bankers Association opened its annual meeting over the last weekend, but there was considerable talk about the bank collapses. Gordon Fellows, president of the Mississippi Bankers Association, said a number of bankers took calls Monday morning from customers concerned by the news but by lunchtime, the calls had stopped. Fellows said reports of the "old fashioned bank run" on Silicon Valley Bank by nervous customers had the reverse effect on Mississippi, where some banks saw more money coming in than going out. "What I have heard from my members in the last 48 hours is pretty much everybody has seen, an increase in deposits," Fellows said Tuesday. "People are coming in bringing in uninsured funds from money market accounts and other investments back into bank deposits because they want the certainty of FDIC insurance." Mississippi's Department of Banking and Consumer Finance regulates, supervises and safeguards financial institutions chartered and licensed in the state. DBCF Commissioner Rhoshunda Kelly said in a statement that "state-chartered banks have diverse deposits, assets and business models that represent the needs of Mississippi consumers. Mississippi bankers are generally conservative with a goal of ensuring their banks have the capital capacity and liquidity reserves to absorb risks and unexpected losses." Fellows called the SVB collapse "a highly idiosyncratic event, not a systemic event," and said the California bank was heavily invested in the volatile tech industry. |
| Governor tours the Ellis Theatre in Philadelphia | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves mentioned more than once during his tour of the newly-renovated historic Ellis Theatre last Tuesday how impressed he was and the huge impact the work will have on economic development. "It's a great asset for the community now," Reeves said. "I'm grateful to Marty Stuart's work in helping to preserve this tremendous asset, and I am very impressed. This looks awesome." Reeves took his time inspecting each room, admiring the architecture and design of the building. "My daughters would have a great time here," Reeves said as he admired the upstairs balcony. The governor was in town for an event on March 7 but stopped by the Ellis to tour the building and observe the first completed step in Marty Stuart's Congress of Country Music. He toured the entire building and checked out the main stage, the props being used for the theatre's newest play, "Matilda," the green room, backstage, and the upstairs balcony seats. The Ellis Theatre officially reopened to the public on Dec. 8 and concluded the end to Phase 1 of the Marty Stuart Congress of Country Music project, which Reeves has been involved in since his time as Lt. Governor. |
| Reeves leads Presley by 7 in new Magnolia Tribune/Mason-Dixon Poll | |
| In a new Magnolia Tribune/Mason-Dixon Poll, incumbent Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) opens his re-election bid with a 7-point advantage over his Democratic challenger Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley among likely voters (46%-39%). In the head-to-head matchup, Reeves leads in all but one geographical area – the Delta. There, Presley starts the race with a 15-point advantage. However, the Delta also showed the highest number of undecided voters (19%). Reeves performs best in North Mississippi and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, with 15-point leads in each geographical region. The Governor maintains a 10-point advantage across the Pinebelt and Southwest Mississippi, a 9-point advantage in East Mississippi, and a narrow 2-point advantage in the Jackson Metro. Commissioner Presley performs decidedly better among black voters (+58) and starts with an advantage with voters under fifty (+10) and a slight advantage with female voters (+3). Conversely, Governor Reeves performs best among white voters (+42), voters over fifty (+19), and male voters (+19). Presley's name identification remains low, with 37 percent of respondents indicating they did not know him. Even among those who recognized his name, a plurality had not developed an opinion of him, as 39 percent said they were neutral on him as a candidate. The obvious caveat to all of these data points is that it is very early in the cycle. Little money has been spent defining candidates and most people are not fully engaged. Governor Reeves opens with a lead, a more established base, and a big resource advantage, but the early numbers suggests that this race will not be a cakewalk. |
| Governor signs bill aimed at MDOT Commissioner Caldwell blocking emergency road funds | |
 | A single transportation commissioner can no longer hold up emergency funds for local road and bridge projects under legislation Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law on March 8. Both chambers of the Legislature voted in favor of Senate Bill 2561 earlier this year, which would allow a simple majority of the three-member Transportation Commission to approve Emergency Road and Bridge Repair projects, instead of the current threshold requiring a unanimous vote of the commission. "I don't know of any other process in this building where a unanimous vote is required to pass something," Senate Transportation Chairman Jenifer Branning, R-Philadephia, previously told the Daily Journal. The Mississippi Legislature last year set aside millions of dollars to go toward the emergency road and bridge repair fund. The fund flows through the Mississippi Department of Transportation, but the money only goes toward local projects in individual counties and municipalities. John Caldwell, the state's northern district transportation commissioner, in June 2022 initially voted against the project list, temporarily blocking the $100 million from being released to counties around the state. The project list that Caldwell objected to was ranked by MDOT engineers and approved by an independent advisory group. At the time, Caldwell said he voted against the projects because he did not have enough time to review the complete list. A Republican from DeSoto County who is running unopposed in his re-election bid, Caldwell later changed his vote to approve the projects, and the money was released. |
| Mississippi governor vetoes 2 bills on health insurance | |
 | Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday that he has vetoed two bills dealing with insurance because he thinks they would increase the cost of health care. "One is a bad idea, and I can't see myself supporting it. One is a good idea that just includes some correctable mistakes," the Republican governor said in a statement. Reeves said the "bad idea" was in Senate Bill 2224, which would have given the state insurance commissioner the ability to set rates for all health insurance. He said Senate Bill 2262 would have made changes to the prior authorization process that insurance companies use to tell providers whether a procedure or drug is covered. Reeves said he liked that the proposal would have required insurance companies to give quicker answers, but the bill would have had "unintended consequences." "The bill has a number of technical components," Reeves said. "These include administrative hearings that are in an incorrect place, increased costs for Medicaid and other issues that cause me not to be comfortable signing it." |
| Decision on new state burn center will be made in final days of session | |
| Efforts to provide state funding to reestablish a burn center in the state are not dead this legislative session even though the bills filed specifically to accomplish that goal have died. A bill that would have provided funds for a burn center at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson recently died in the Senate when it was not passed by a key deadline day. But Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, said the issue is not dead. Money can be awarded to a burn center in an appropriations bill. "All of that will come up in the next 24 to 48 hours," said Hosemann referencing the work currently ongoing behind closed doors by legislative leaders to hammer out a final budget proposal for the full Legislature to vote on. The budget will be passed during the final days in more than 100 appropriations bills that will fund the various state agencies and provide funds for specific projects throughout the state. The funds for a burn center, for instance, could be included in the budget for the Department of Health, which under state law has the responsibility to designate a burn center. The issue has been a highlight of the 2023 legislative session after the state's only burn center, located at Merit Health Central in south Jackson, closed last year. |
| PEER memo raises questions about hiring process for State Superintendent of Education | |
| On Wednesday, a Mississippi Senate Education subcommittee held a meeting with Dr. Robert Taylor, the new State Superintendent of Education, and Rosemary Aultman, Chair of the Mississippi State Board of Education. Senate subcommittee chairman Chris Johnson (R) said he has fielded questions about Dr. Taylor and the process surrounding his selection. Johnson and lawmakers invited Dr. Taylor to answer questions about his background, his philosophy on education, and how he plans to manage the Department of Education. "I thought it would be best to be transparent as possible and have a hearing where we will not be voting today, but have a hearing where we could allow Dr. Taylor to answer questions that committee members have as well as other members of the Senate," Chairman Johnson said. Dr. Taylor, who must be confirmed by the Mississippi Senate, said he believes his experience helps him to uniquely understand what's needed in Mississippi and how we continue to do the work that has moved Mississippi forward. "You all have invested so much in education, I want to make sure that I continue that relationship with not only members of this body, but with constituents across the state," Dr. Taylor told the subcommittee. "I look forward to talking with you and answering anything that I can to help you understand where I see Mississippi headed in education." |
| Express Grain: Farmers have filed 2 new lawsuits | |
| Farmers have filed two new lawsuits against Express Grain's largest creditor and the accounting firm that audited the bankrupt company's books. Two farming companies based in Holmes County -- Killebrew Cotton Co. and Triple Tee Farms -- and 17 farming operations based in Tallahatchie County each sued Kansas City, Missouri-based UMB Bank and Ridgeland-based Horne LLP. The lawsuits were first reported by The Taxpayers Channel. Both have been moved to federal court after originally being filed in their respective county circuit courts. Lexington attorney Don Barrett represents both sets of farmers. In September 2021, Express Grain filed for bankruptcy. |
| Economy Shows Signs of Cooling as Bank Troubles Spread | |
 | A drop in retail sales and easing price pressures in February offered preliminary signs of a cooling economy as the spread of financial turmoil on Wall Street called into question whether the Federal Reserve would continue raising interest rates. The central bank's focus in recent days has shifted from economic readings to stresses in the financial system, including a drop in liquidity in U.S. Treasurys amid the fallout after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Fed officials are set to meet March 21-22. The central bank has raised interest rates by 4.5 percentage points over the past year -- the most rapid run-up since the early 1980s -- as it tries to cool the economy and bring down high inflation. "At this point I would imagine the [Fed's] decision next week will mainly be a function of how much turmoil remains in the banking sector and financial markets," said Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. Economist at Santander U.S. Capital Markets. Financial markets slid on Wednesday as troubles at U.S. regional banks spread. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 280.83 points or 0.87%. Yields plunged on Treasurys in the U.S., and Credit Suisse Group AG shares fell more than 25% in Europe. Investors in interest-rate futures markets saw a greater chance that the Fed won't increase rates at their next meeting. |
| Rep. Mike Ezell visits Pine Belt for briefing on fentanyl | |
 | On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Ezell visited the Veteran's Memorial Museum in Laurel for a quick tour and a presentation on fentanyl. "We've really got to get a hold on this," Ezell said. Ezell got a hands-on lesson from Col. Robert Bartran. "This is an epidemic," Bartan said. "It's impacting our kids, young and old; unsuspecting kids. Not necessarily kids with afflictions, addictions or any type of behavioral issues; just kids being kids; experimenting and utilizing something they trust -- or they think is trustworthy. "This product is in there, and it's deadly." Bartran is part of the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy, and his research shows just how deadly fentanyl can be. "If you had liquid fentanyl, and you dipped a needle into the fentanyl," he said, "and pulled it out with no excess dripping off, and you touched it to your tongue or broke your skin, that amount of fentanyl on the tip of the needle is enough to cause an overdose in a human being." Ezell recently visited the US-Mexico border to discuss security in hopes of reducing the impact of fentanyl in the community. |
| OB-GYN workforce shortages could worsen maternal health crisis | |
 | A patchwork of state laws in the aftermath of a Supreme Court decision overturning the right to an abortion, combined with pandemic-related burnout and low reimbursement rates, could exacerbate an already looming national shortage of obstetrician-gynecologists, experts say. Medical students say that given the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision overturning Roe v. Wade, they must consider a landscape of rapidly changing abortion legislation, with litigation often making it difficult to determine what is legal where. Typically "physicians do not go to medical school and go into the practice of medicine because we enjoy interfacing with the legal profession," said Katie McHugh, an Indiana-based obstetrician-gynecologist and board member with Physicians for Reproductive Health. The OB-GYN shortage comes at a critical moment: In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documented gains in cesarean delivery, preterm birth rates and low birth weights, all of which can increase other health risks and require specialized care. As the first class of post-Dobbs medical students prepares to be matched to OB-GYN residency programs on Friday, preliminary 2023 data from the American Association of Medical Colleges shows that the average number of applications per obstetrics and gynecology residency program fell from 663 in 2022 to 650 in 2023. |
| Biden administration demands that TikTok be sold, or risk a nationwide ban | |
 | The Biden administration is demanding that Chinese-owned TikTok be sold, or the popular video app could face a ban in the U.S., according to a TikTok spokesperson. Whether federal officials have given TikTok a deadline to find a buyer remains unclear. Regardless, it is a major escalation by White House officials who have grown increasingly concerned about the safety of Americans' data on the app used by more than 100 million Americans. It is the first time the Biden administration has explicitly threatened to ban TikTok. President Trump attempted to put TikTok out of business, but the actions were halted by federal courts. The new demand from U.S. officials will almost certainly be met with a legal challenge from TikTok. The company is "disappointed in the outcome," said the TikTok spokesperson, about the new demand from U.S. officials. An American company acquiring TikTok would require the blessing of Chinese officials, who for years have been hostile to the idea of selling off its first global social media success. For two years, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS, has been examining whether U.S. data is properly safeguarded. |
| Trump's VP? Some in GOP already jockeying for consideration | |
| Trips to Mar-a-Lago. Glowing speeches. Front-row seats at major events. The first Republican presidential primaries are nearly a year away and the candidate field is unsettled. But already, a shadow contest of another sort is underway with several Republicans openly jockeying to position themselves as potential running mates to Donald Trump, the early front-runner for the nomination. "A lot of people are right now auditioning," Trump boasted to supporters in Florida last month. The mere mention of a running mate this early in the process is a departure from the traditional timeline of presidential primaries, where candidates typically spend the opening months of a campaign introducing themselves to voters and sharing their visions for the country. But as a former president, Trump needs no introduction and is eager to project an air of inevitability around his campaign, particularly as attention builds around Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is widely seen as his toughest potential GOP rival. While Trump, according to people who have spoken to him, is in no rush to make a decision and understands that he has to let the nomination process play out, he has nonetheless talked through possible choices since well before he formally announced his candidacy last fall. In those conversations, he has indicated his interest in selecting a woman this time around. |
| GOP lawmakers cringe over Trump's effort to destroy DeSantis | |
 | Senate Republicans are wincing over former President Trump's early barrage of attacks against his chief rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), fearing they're seeing a preview of a brutal primary to come that could leave both candidates weakened heading into the general election. GOP lawmakers acknowledge DeSantis needs to show he can take a punch and aren't shocked Trump would take hard shots at a rival as the campaign heats up. But some are surprised the former president is unloading such a heavy barrage before DeSantis is even in the race, and they worry that getting into a year-long mudslinging battle with Trump isn't good look for the party heading into 2024. "I winced in 2016 and I'm wincing now," said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) when asked about Trump's hardball tactics. "That's just because that's not my style. "I don't think you'll ever take the New York style out of Donald Trump. It's too much to ask, he's a fully-baked cake," she said. Trump has already settled on a nickname for the Florida governor: Ron DeSanctimonious. Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) said on Wednesday that he wished Trump would focus on drawing contrasts with Democrats on the issues instead of tearing down fellow Republicans. "That's his style. If you're going to be in the arena, you should expect that," he said of Trump's personal attacks on DeSantis. |
| At center of Fox News lawsuit, Sidney Powell and a 'wackadoodle' email | |
 | A day after major news organizations declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential race, a Sunday-morning guest on Fox News was holding forth on exotic and baseless claims of election fraud -- allegedly deceased voters, ballots supposedly lacking an option to vote for Donald Trump, an "affidavit" from a postal worker claiming to have postdated mail-in ballots -- when host Maria Bartiromo pressed for more details. "Sidney, we talked about the Dominion software," Bartiromo said on the Nov. 8, 2020, broadcast. "I know that there were voting irregularities. Tell me about that." The guest was Sidney Powell, a Texas-based lawyer who would soon be ambiguously connected to the Trump legal team mustered to challenge the election results. She stared stiffly into the lights of a satellite TV studio but answered without hesitation. "That's putting it mildly," Powell replied. "The computer glitches could not and should not have happened at all. That's where the fraud took place, where they were flipping votes in the computer system or adding votes that did not exist." It was the first of a dozen appearances Powell would make on Fox programs over the next month in which she helped inject far-fetched and debunked claims of widespread fraud into the mainstream -- and which are now at the heart of Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox, court documents show. These appearances helped elevate a once-obscure lawyer to a marquee player in Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election --- and helped keep her claims of fraud on the forefront for millions of loyal Fox viewers, including Trump himself. |
| Community colleges hoping to rebound from a sharp decline in enrollment since 2019 | |
 | The state of Mississippi had the biggest decline in post-secondary enrollment in the country between 2019-2022 at an 18.6% decrease. Community college enrollment alone has seen the sharpest drop in the state of 28%. This is according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, which cites this as the third year in a row that community college enrollment has declined in the state. Kell Smith is the executive director of the Community College Board of Mississippi. He says that often times, community college enrollment is directly tied to the state of the economy. "When the economy is good, folks that typically come to community college are going to be in the workforce," he said. "And so when the economy is bad and people can't find jobs, that's when community college enrollment spikes." The report also stated a decline in both public and private four-year colleges, though public-school enrollment is still better than its 2020 numbers. Community colleges and private colleges in Mississippi can't say the same, and Smith believes the decline may be connected to many people leaving the state in general. "The last census showed that we had a population decline." he said. "That's obviously going to have a trickledown effect to the post-secondary institutions, both the community colleges and the universities." |
| 'There's a lot of speculation': While some in JSU community want more answers after Hudson's resignation, others say it's just another chapter closed | |
| The official announcement Tuesday of Thomas Hudson's resignation as Jackson State University president drew mixed reaction from students, faculty and alumni. The 7 p.m. press release from the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees came on the second day of JSU's spring break. Many people were confused, but not surprised, by the news, and felt it was the writing on the wall after Hudson was placed on administrative leave earlier this month. "When I was told about it last night, I was like, wait, we already knew about that," said Thomas Kersen, a sociology professor. "But when I stepped back, I was like, yeah that's a little bit different than him being put on leave." So far, a spokesperson for the board had declined to answer questions about the circumstances that led to Hudson being placed on leave, saying only that it was a "personnel matter." It is unclear if the board will provide more information now that Hudson has resigned, though trustees will discuss "the future leadership of Jackson State" at their regularly scheduled board meeting next week. Kathy Sykes, a JSU alumnus and former state representative, said the board should tell the community why Hudson resigned as a matter of accountability. Hudson is JSU's second president in three years; when the board selects his replacement, Sykes said she doesn't want trustees to make "the same mistake" again. "There's a lot of speculation," she said. "We shouldn't have to go on speculation. We need the facts ... so we can steer away from whatever it is that led to his ouster." |
| MGCCC's George Co. Center celebrates 50 years | |
 | A celebration happened Wednesday as Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College hit a major milestone. Faculty, alumni, and students reflected on some great achievements and rich academic history of the school. MGCCC's George County Center was established in 1972 in Lucedale as a branch of the Perkinston campus. Now that branch is celebrating 50 years of educating students. "It is so special because we have done so many great things at the George County Center right here in Lucedale over the many years," said Ladd Taylor, vice president of the George County Center and Perkinston campus. "We just wanted to take a moment to celebrate that and all of the great accomplishments we've achieved here at the center." It wasn't until 2009 that the school expanded and opened an academic building comprised of a lecture hall, computer lab and multiple classrooms. Fast forward to now when the campus has enrolled more than 500 students. "I swell with great pride when I hear that because I see us continuing to grow," Taylor said. Before the growth, 1973 marked the first graduating class, which included only six women: Ruby Anderson, Gayle Ekhoff, Mariyln Ferguson, Betty Hobby, Marsha Mergenschroer, and Linda Murrah. They were honored on Wednesday. |
| Auburn graduate named the next lead of 'The Bachelorette' for season 20 | |
 | Auburn graduate Charity Lawson will be with next Bachelorette for season 20 of the reality television dating show on ABC. The announcement from ABC came on Tuesday night that Lawson, a 27-year-old child and family therapist from Columbus, Ga., will be the next lead of "The Bachelorette" which will likely air in the summer. Lawson was one of 32 contestants on the current season of The Bachelor but will next be featured as the central figure in the next season of The Bachelorette. Lawson graduated from Auburn in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in rehabilitation and disability, and in 2022 she earned her Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In an Instagram post from May 6, 2022, the day before she graduated with her Masters degree, she stated that she found her calling at Auburn University. Now Lawson will return to the spotlight with another chance to find love as the next Bachelorette. During the "Women Tell All" special that aired Tuesday night, host Jesse Palmer surprised Lawson with the news. After the initial shock, Lawson said "absolutely yes" to becoming the next lead. |
| Game room opens in Melton Student Center | |
| Electronic renditions of the Pokémon video game series theme music filled the first floor of the Melton Student Center on Wednesday afternoon, as Auburn University officially reopened the Game Room. Previously closed because of COVID-19 restrictions, the Game Room features state-of-the-art equipment, lounges for spectators to relax and access to hundreds of games. The room is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and offers 40 gaming computers and the full spectrum of major gaming consoles. However, the University expects more from the room than recreation. Taylor Dyleski, Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations for Student Affairs, wants to unite students in their love of gaming. "We have a lot of students who love gaming, and they can be isolated in their dorm rooms playing games," Dyleski said. "Now, we've given them a place where they can do the same competitive thing they were doing in their dorm room, in a place where they can have a sense of community." The custom kiosks that house top-of-the-line gaming computers and Xbox consoles are engineered for community building. At an estimated cost of $791,000 split between SGA, the Melton Student Center and the office of the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, the Game Room is one of the SEC's premier E-sport facilities. |
| UTK Esports to host 'Volan 23' gaming tournament | |
| Gamers unite! UTK Esports will host its annual Volan video games tournament from March 31 to April 2. The event will take place in the Student Union Ballroom. "Volan" is a combination of "Vol" and "LAN," which stands for "local area network." At LAN events, players game on the same internet network within a shared area. Last year, the event saw over 250 participants from colleges across the southeast, and this year's event is expected to draw around the same numbers, if not more. "Every year I'm always excited that we even get to do something like this," said Jason Smethers, advisor for UTK Esports. "This year will look a lot like last year, and one of the most exciting things is that all these events are student-run and student-coordinated." Several universities in the United States and around the world have begun building up esports programs as the popularity of the field has soared in recent years. Esports is slowly gaining recognition as a legitimate career track, with the best of the best being offered contracts rivaling some NFL players. UTK Esports is still looking for sponsors, vendors and volunteers for the event. They are especially looking for students to help out with broadcast support, including casters, in-game camera operators and producers. No prior experience is necessary. Those interested are asked to email esports@utk.edu. The organization is also active on Twitter and on Discord. |
| Bill that would criminalize hazing, created after U. of Kentucky frat member's death, going to governor | |
 | A bill that would make hazing a crime in Kentucky passed out of the House of Representatives Wednesday and will now go to Gov. Andy Beshear's desk. Intentionally or wantonly engaging in hazing if it results in death or serious physical injury to a minor or a student would be a Class D felony, punishable for up to five years in prison, under Senate Bill 9. It would also be a Class A misdemeanor to recklessly engage in hazing, punishable by up to a year in jail. The bill passed 96-3 Wednesday. The bill passed out of the Senate at the end of February, and a House committee this week. It is named "Lofton's Law" after University of Kentucky student Thomas "Lofton" Hazelwood died of alcohol toxicity in 2021. Hazelwood's family has called on legislators to pass the bill, saying it had the potential to save the lives of other students. Rep. Jonathan Dixon, R-Henderson, said fraternities and sororities could have positive impacts on a student's college experience, but stricter penalties were needed for hazing. "Our intent is to save lives," Dixon said. Hazelwood was an 18-year-old freshman when he was found unresponsive in the FarmHouse Fraternity house on Oct. 18, 2021. He drank approximately 18 one-ounce shots of Wild Turkey 101 bourbon within 45 minutes. On the night he died, his blood alcohol concentration was 0.354, more than four times the legal limit. |
| Florida universities told to hand over more records, this time on union talks | |
| Florida officials have been on a public records binge, hitting state universities with requests for information as they push for major changes to higher education. First came a late-December demand for details on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Then universities were told in January to turn over records on any gender-affirming health care they provided over the last four years. The latest request -- for collective bargaining records -- has some faculty concerned that their contracts with universities may be the next linchpin of academia to be targeted by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers. On March 1, State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues sent a request to presidents for details on the last round of negotiations with their two largest unions. He asked for the names of the bargaining units, the date of last the agreement, how long the negotiations lasted, the total cost of the effort and other information. Renee Fargason, a spokesperson for the State University System, said in an email that the request did not come from the governor's office, as the previous ones had. "Under the Florida Constitution, the Board of Governors has an obligation to identify wasteful and duplicative spending," she said. "This is just one effort to identify if we have excessive costs." Andrew Gothard, president of United Faculty of Florida, said the unions are confident their costs will be low. But he added he is concerned about what the request could signal for collective bargaining, which has existed since the union's inception in the 1960s. |
| UF Honors Program announces 3 finalists for director job | |
| The UF Honors Program search committee has narrowed its search for a new director down to three finalists, who include the current interim director, Melissa Johnson. Johnson and the other finalists, Kathy Cooke, founding dean of the University of Southern Alabama's honors program, and Michael Blandino, assistant dean of Louisiana State University's honors program, will interview for the position between March 20 and April 15, UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan said. Since its formation in January, the search committee held a series of meetings and selected six semi-finalists Feb. 17 to move forward with. |
| Ohio higher ed bill would ban diversity mandates, China ties | |
| Ending diversity and inclusion training requirements, bans on relationships with Chinese universities and mandated courses on American history are all packed into a multifaceted GOP higher education bill introduced in Ohio's Republican-dominated Senate Wednesday. The proposal, dubbed the Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act, could significantly change how professors and students experience the state's public universities and colleges. Students and staff alike would not be required to undergo any diversity, equity or inclusion training at their institutions, or be subjected to "political or ideological litmus tests" as part of hiring or admissions decisions. Institutions would also have to incorporate concepts of free speech into their mission statements. Senate Bill 83 also would require professors, both tenured and nontenured, to have more rigorous evaluation processes, including being evaluated on whether or not they provide a learning environment free of "political, racial, gender, and religious bias." Bill sponsor, Republican Sen. Jerry Cirino, of Kirtland, said the provisions are part of a "course correction" to redirect higher education toward "true intellectual diversity" rather than a focus on "social change." |
| Campus Child Care Has Become Less Available. A New Partnership Aims to Change That. | |
 | The number of on-campus child-care centers has declined over the last 10 years, with the steepest declines taking place in the community-college sector. Only 45 percent of public-academic institutions offered child-care services in 2019, according to research by the Institute for Women's Policy Research. The pandemic likely drove down the number of on-campus child-care centers even further, with many losing revenue when they were forced to close or when parents chose to keep their children home. Meanwhile, Head Start, the collection of federal programs for young children living in poverty, has seen enrollment declines in recent years. To combat these issues, Head Start and the Association of Community College Trustees announced a partnership on Wednesday that is meant to put more child-care facilities on campuses. Here's how the partnership could work: Community colleges would offer rent-free space on their campuses to Head Start providers. That exchange would allow providers to reach a 20-percent requirement of philanthropic funding they need to raise to open. The Head Start programs would be free for community-college students with children who qualify. Head Start works with local agencies to provide educational activities, wellness programs, and other services for infants, toddlers, and children up to age 5, and also offers support for parents. Federal funding makes Head Start free. |
| More Students Are Turning Away From College and Toward Apprenticeships | |
| Last spring Dina Sosa Cruz sat with her parents and sister in the family's living room and reviewed her options: a full academic ride to the University of the District of Columbia, or an apprenticeship in the insurance industry. The college route meant at the end of four years the 22-year-old would have a degree, a little debt and no work experience. The apprenticeship would leave her with a two-year degree, money in the bank and training in a profession that appealed to her. Her family was unanimous: Take the apprenticeship. "You'll be worry free," her mother said. Family conversations like the one in Ms. Cruz's living room are bubbling up around the country as high-school seniors recalibrate their options after the pandemic prompted a historic disengagement from school. The result has been the acceleration of a shift away from the nation's half-century "college-for-all" model toward a choice of either college or vocational programs---including apprenticeships. Today, colleges and universities enroll about 15 million undergraduate students, while companies employ about 800,000 apprentices. In the past decade, college enrollment has declined by about 15%, while the number of apprentices has increased by more than 50%, according to federal data and Robert Lerman, a labor economist at the Urban Institute and co-founder of Apprenticeships for America. Apprenticeship programs are increasing in both number and variety. |
| When It Doesn't Help to Speak the Language: The Fulbright-Hays Fellowship | |
 | When Veronica Gonzalez received word last fall that the U.S. Education Department had rejected her application for a prestigious fellowship to conduct her doctoral research overseas, she scoured the feedback on her application looking for what she did wrong. In every section, the reviewers heaped praise on the academic aptitude of the student and her rigorously researched proposal to study intimate partner violence in rural Mexico. And they assigned her near-perfect scores in every category, except one -- language proficiency -- where she was shocked to find she got none. But it wasn't because Ms. Gonzalez, a social ecology Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Irvine, lacked the language skills to conduct her research in Spanish. The assessors concluded the experiences outlined in her eight-page résumé had more than prepared her. The problem was that she had identified herself as a native speaker of the language, having grown up speaking Spanish with her parents who emigrated from Mexico to Santa Maria, Calif., where she was born. "At first, I was just in disbelief," Ms. Gonzalez recalled in an interview. "Then I was incensed." Ms. Gonzalez's application suffered from a decades-old regulation -- now in the process of a rewrite -- that led the Education Department to withhold points from applicants of the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship if they grew up exposed to or speaking the language of the country in which they propose to conduct research. In making the rule, department officials sought to eliminate a perceived unfair advantage to people who grew up with non-English language skills in vying for the fellowship, which awards tens of thousands of dollars per year to doctoral students and is widely seen as a coveted research project in one of the most competitive doctoral programs in the country. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State women win First Four game over Illinois | |
| Jessika Carter had 22 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, Anastasia Hayes added 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Mississippi State beat Illinois 70-56 on Wednesday night to begin the NCAA Tournament in a First Four game. Mississippi State (21-10) advances to the field of 64 to take on No. 6 seed Creighton. The Bulldogs improved to 14-3 in the NCAA Tournament since the 2016-17 season. Freshman Debreasha Powe scored four points during Mississippi State's 11-2 run to begin the third quarter for a 42-32 lead. The Bulldogs extended it to 52-38 at the end of the quarter after shooting 53%. Kourtney Weber sank a 3-pointer to cap a 9-1 run to begin the fourth quarter for a 61-39 lead. After Mississippi State's lead was cut to 12 points with 4:19 left, Carter scored four straight points to reach 20-plus for the sixth time this season. JerKaila Jordan also scored 11 points for Mississippi State. Weber finished with eight points. |
| Mississippi State advances past First Four after dominant win over Illinois | |
| Mississippi State's return to the Women's NCAA basketball tournament began with a turnover on its first possession. From there, the Bulldogs cruised to their first March Madness win since 2019. The 11-seeded Bulldogs outscored 11-seed Illinois 21-8 in the third quarter to increase a one point lead to double digits, eventually routing Illinois, 70-56, in Wednesday's First Four game at Purcell Pavilion on the campus of Notre Dame. With the win, MSU (21-10) advanced to Friday's Round of 64 matchup against six-seed Creighton (5 p.m. ESPNEWS). Despite making only two shots in the second quarter and shooting 32 percent (9-for-28) in the first half, the Bulldogs took a 31-30 lead into halftime thanks to their ability to get to the free-throw line. MSU knocked down 10 of its 12 free throw attempts in the first half, while Illinois didn't even attempt one. The Bulldogs finished 42 percent (25-for-59) from the field, 29 percent (4-for-14) from beyond the arc and 16-for-21 from the free throw line. |
| Mississippi State women's basketball dominates second half in March Madness win vs Illinois | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball's membership in the NCAA Tournament's field of 68 has been upgraded. With a 70-56 play-in win against Illinois on Wednesday, MSU is part of the field of 64. The 11-seeded Bulldogs (21-10), fueled by a dominant third quarter, advanced to face 6-seed Creighton (22-8) on Friday (5 p.m., ESPNEWS). The winner advances to the round of 32 to face 14-seed Southern Utah or 3-seed Notre Dame -- the host team. March Madness, built on a survive-and-advance mentality, is rarely a time for accolades. But for MSU's Sam Purcell, the victory marks his first win since being named the program's coach a year ago. It came inside the familiar and appropriately named Purcell Pavilion as the first game of the 2023 tournament. It's the first NCAA Tournament win for MSU since 2019. |
| How an SEC text thread fueled Sam Purcell, Mississippi State women in March Madness opener | |
| No assistant was safe. No player was safe. No band member was safe. No cheerleader was safe. When Mississippi State women's basketball coach Sam Purcell came off the court inside the Purcell Pavilion on Wednesday, fresh off a 70-56 win against Illinois in the NCAA Tournament's First Four, no one was safe from a high-five, handshake or hug. A coach constantly exuding energy had a reason to turn it up, and he wanted all who contributed to his first March Madness win as a head coach to be included. "We're all hands on deck right now," Purcell said. "We're all trying to lift each other up and stay connected. It's a vibe that's fun to coach. When we all win, we all eat. That's our mindset right now." Purcell also had the backing of his SEC rivals. Illinois (22-10) was consistently in or on the fringe of the AP Top 25. It played through a grueling Big Ten slate, perhaps the toughest conference in the country. It picked up a win against Iowa and was within single digits against Indiana -- both top five teams. Meanwhile, Mississippi State (21-10) never entertained the Top 25. Its best win came at home against unranked Tennessee at the time. In what has been perceived as a down year in the SEC, the Bulldogs were set up for a tough draw. With college basketball fans tuning in for the first game of the women's tournament, Mississippi State -- having lost to Nebraska in November -- had a chance to flip the narrative. Fellow SEC coaches hoped the Bulldogs would. |
| Diamond Dawg Pitching Limits Louisiana in Victory | |
| Fueled by an errorless defensive game, the Mississippi State baseball team picked up their seventh victory in a row against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns by a score of 4-2. The Bulldogs' pitching staff also excelled in the contest, collecting twelve strikeouts and holding Louisiana to just two runs in the game. Colby Holcombe earned his first start as a Bulldog (13-5) and struck out five Louisiana (11-6) batters. He only allowed three hits and one run to earn his first win. Tyler Davis threw two scoreless innings. Nate Dohm closed out the win for the Bulldogs, striking out three batters en route to his second save on the year. Hunter Hines went 2-for-4 on the day, driving a double to right that gave the Dawgs the lead in the fourth. Amani Larry also went 2-for-4, with a double of his own. That marked Larry's seventh multi-hit game, leading the State squad this year. The Bulldogs are back in action this weekend as they open conference play against Kentucky. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT, with the game being broadcast on SECN+. |
| Beuerlein batters Boilermakers as Bulldogs take down Boilermakers | |
| Sometimes a game plan just doesn't need much changeup. Mississippi State softball picked up its 19th win of the season thanks to the direct, ruthless pitching of freshman Reis Beuerlein. The Bulldogs got another good performance in the circle on Wednesday and key hitting in a 5-1 win against Purdue, their final game before Southeastern Conference play. "Great game by Reis today," head coach Samantha Ricketts said in her post-game evaluation. "That's back-to-back quality starts by pitchers in these midweeks, especially when we need to try and get the offense going, but huge to see her just in control all game long, and really had great command. Mixed all of her pitches and got swings and misses on pretty much all of them. Proud of her for her effort, and just helps continue to make sure our bullpen is deep going into conference play this weekend." Beuerlein was quick to give credit to Associate head coach Josh Johnson for his pitching game plans, but her execution of the plan was near perfect for Mississippi State (19-8). The Bulldogs were happy to earn a bounceback win just ahead of their opening SEC series against South Carolina this weekend. The Gamecocks come to Nusz Park with a 23-4 record, but Mississippi State has been battle-tested in non-conference play so far, something that looks to benefit the Bulldogs in conference play, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday. |
| 'We reintroduced ourselves to college basketball' | |
| Hoping for jubilation in the final seconds of Tuesday's First Four matchup in the NCAA tournament, Mississippi State instead left the court with disappointment. With 2.7 seconds remaining, junior guard Shakeel Moore missed a wide-open look from 3-point range and senior forward D.J. Jeffries in turn missed the putback that would have left the No. 11-seeded Bulldogs victorious. Instead, Pittsburgh narrowly escaped with a 60-59 win and advanced to the Round of 64. Moore fell to the ground in disbelief after the shot didn't find the bottom of the net, and seniors such as Jeffries and star forward Tolu Smith left the court without having won an NCAA tournament game in their college careers. And yet, while the disappointment was immediate and evident in the faces of the players in postgame interviews, a small sense of attainment was achieved for what the team accomplished in Chris Jans' first season at Mississippi State in making the team's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018. "I'm a big advocate for Coach Jans," Smith said, who finished his senior season as a first-team All-SEC selection. "Before the season we had a meeting, we sat down, we talked and I loved everything I was hearing, and I think all our goals aligned. We made it happen, and everything that he said was going to happen happened. He has a blueprint, he knows what he's doing. Just got to trust and believe in him, and the culture is changing. It's changing at Mississippi State in a good way." |
| Long March Madness run coming to a close for Jim Nantz | |
| Jim Nantz has seen his share of magical moments and sendoffs during a career that has spanned nearly 40 years. He could get one of his own as he prepares to call his final NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Not only is the Final Four in Nantz's adopted hometown of Houston, but with the University of Houston as one of the top seeds, Nantz could get to call his alma mater playing for a national title. The Cougars basketball program was a launching point for Nantz in what has been a successful career at CBS as the network's preeminent voice of the NFL, golf and March Madness. "I wanted it to be a CBS year, but especially I wanted Houston to be my last dance for me and to exit college basketball stage right," Nantz said. "It was truly through the basketball program -- being the student public address announcer and while still a student later being entrusted to host the Guy Lewis television show, that was my entryway into television. I was just a kid living in the dorms. With a chance to possibly call my last basketball game with Houston playing for a championship, that would be amazing." Nantz decided to step back from doing the tournament to devote more time to family. His 7-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter have spring break in March and, starting next year, he will have a six-week break between the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles and The Masters for what will likely end up being his longest time off. With the NFL and golf, Nantz will still be on the road 38 out of 52 weekends. |
| Brandon Miller has received threats, accompanied by armed guard at NCAA tournament | |
 | Alabama men's basketball coach Nate Oats confirmed Wednesday that star forward Brandon Miller is being accompanied by an armed security guard after receiving threats. The guard, who was carrying a gun, was visible at Alabama's afternoon news conference featuring Miller and its practice open to fans inside Legacy Arena. "If you guys saw some of what I've seen sent his way, I think you would understand why that's the case," Oats said. "I don't want to get into all of that. The entire situation, as you know, is just heartbreaking on all accounts. "But some of the messages from people that can sit behind fake email addresses, but who knows whether they're real or not, that I've seen -- something that nobody would ever want their son [to receive]. I treat my players like my own sons -- I don't have a son, I have three daughters, but I put myself in his parent's shoes -- and our administration has seen the stuff that I've seen, and it's appropriate. "It's nothing that a college kid should have to go through. If you were able to see what I've seen then you would understand why that's going on right now." When asked about the guard, Miller said, "I feel like we always travel with security. That's all I'm going to be able to say about that." |
| U. of Alabama Denies Times Report of a Fourth Player at January Shooting | |
| The New York Times reported on Wednesday that a fourth Alabama basketball player was at the site of the shooting of Jamea Harris on Jan 15. Per the Times report, that player was walk-on guard Kai Spears. Reports have indicated since last week that there was an unnamed passenger in Brandon Miller's car when he arrived at Grace Street, and ESPN reported that video footage from the scene confirms this. The report is consistent with notes made by detectives at the time of the incident. The Times' naming of Spears as that passenger hinges on an anonymous source. Tide 100.9's own sources have indicated that Spears and Miller are friends and have spent time together outside of team-related activities. The University of Alabama has already put out a statement denying the report. "Your story is inaccurate. Based on the information we have, there were no current student-athletes present at the scene other than Brandon Miller and Jaden Bradley, who are both fully cooperating witnesses. From the outset, UA Athletics has fully cooperated with law enforcement and supported their investigation," said the statement. |
| HBCU commissioners working together on NIL, sports growth | |
| When Jacqie McWilliams sat at a table with other college sports leaders three years ago to discuss name, image and likeness, she thought about what the life-changing legislation would look like for historically Black colleges and universities. With less government funding and fewer resources than Power Five schools, historically Black schools have a harder time recruiting top athletes. NIL, with little uniformity in how it is enforced across states, schools and regions, has widened that gap. So, the commissioners of the four major HBCU conferences -- the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) -- recently agreed to work more closely together in partnering with professional sports leagues including the NBA and NFL to increase the value of HBCUs and send more athletes to the pros. "We are doing it in collaboration knowing that we have strength as a collective," said SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman. "We know when we play our conferences, compete, it's a game, but on all other days we are rooting for each other." |
| College athletes' name, image deals may put other sports at risk | |
| March Madness has finally arrived. From now through April 3, televisions across the country will be blasting college basketball all day long. But behind the buzzer beaters and shining moments for college athletes lie the murky waters of name, image and likeness rights. Bruce Schoenfeld, book author and frequent contributor to The New York Times magazine, recently wrote about the effect of NIL deals on how athletic departments are funded. He joined "Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal to talk about the future of funding college athletics and the problem confronting many athletic directors. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation. |
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