| Wednesday, April 5, 2023 |
| MSU and Ole Miss partner to address the state's teacher shortage | |
 | You've heard of the ongoing teacher shortage issue across the nation. Now, Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi have teamed up to address the state's teacher shortage. The program is called the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program. It was founded 11 years ago, and it's funded by the Robert Hearin Support Foundation in Jackson. As part of the program, high-achieving and passionate students who are studying to become teachers are awarded scholarships that range between $80,000 and $100,000. In return, the recipients must agree to teach in any public school in Mississippi for at least 5 years after graduation. "We have a cross-campus experience, we have a residential experience, we have a study abroad experience and these students also get to participate in a national conference. We have students from other states who come here. We've even had families move to the state of Mississippi because they had a student who came here and they want to stay and teach those five years and they like it here. To impact education in Mississippi we need students who will go to college to be teachers and stay in the state and we think that this scholarship provides that opportunity to them," said MSU College of Education Dean, Dr. Teresa Jayroe. |
| Vilsack names food safety panel members | |
 | The USDA Secretary has named 15 new members and five returning members to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). Members of the committee are chosen based on their expertise in meat and poultry safety, public health, and other Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) policies. "We are proud to announce the new committee members to NACMPI and grateful for their commitment to support food safety and public health," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "These members' diverse expertise and advice will help USDA as we advance our important food safety mission." The NACMPI consists of 20 members and provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture on food safety concerns and other matters affecting inspection program activities, including food safety policies that will contribute to USDA's regulatory policy development. The re-appointed NACMPI members include Dr. Byron Williams of Mississippi State University. |
| $1.5M contract approved for Northstar site work | |
 | The Oktibbeha County supervisors are finally gaining traction on clearing Northstar Industrial Park. During Monday's meeting, the board accepted a $1.5 million bid from Hodges Rock Solid Land Services for clearing and grubbing, building an access road and mass grading for a second spec building pad on the 384-acre site off Highway 389. The contract length is 170 days. Later in the meeting, the board committed $60,000 to a joint project between the city, county, and MSU to update the intersection on Highway 12 and Spring Street to make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians. This includes adding pedestrian striping, push buttons and bike lanes through the area. Cody Burnett, city engineer for Starkville, told the board that walking or biking through this area is "kind of like taking your life into your own hands." "You guys probably know that intersection is really big and really unsafe," Burnett said. "... But with that money, if we can get that intersection brought up to ADA compliance, stripe it out, get pedestrian push buttons and bike lanes ... everything is ready to go ... that way when we go to apply for future funding, we can tie in that intersection with no issues at all. It's ready to go." |
| Aldermen dive into deep end of Moncrief pool debate | |
| The pool at Moncrief park is up for debate once again. At Tuesday night's board of aldermen meeting, in which the board unanimously approved issuing $15 million in bonds for parks projects, the conversation about the parks master plan segued into a lengthy discussion about the city's public pool. Aldermen were looking at cost estimates for the comprehensive Parks and Recreation Department master plan, which has been in the works since 2016 and has a target budget of $13.5 million. The target budgets in the master plan included about $7.5 million for McKee Park, $1 million for J.L. King, $2 million for Needmore/George Evans, $3 million for the Travis Outlaw Center and only $150,000 for Moncrief Park. The bonds will be repaid primarily through the parks department's portion of the tourism sales tax, collected as a 3-percent sales tax at restaurants and hotels/motels. The department claims 40 percent of a 2-percent tax that is split among several entities. In 2019, voters approved an additional 1 percent, all of which goes to parks. The latter also funded the ongoing Cornerstone Park construction off Highway 25. |
| Pearl River Resort Completes two remodel projects at Dancing Rabbit Inn and Dancing Rabbit Clubhouse | |
| Pearl River Resort owned and operated by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, held two reopening ceremonies on Friday, March 31, 2023. The celebrations surrounded the remodel and reopening of Dancing Rabbit Inn and The Dancing Rabbit Golf Clubhouse. The Dancing Rabbit Inn temporarily closed for renovations in the Fall of 2022. Employees were reassigned to the Golden Moon and Silver Star hotels while the work was completed. Renovations included completely remodeling the lobby and 140 guestrooms and suites, adding stylish furnishings, Tribal inspired décor, new flooring, plush carpeting, and modern light fixtures throughout the Inn. The Dancing Rabbit Golf Clubhouse also received an extensive facelift. The new exterior paint, wood decking, and fresh landscaping will greet visitors to the clubhouse, Inside the clubhouse, guests will find everything from refreshed men's and women's locker rooms, to an updated kitchen, bar, restaurant, second-floor commons, and eight guest suites. |
| Employers want everyone back in the office -- for real this time | |
| The giant tech firm Meta kicked off what it's calling its year of efficiency with tens of thousands of layoffs. The company also placed a pause on hiring remote workers. The parent of Facebook and Instagram is far from alone. A recent survey from the Labor Department showed that nearly 3 of 4 businesses said their employees rarely or never worked remotely in 2022. How does this push against off-site employment affect the economy? Since the pandemic began, companies have been punking employees by changing their remote work policies. Every time they would say, "OK, it's time to come back!" the virus' delta, omicron or whatever variant would sneak its way in and disrupt the plan. "We've seen those dates come and go over and over again for years now," said Andy Challenger, with the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "Really because employees voiced that they would leave." The power, once in the hands of workers with lots of options, is shifting back to employers, Challenger said, especially in industries with more layoffs and fewer openings. Julia Pollak, an economist at ZipRecruiter, said most companies don't like fully remote work because studies show that, generally, candidates who tend to apply for those jobs are less productive. "People who want to moonlight or want to smoke pot all day or watch movies while working or whatever," she said. |
| Gov. Reeves issues state of emergency for weekend storms in north Mississippi | |
 | Gov. Tate Reeves on Wednesday issued a state of emergency for several counties in Northeast Mississippi that sustained damage from a weekend storm that battered several businesses and killed one person. "It is heartbreaking to see the destruction caused by this storm," Reeves said. "My prayers are with the families impacted. I want everyone to know that the state of Mississippi stands ready to support these communities in every way possible as they seek to rebuild and recover." The governor's declaration means state agencies can now direct resources to Lee, Pontotoc, DeSoto, Tishomingo and Tunica counties for ongoing recovery efforts. One of the main businesses impacted by Friday night's storm was Cooper Tire in Tupelo, which employs around 1,700 people. The storm ripped a portion of the roof away and most employees still have not been able to return to work. The Pontotoc Progress also reported the tornado ripped through Pontotoc County around early Saturday morning and killed one person and seriously injured five others. |
| Legislators Announce Funding for Highway 19 South 4-Lane Project | |
| Senator Jenifer Branning (R-Philadelphia) and Representative C. Scott Bounds (R-Philadelphia) jointly issued this statement in regard to funding for the completion of the Highway 19 South 4-Lane project in Neshoba County. "We are proud to announce that $450 million in state-support funding has been secured during the recently completed 2023 Legislative Session to supplement the Mississippi Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Capacity Program,' A joint statement reads. This will allow for the scheduled completion of the Highway 19 South 4-Lane project in Neshoba County from the Bethsaida Community to Highway 492 in the House Community. Completion of this near shovel ready project has been a top priority of the Neshoba County Legislative Delegation as well as MDOT, according the statement. Bounds added "that the completion of this project is critical to further economic development growth in Neshoba County and transportation safety to our citizens. This project has been on the drawing board a long time. We're excited about seeing the initiation of the completion of enhancements to this vital transportation corridor." |
| Lawmakers agree to fund Highway 15 widening project in Tippah County | |
| State lawmakers have agreed to fund infrastructure projects in Tippah County that will eventually widen a large portion of Highway 15, finally bringing relief to residents who have complained about the congested road for over a decade. The Legislature has agreed to spend $450 million in excess revenues to fund around half-a-dozen state infrastructure projects, with roughly $200 million of those funds expected to go toward Highway 15 improvements. "This is something I've worked on for 12 years, so you can only imagine how excited I am about this," Sen. Rita Parks, R-Corinth, told the Daily Journal. The Mississippi Department of Transportation estimates it will take a little over $150 million to four-lane the stretch of Highway 15 from the Union County line to one mile north of Ripley, the Tippah County seat. The agency also believes it will cost another $45 million to construct a bypass from existing Highway 2 to the new Highway 15. Local leaders in Tippah County have pleaded with state officials for years to widen Highway 15 to improve safety and give them greater leverage to attract business to the area that rests on the Tennessee state line. "We have Ashely Furniture, Big M Trucking and multiple industries that use this highway," Rep. Jody Steverson, R-Ripley, said. "There are literally hundreds of trucks that travel on this road each day." |
| Legislature restores no voting rights during 2023 session | |
| The Mississippi Legislature, for the first time since 2016, did not restore voting rights to any person convicted of a felony. Mississippi is the only state in the nation that requires people convicted of certain felonies to petition the Legislature to restore their voting rights. Most years the Legislature passes a handful of bills -- normally about five -- to restore voting rights to individuals convicted of felonies. Seven bills restoring voting rights died on the Senate calendar when the 2023 session ended on Saturday around 2 a.m. Senate Judiciary B Chair Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, said he opted to let the bills die instead of bringing them up for a vote because he did not think he could garner the two-thirds majority needed to pass each bill. "It seemed like there was not enough support," Fillingane said. "They barely passed out of committee on close votes. And before the full Senate, it takes a two-thirds vote instead of a majority vote to pass. Instead of embarrassing anyone by calling them up and having them defeated, we decided not to call them up." Fillingane said he spoke with the senators who he thought would be on the fence, and they all indicated they would be "no" votes. |
| Lawsuit against Favre should be dismissed, attorneys argue | |
 | Attorneys for retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre argued in a new court filing Monday that a civil lawsuit against him seeking to recover misspent welfare money in Mississippi's largest ever corruption case should be should be dismissed because the state Department of Human Services lacks evidence and is attempting to deflect from its own culpability. Millions of federal welfare dollars intended to help low-income Mississippi residents -- some of the poorest people in the country -- were instead squandered on projects supported by wealthy or well-connected people, including projects backed by Favre, between 2016 and 2019, prosecutors say. In a response to the department's statements that a judge should ignore Favre's request to be removed from the lawsuit, Favre's attorneys wrote there is "no legal, factual, or moral basis" for the agency's claims. "It is plain that, as it did in its original complaint, MDHS -- which itself carried out the allegedly wrongful transfer of funds to another state entity, a transfer approved by, among others, Mississippi's Attorney General -- continues to sue Favre solely to attract publicity for improper political purposes," Favre's attorneys wrote. Kaytie Pickett, an attorney for the department, wrote in March court papers that Favre's attorneys failed to provide solid legal arguments to get their client out of the lawsuit. Calling the attorneys' motion to dismiss "a long press release," she said the court should "disregard Favre's diatribe." |
| Fitness trainer says former Gov. Bryant directed welfare-funded project, sues for emotional distress | |
| Paul Lacoste, a fitness trainer and one of the retired athletes ensnared in Mississippi's ongoing welfare scandal, is firing back at the state agency suing him. In his recent counterclaim, Lacoste alleges that someone from the state invited him to a meeting in mid-2018 to discuss awarding him a contract, and that former Gov. Phil Bryant directed the welfare agency to hire Lacoste's organization to conduct free fitness boot camps throughout the state. At this time, the athlete had already been putting on classes for professionals and government officials in the Jackson metro area, which included then-Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and many other lawmakers. Lacoste's organization, Victory Sports Foundation, eventually received $1.3 million in funds from the federal welfare program Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, through a private nonprofit called Mississippi Community Education Center, auditors found in 2020. "In return for those funds, Victory Sports and Lacoste conducted fitness boot camps, none of which were designed to achieve, or did achieve, any lawful TANF purpose," MDHS's complaint reads. "... Lacoste and Victory Sports Foundation owe MDHS a debt of $1,309,183." Lacoste joins a growing number of defendants in the civil case -- including Nancy New, the former welfare director's nephew Austin Smith and former NFL quarterback Brett Favre -- who are implicating Bryant. The former governor has not faced civil or criminal charges. |
| Mississippi senator plans to block Biden judicial nominee | |
 | Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said Tuesday she will formally block a judicial nominee from Mississippi, leaning on a contentious committee tradition that gives senators a de facto veto over appointments to district court seats in their home states. President Joe Biden announced Scott Colom as a pick for a judgeship position in the federal Northern District of Mississippi in October. But his nomination has stalled, even as other judicial picks have funneled through the Senate Judiciary Committee process. Hyde-Smith announced in a statement that she would formally oppose Colom's nomination, citing concerns about his record. "As someone with a strong interest in protecting the rights of girls and women, I am concerned about Scott Colom's opposition to legislation to protect female athletes," the Mississippi Republican said. Hyde-Smith is blocking Colom's nomination under a committee tradition known as the "blue slip" process, which some liberal advocates oppose, saying it allows senators to unfairly block Biden's district judicial nominations. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., returned a blue slip for Colom's nomination, but Hyde-Smith previously did not publicly state where she stood on the nomination. |
| GOP senator endorses Trump ahead of NY arraignment | |
 | Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) announced she is endorsing former President Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, offering a show of support for the former president ahead of his arraignment in Manhattan on charges from a hush money case. In a statement released late Monday on the eve of Trump's court appearance, the Mississippi Republican panned Trump's indictment related to hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 as a "political stunt" by a George Soros-funded prosecutor that has "nothing to do with justice." She predicted the charges will "backfire" on Democrats before going on to laud a number of policies enacted and pursued during Trump's presidency, including on immigration, taxes, the economy and the confirmation of right-leaning judges. Hyde-Smith's show of support gives Trump a sixth endorsement from the Senate. The ex-president has already won the backing of Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio). The Mississippi senator is up for reelection in 2026. |
| Members of Congress join crowd outside Trump court hearing | |
| Amid a chaotic scene of Donald Trump supporters, media and sign-toting protesters, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of several members of Congress who appeared in the crowd outside the Manhattan courthouse where the former president was set to be arraigned Tuesday. In the hours before Trump was expected to face charges connected to an alleged hush money case, the Georgia Republican and outspoken supporter of Trump spoke briefly at an event put on by the New York Young Republican Club outside the courthouse. Greene stood in a crush of people, many carrying cameras and microphones, mostly members of the media. She wielded a bullhorn, but the crowd still largely drowned her out with whistles and shouts. As Greene got into a white SUV to leave the area, New York Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman addressed the crowd and the media and said: "Now let's talk about the truth." Contending with shouts from the crowd, Bowman raised his voice as he spoke. Embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., also spoke to reporters outside the Manhattan courthouse, but he apparently left before Greene spoke. On several videos posted to Twitter, Santos said he was there to show support for the president amid a political prosecution and referred to Republican targeting of President Joe Biden's son for investigations. Some other New York Republicans stayed away from the courthouse. Rep. Brandon Williams planned to be in his central New York district, while Long Island-area Rep. Anthony D'Esposito planned meetings with constituents in his district, according to their spokespeople. Rep. Mike Lawler is away on a bipartisan congressional delegation trip to the Indo-Pacific. |
| Hours after arrest, Donald Trump attacks Manhattan district attorney in Mar-a-Lago speech | |
 | Hours after being arraigned in a New York courtroom, former President Donald Trump used a speech to supporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate to lash out at New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg and other prosecutors who are investigating him. "I never thought anything like this could happen in America," Trump told the crowd gathered in Palm Beach, Fla. Trump is facing 34 felony counts in the New York case, becoming the first-ever former president to face criminal charges. Trump's 27-minute speech amounted to a revamping of a presidential campaign while bracing voters for the possibility that he could indicted in cases out of Atlanta and Washington, D.C. The attacks on Bragg and other prosecutors came after the judge in New York warned Trump against rhetoric that could incite threats and violence against public officials. In his remarks at Mar-a-Lago, Trump described the various investigations as attempts to thwart his presidential campaign. Trump made false claims about the investigations and claimed without evidence that he is being singled out for political reasons. He reserved special venom for Bragg, who led the investigation. Trump also attacked Bragg's wife. At one point, Trump called Bragg "a local failed district attorney" who at one point had qualms about bringing a case against a former president. Mar-a-Lago members and Trump supporters frequently cheered and clapped as the ex-president attacked prosecutors and political opponents. |
| Trump says Republicans in Congress should 'defund' Justice Department, FBI | |
 | A day after being arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom on state charges, former president Donald Trump said Wednesday that the Republican-led Congress should "defund" the Justice Department and FBI "until they come to their senses." A wholesale "defunding" of federal law enforcement agencies is unrealistic in a divided government and would certainly draw opposition even from some House Republicans. The idea would also stand no chance in the Democratic-led Senate and would face a veto from President Biden. Trump's comments, in a post on Truth Social, his social media site, echoed those of some Republicans, most notably Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who said on Sunday that Congress should "limit funds going to some of these agencies" in retaliation for their treatment of Trump. Neither the Justice Department nor FBI is directly involved in Trump's criminal prosecution by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D), who has accused the former president of falsifying business records 34 times, as he wrote checks to his lawyer Michael Cohen to reimburse Cohen for $130,000 paid to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. The agencies, however, played a role in an earlier investigation of the episode and are key to other ongoing Trump investigations, including his retention of classified documents from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. |
| Bragg's Case Against Trump Leaves Ample Defense Openings, Legal Experts Say | |
 | The criminal case against former President Donald Trump unsealed Tuesday could hinge on questions of criminal intent and untested interpretations of election law, according to criminal defense specialists. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleges Mr. Trump repeatedly violated New York's business-records laws in trying to cover up a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence in the days before the 2016 presidential election. The indictment alleges Mr. Trump and the others violated election laws and falsified business records as part of a broad scheme to suppress negative stories about Mr. Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. Mr. Bragg also alleges that participants "mischaracterized, for tax purposes, the true nature of the payments made in furtherance of the scheme." Under New York law, the crime of falsifying business records is a misdemeanor. But it is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison to falsify records when there is a specific intent to commit or conceal another crime. The crime requires proof of an intent to defraud. But to some legal observers, the case against the former president and Republican presidential front-runner represents a delicate and untested welding of minor criminal offenses. They also say the case is built on a somewhat wobbly foundation, made up of circumstantial evidence and insider testimony from a fervent Trump foe whose credibility Mr. Trump's defense team will be sure to assail. "I was expecting more in the four corners of the indictment," said Jeremy Shockett, a white-collar criminal defense attorney in New York. |
| Blunt talk: Former GOP leader makes next move | |
 | Roy Blunt says he doesn't miss Congress after 26 years. He can't entirely pull himself away, though. The retired Missouri Republican is joining Husch Blackwell Strategies as chair of a new advisory group, he said in an interview, where he will offer the same kind of counsel that he gave House speakers and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell for decades. "I've been giving advice for free for a long time. And generally people have been willing to take it and it worked out pretty well," Blunt said this week. In his new role, Blunt will concentrate on offering advice on how to navigate both state and local government. A former member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Blunt has retained his security clearance and is also working on projects with Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines that he declined to elaborate on -- describing it only as a "couple of things she and I have talked about that I'm going to be helping her with." Blunt's departure from the Hill punctuates a noticeable gap in the GOP's institutional knowledge since the November midterms. The group of recently retired GOP senators ranges from leadership stalwarts like Rob Portman of Ohio, Richard Burr of North Carolina and Blunt to Donald Trump critics like Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Ben Sasse of Nebraska to the old-bull appropriator Richard Shelby of Alabama. They are all taking diverse paths: Portman is a public policy fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Burr joined lobbying firm DLA Piper and Sasse now leads the University of Florida. Blunt said that he "wouldn't anticipate that I would ever register as a lobbyist, but others certainly working with us will." |
| Violence at holy Jerusalem site raises tension over holidays | |
| Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City early Wednesday, firing stun grenades at Palestinians who hurled stones and firecrackers in a burst of violence during a sensitive holiday season. Palestinian militants in Gaza responded with rocket fire on southern Israel, prompting repeated Israeli airstrikes. The fighting, which comes as Muslims mark the holiday month of Ramadan and Jews prepare to begin the Passover festival, raised fears of a wider conflagration. By early morning, the Jerusalem compound, which is typically packed with worshippers during Ramadan, had quieted down. The mosque sits in a hilltop compound sacred to both Jews and Muslims, and conflicting claims over it have spilled into violence before, including a bloody 11-day war between Israel and Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza. Al-Aqsa is the third-holiest site in Islam and stands in a spot known to Jews as the Temple Mount, which is the holiest site in Judaism. Palestinian militant groups warned that further confrontation was coming, but a Palestinian official said the Palestinian Authority was in contact with officials in Egypt, Jordan, the United States and at the United Nations to de-escalate tensions. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was working to "calm tensions" at the holy site. |
| Mississippi University for Women surpasses fundraising goal of $25M | |
 | Mississippi University for Women has long been known for helping students achieve their goals. Now the university is celebrating surpassing one of its own. The "Be The Light" campaign started in 2017 with the goal of raising $15 million. The W reached that goal and kept going to raise more than $25 million. Every dollar makes a difference and that difference took off when Mississippi University for Women started its "Be the Light" fundraiser. Executive Director of Alumni and Development, Andrea Stevens said this was The W's first comprehensive capital campaign. They focused on raising money in four main areas: scholarships, facilities, endowments, and athletics. "Every dollar can help purchase a book, it can help pay for gas for school, it can help pay for tuition or room and board, and with our students working, most of them work part-time there are a lot of them that are full time so scholarships are important and do allow students to realize their dreams in higher education," said Stevens. President Nora Miller understands the importance of giving back to the place that gave her an education. "It's important to give back when you realize all the opportunities you were given as a result of the education that you received. I attended the W and I know that it has changed my life forever and I want to make sure I'm giving back," said Miller. With budget cuts from the state, university leaders knew they had to find other resources. "Our state support has been declining where we used to receive almost 60% of the funding from the state now we are at like 45% or something like that so it's becoming more and more important we have other resources," said Miller. |
| $25M raised for MUW scholarships, facilities and more | |
| In its first-ever comprehensive capital campaign dubbed "Be the Light," Mississippi University for Women raised a historic $25 million, the university announced during homecoming festivities last week. The campaign pays homage to the lyric in its alma mater: "illumines the path untrod." "I am so proud of the contributions that have been made to invest in our campus and our students," MUW President Nora Miller said in a press release issued Monday. "These gifts will be the light for our future. I am grateful for the tireless work done by our Foundation Board and Development staff, and for the generosity of our donors." After a feasibility study was conducted in 2016, the results showed that MUW alumni were in support of a comprehensive capital campaign, and donations began without a set goal. In 2017, the MUW Foundation board voted for the "Be the Light" campaign to have a goal of $15 million over the next five years to support endowed scholarships, athletics, facilities and programs and endowments. During its homecoming celebrations on March 31, MUW announced a new capital campaign called "A Home for the Future" -- a $13 million campaign to renovate Shattuck Hall for alumni and "friends of the university." Plans for renovation include a boardroom for MUW Foundation and Alumni Association meetings, an event space with dinner seating for 200, overnight accommodations for alumni and friends and parking for alumni and guests. |
| Ole Miss grad feeds passion for discovery producing TV documentaries | |
| Ben Cannon has always enjoyed exploring new places, which is quite helpful for his job as a field producer for the Discovery Channel. Cannon earned a bachelor's degree in Southern studies from the University of Mississippi in 2003. Although his circuitous route has led him from ski towns in Germany to lodges in Wyoming and to city life in Brooklyn, his Southern roots have come in handy no matter where he is in the world. "I've been filming 'Homestead Rescue' for the Discovery Channel," said Cannon, on location just outside Fort Worth, Texas. "Typically, my wheelhouse is the Discovery Channel or Nat Geo, so it's more rugged types of shows, often with individuals or families trying to survive in a place like Alaska, for example." Teaching students a wide variety of skills through different disciplines is a big part of the Southern studies ethos, which Cannon enjoyed. He made it back to Ole Miss recently for a long-overdue visit. "I'm very grateful to Southern studies, and it was so special to go back and visit Barnard Observatory," Cannon said. "When I was in Ted Ownby's History of Mississippi course, I began to learn a little bit about the Southern studies program, and I just immediately got into it. He said the class transformed him from a rudderless general studies major into someone who "had found this really interesting, nurturing department where I had mostly small classroom experiences." |
| USM's Gulf Park campus expected to receive $2.5 million upgrade | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) Gulf Park campus could get a $2.5 million upgrade. The grant comes from a bill that will award $50 million in BP settlement funds to various Mississippi Gulf Coast counties. Senate Bill 3047 was passed in both chambers on March 27 and now heads to Gov. Tate Reeves' desk for a signature. The bill would help create the USM Visualization and Digital Multimedia Center of Excellence for the Long Beach campus. "We are enormously grateful and thrilled beyond words to receive this grant. It will be transformative, for our students and faculty, for the Gulf Park campus, and for our coastal communities. The Center of Excellence that this grant will establish will further position USM as the premier location in Mississippi and the Gulf Coast region for film education and expertise," said Dr. Westley Follett, Interim Director, School of Coastal Resilience at USM. The center plans to work the Film Studies and Production program in the School of Coastal Resilience. The center aims to promote a better understanding of the oceans, coasts, and the Blue Economy that they sustain. |
| Stars of HGTV's 'Hometown' make appearance at MC scholarship banquet | |
| Erin and Ben Napier were the featured speakers at the MC Spring Scholarship Banquet. They spent the day talking with students about the television show and their work in Laurel. The Napier's have embraced a passion for renovating historic homes in Laurel to revitalize the area. Proceeds from the event will provide scholarships to MC students who might not otherwise receive a college education. Since its inception in 2008, the banquet has raised more than $4 million to assist students. |
| Spring Break is coming up in Biloxi. Here's what to know about events and traffic | |
 | Mississippi Black Spring Break returns to the Biloxi beach and to venues across South Mississippi the weekend of April 13-16. The Black Spring Break Facebook page says this is the 13th year for the event, which was canceled in 2020 and scaled back during the coronavirus. Typically the event draws tens of thousands of teens and adults from across the region to the beach for music and fun. This year's big concert is at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 15, when Kodak Black & Friends play the Coast Coliseum. Many bars and clubs in Biloxi and Gulfport will host events throughout the weekend, complete with foam parties, twerk wars, DJs and concerts. Hotels along the beach will be filled with spring breakers who walk across the highway to the beach. Especially near the Coast Coliseum and Edgewater Mall, drivers need to be aware of pedestrians. Traffic can get heavy Friday and Saturday nights. Expect to see orange cones down the center of U.S. 90 from I-110 in Biloxi to MS 605/Cowan Road in Gulfport. If needed to keep traffic flowing and allow for emergency vehicle access, traffic will be limited to the right lane only in each direction with no left turns at intersections except for emergency vehicles. "If we see no reason to inconvenience people, we won't," said Biloxi Police Chief John Miller. "However, once we see traffic becoming an issue, we implement the plan." |
| Auburn Muslim Student Association raising money for food bank this Ramadan | |
 | In the U.S., Ramadan is often thought of as a time of fasting for Muslims. Every day from sunup to sundown during their holy month, those practicing the Islamic faith go without food and water, breaking the fast in the evenings. However, Ramadan is also a time where many Muslims choose to give back. This Ramadan season, which began on March 22 and will run through April 20, Muslim students at Auburn University are using their faith to help the greater East Alabama community. The Muslim Students Association (MSA) will host its annual Fast-a-thon on April 7 to honor Ramadan and raise money for the Food Bank of East Alabama. They are asking others to come alongside them in this event. "It's a month where we are encouraged to give a lot to charity and to be on our best behavior," said MSA president Mohammed Rayyan Husain. "Through the Fast-a-thon we are trying to basically reinforce those ideals. We're trying to have a community where we will be breaking food together and we want to give this money to an organization which will help those in need." Husain, who is currently working on his master's in data science, said the MSA has had a presence on the Auburn University campus since the 1990s. They held their first Fast-a-thon in 2003. |
| LSU College of Agriculture's interim dean, an LSU alumnus, named permanent leader | |
 | Matt Lee, interim dean of LSU's College of Agriculture and vice president for agriculture since August 2022, has been tapped to serve as permanent head of the program, the university announced Tuesday. "Matt's leadership has already yielded positive results for the AgCenter and the College of Agriculture, and his guidance in terms of research and infrastructure will continue us on the path to top-ranked standing in America," LSU President William F. Tate IV said in a university statement. An LSU alum, Lee received a doctorate from the university in 1999 and attended the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard University in 2012. Once a tenure-track faculty member in sociology at Mississippi State University, Lee was recruited to LSU after five years and later promoted to professor in the sociology department in 2008. He then held numerous administrative positions at LSU before heading the College of Agriculture, previously serving as interim executive vice president and provost, vice provost for academic programs and support services, and senior associate vice president for research. Now Lee will serve as the vice president for agriculture, a key area in Tate's Scholarship First Agenda. In addition to leading the College of Agriculture, Lee now helms the LSU AgCenter. |
| Georgia's Kemp vetoes bill capping university tuition hikes | |
| Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday vetoed a bill that would have capped tuition increases at public universities and colleges, calling it an infringement on the authority of the state Board of Regents and a violation of the state constitution. Senators amended House Bill 319 on the final day of the legislative session to say that none of the University System of Georgia's 26 universities and colleges could raise tuition or fees by more than 3% from the previous year without approval from both houses of the General Assembly. Kemp wrote in a statement that such a cap could not be imposed unless voters approved a constitutional amendment limiting the powers of the Board of Regents, who oversee the system. "The Georgia Constitution makes plain the authority to govern, control, and manage the University System and all system institutions is vested in the Board of Regents," Kemp wrote. The provision touches on a sprawling dispute in which senators insisted on a $66 million cut to the system's teaching budget. That's out of a total budget of $9 billion that includes state money, tuition and fees collected from students, and other revenue. Senators said universities should cover the shortfall with some of their roughly $500 million in cash on hand. |
| UF Honors director candidate Micheal Blandino speaks to students ahead of selection | |
| University of Florida Honors Program director candidate Michael Blandino emphasized the need for UF to have a program worthy of its top five status in his presentation and Q&A session to the Honors community in person and on zoom Monday afternoon. Blandino is the second finalist to give such a presentation to the Honors community, after interim director Melissa Johnson's March 24. Blandino has served as the assistant dean of Louisiana State University Ogden Honors College for the past 11 years. The final candidate to participate in a presentation and Q&A session is Kathy Cooke, a professor of history who was the founding dean of both Quinnipiac University's honors program in 2005 and the University of South Alabama's Honors College in 2017. Her presentation will start at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 10. To make UF's Honors Program nationally recognized, Blandino said he wants to expand the number of honors courses offered. This would expand the vital teaching and learning experience, expand faculty-student engagement and deepen the affinity of students with the program, he told the Honors community Monday. "Small honors courses lined with curricular requirements should perhaps be an enhancement strategy that benefits in multiple ways," he said. |
| U. of Missouri School of Health Professions to become MU College of Health Sciences | |
 | The University of Missouri School of Health Professions next school year will become the MU College of Health Professions, paired with a $5 million renovation to Clark Hall, said Dean Kristofer Hagglund. "It recognizes the significant changes we have made over the years," Hagglund said of the name change. Hagglund mad the announcement Tuesday during a "State of the School" speech in the State Historical Society of Missouri. The school is located in the connected Lewis and Clark halls at Providence Road and Rollins Street. The renovation will include an accessible and attractive entrance at the main level off Providence, where now passing motorists have a view of a dumpster. "More than 30,000 care pass Clark Hall on Providence Road every day," Hagglund said. The buildings were constructed in the presidential administration of Lyndon Johnson, Hagglund said after the event. "It's nice to have this opportunity to have a major renovation," he said. During his presentation, he showed illustrations of classrooms, to be named for donor the late Nancy Toedebusch Fay, who graduated from MU in 1969 with a degree in medical technology. There were also illustrations of what a student lounge and a conference room would look like in the renovated building. |
| North Carolina lawmakers ask UNC system for information on diversity-related trainings | |
| North Carolina lawmakers are asking the University of North Carolina System to detail spending on all diversity-related training from the current and last three fiscal years. A letter from the General Assembly's Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations last month requests an inventory of all diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, or DEIA, training programs across the UNC system's 17 institutions. Lawmakers wanted documents delivered to them by close of business March 28. Legislators broadly defined DEIA in the letter and said it referred to topics spanning from white supremacy to social justice. Republican lawmakers nationwide have taken aim at colleges' diversity efforts, with an eye on banning them at public institutions. Such is the case in Florida, South Carolina and Oklahoma. Conservatives have alleged DEIA programs have broken from their original intent and become a primary focus of colleges' operations, to their detriment. DEIA programs, however, are in part institutions' attempts to correct past wrongdoings against historically marginalized students. |
| 16 Institutions Unite to Help Rural Students Attend College | |
 | Sixteen U.S. colleges and universities have teamed up in a new effort to help students from rural and small communities attain an undergraduate degree. The Small Town and Rural Students (STARS) College Network aims to build new pathways to college for students who might not otherwise recognize all their options. Only 59 percent of students from rural schools attend college immediately after high school, compared to 62 percent of those from urban schools and 67 percent of those from the suburbs, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse. The colleges and universities that comprise the STARS network are committed to helping rural and small-town students find the institutions that best suit them, introducing them to the campuses, guiding them through the application process and providing mentors and support once they enroll. The participating institutions are: Brown University, the California Institute of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, Colby College, Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, the University of Chicago, the University of Iowa, the University of Maryland, the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis and Yale University. STARS is funded by a $20 million gift from Trott Family Philanthropies, the foundation of Byron and Tina Trott. Byron Trott was inspired by his own journey from small-town Missouri to the University of Chicago, where he earned undergraduate and M.B.A. degrees and eventually became chairman and co-CEO of the merchant bank BDT & MSD Partners. |
| The Search for Prospective Students Is About to Change | |
 | The way that many colleges connect with prospective applicants is on the verge of an overhaul. Last week, the College Board shared its plans to provide a way for admissions offices to connect with high-school students via mobile app. Starting this fall, the new service, called Connections, will supplement the organization's existing Student Search Service, which colleges have long used to obtain information about teenagers they wish to recruit. As a result, institutions must soon navigate a new frontier of student engagement. And a nation full of standardized-test takers will have yet another place to hear from colleges -- if they choose not to tune them out. College Board officials say that the new service will give students more control over their personal information. In an age when standardized testing is going digital, restrictions on data collected online are tightening. "Data privacy has become a major concern for many states and districts, and for lawmakers," Paul Weeks, vice president for recruitment and enrollment solutions told The Chronicle this week. "We wanted to be proactive in developing a privacy-forward solution. This is better for students, better for schools. We're trying to balance that with what higher ed has asked for." |
| How America Started to Fall Out of Love With College Degrees | |
| Back around 2010, soon after the financial crash tanked the economy, Americans unflagging faith in higher education started to falter. By 2011, more than half of college graduates were unemployed or underemployed. If a bachelor's degree was a golden ticket for some, for many others it wasn't much. The economy rebounded and the popular conversation faded, only to be revived again by the epic fallout from a once-in-a lifetime global pandemic. This time, the college degree's comeuppance has been more profound. It may also be more durable. In 2019, Americans ranked "preparing for college" tenth on a survey conducted by Populace, a nonpartisan think tank, which asks respondents every year to rank answers to the question 'what is the purpose of education?' In 2022, respondents ranked it 47 out of 57 items. "The value proposition of college may not be what it once was," says Todd Rose, co-founder of Populace and author of Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions. He's clear that the data don't say it's not valuable but rather a prioritization of careers, and the pursuit of meaningful work has surpassed it. People want it to be on the menu, but not to be the menu. "They want it to be an option, but not the point," Rose explains. "They want more opportunities, they want their kids to have a wider range of outcomes." |
| What do attacks on ESG mean for college endowments? | |
| Even as conservative lawmakers have ratcheted up attacks on DEI -- diversity, equity and inclusion -- in higher education, another acronym has begun to attract their attention: ESG. ESG refers to an investment strategy that takes into account not just standard financial considerations but also environmental, social and governance concerns. Commonplace among colleges, ESG investing strategy weighs company impacts on climate change and other environmental factors, labor practices and human rights, and issues of governance -- including diversity among board members -- as well as shareholder rights and company transparency. In Florida, where Republican governor Ron DeSantis has captured national headlines by introducing major higher education reforms and going after college DEI efforts, ESG is also under attack. DeSantis announced legislation in February that he claims will "protect Floridians from the woke ESG financial scam." A bill barring certain ESG investments is currently before the Legislature. If passed, it would bar state and local government from issuing bonds "that will be used to finance a project with an ESG purpose," according to language in the bill. The legislation would also bar public institutions from considering "a vendor's social, political, or ideological interests" -- an apparent nod to ESG criteria. Florida isn't alone in targeting ESG; similar efforts are under way in Alabama, Texas, Utah and other red states. But experts suggest there is more to ESG than what fits into Republican talking points. And limiting such investments for public institutions could come with serious consequences, including revamped endowment strategies and diminished returns that will hurt the bottom line for state universities. |
| Advocates call on White House to finish new Title IX regs in May | |
| The Biden administration is planning to release the final set of regulations for Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 next month, and a coalition of more than 120 gender justice and survivor advocacy organizations are urging the department to stick to that timeline. They argue in a letter sent to the White House Tuesday that a delay in releasing the final regulations could hinder colleges' and universities' ability to carry out the new regulations before the next academic year or lead to another year with the current rules in place. Those rules, put in place during the Trump administration, have had "devastating impacts on student survivors," the organizations wrote. Supporters of the Trump-era rules have urged the department to reverse course. "The Trump-era regulations create incredible barriers for students who have experienced sexual assault to seek and achieve justice for what happened," said Tracey Vitchers, executive director of It's On Us. "We really see the Biden administration releasing their rule by May as crucial to interrupt the harm that students are experiencing under the Trump administration's Title IX regulation," said Emma Grasso Levine, manager of Know Your IX, a survivor- and youth-led project of Advocates for Youth, a nonprofit that also signed the letter. |
| Education Department acts to advance transgender, nonbinary inclusion in youth sports | |
| The Biden administration is quietly making headway on its promise to protect nonbinary and transgender student athlete eligibility and inclusion on college and K-12 sports teams. The Education Department sent a proposed Title IX rule on the topic to the White House Office of Management and Budget in late March, the first step in the rulemaking process. The proposal isn't public, however, and the Education Department did not share its contents. Education Department spokesperson Vanessa Harmoush would only say that, "we are continuing our work to release a proposed Title IX regulation on students' eligibility to participate on athletics teams," as part of the agency's commitment to equal educational opportunity for all students. Some kind of regulation has long been expected: Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said during a confirmation hearing two years ago that he supported access to athletics for transgender students. "I think that it's critically important to have education systems and educators respect the rights of all students, including students who are transgender, and that they are afforded the opportunities that every other student has to participate in extracurricular activities," Cardona said in response to a question from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky). |
| Ballot initiative death, coming soon to a campaign ad near you | |
| Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender writes: Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and any state senator with an opponent for reelection this year can expect to field lots of questions and campaign-ad jabs about the Senate killing a measure to restore voters' right to sidestep the Legislature and put measures on a statewide ballot. Senate Accountability Efficiency and Transparency Chairman John Polk, R-Hattiesburg, let a ballot initiative measure die without a vote. A last-minute Hail Mary attempt to revive it led by Hosemann in the final days of this year's legislative session failed. Now, the soonest a right guaranteed Mississippians in the state constitution could be restored would be November of 2024 -- provided lawmakers next year pass a measure and put it before voters for ratification in the federal elections. ... Recent polls have shown Mississippi voters across the spectrum want their right to put issues directly on a statewide ballot restored. A Mississippi Today/Siena College poll showed 72% favor reinstating ballot initiative, with 12% opposed and 16% either don't know or have no opinion. Restoring the right garnered a large majority among Democrats, Republicans, independents and across all demographic, geographic and income lines. |
| Pickering, Scalia and the unicorns of bipartisanship and civility in American government | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: fascinating facet of last week's dedication of the papers of federal Judge Charles Pickering and former U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering to the Mississippi Political Collections at Mississippi State University's Mitchell Memorial Library was hearing the father and son donors talk about their long relationships with the late Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court Antonin Scalia. The MPC is the repository of archival materials from national, state and local lawmakers, judges, congressional staffers, scholars and activists whose careers are connected to Mississippi. The collection features Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, and hosts the papers of figures as diverse as former Clinton era Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy to MSU alums Sen. John C. Stennis and U.S. Rep. "Sonny" Montgomery to U.S. District Judge William C. Keady. The collection's value to researchers examines the Civil Rights movement, the war in Vietnam, and the Watergate scandal. With the U.S. Grant Presidential Library and the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana, the MSU Libraries have become a favorite destination of scholarly and popular writers and researchers. The younger Pickering is one in a long line of Mississippi's Third District congressmen to donate their papers to MSU. The senior Pickering made clear that he desired to have his papers in the same library as his son's. During a panel discussion as part of the event, Judge Pickering discussed the U.S. Senate confirmation process after President George W. Bush nominated him in 2001 for elevation from a decade of honorable service on the bench of the U.S. District Court to a seat on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans devolved into a partisan circus. |
SPORTS
| Eleven-run first helps Bulldogs batter Tigers in midweek matchup | |
| For the third-straight game, Mississippi State allowed a leadoff home run. Starter Parker Stinnett struggled in Southeastern Conference action against South Carolina at the weekend, and the pressure was on again after Grambling State designated hitter Tiger Borom sent it to the parking lot. Despite an early deficit, it was the last time the Bulldogs trailed in the game, scoring 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning en route to a 21-2 win in seven innings over the Tigers. Last season, Mississippi State (17-13, 1-8 SEC) defeated Grambling State (12-16), 2-1, at Dudy Noble Field, but the Bulldogs were ready for Tigers starter Jacorey Boudreaux on Tuesday. "[Boudreaux] pitched really good against us last year, so I think they knew they had to have a better approach, and our guys just did a great job," head coach Chris Lemonis said after the game. "They spent all afternoon hitting breaking balls off the machine trying to get ready, and it paid off." Tuesday's pitching was also a positive for the Bulldogs, despite the worrying start, giving Lemonis opportunities to utilize different arms and build up the pitching staff. The pressure will be on for the Bulldogs in their return to SEC play in Tuscaloosa at 6 p.m. Friday against Alabama, another team struggling to find itself in conference play. |
| Mississippi State offense explodes in win over Grambling | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs offense excelled in action against the Grambling State Tigers, earning the victory by a score of 21-2. Fourteen different Bulldogs reached base in the contest. Out of the 14 that reached base, five Dawgs finished with multi-hit days. Hunter Hines finished 3-for-3 with five total RBIs. Slate Alford finished 2-for-5, including a grand slam. Kellum Clark, Aaron Downs, and Colton Ledbetter all finished with two hits. Bryce Hubbard also picked up his first collegiate hit, an RBI-single. Parker Stinnett, Tyson Hardin, Tyler Davis, Logan Forsythe, Cole Cheatham, and Will Gibbs all saw action on the bump today. The tandem collected 13 strikeouts, while only allowing six hits and four walks. The Bulldogs are back in conference play as they head to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Game one is set for Thursday at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on SECN+. |
| Unpacking Mississippi State baseball's pitching rotation to save its 2023 season | |
| There's a small glimmer of hope in what's been a rough season for Mississippi State baseball, coach Chris Lemonis and pitching coach Scott Foxhall. Where does the optimism come from in a season featuring a 1-8 start to SEC play? The struggles haven't knocked MSU (16-13) out of to top 50 in RPI. Though fans' belief in Mississippi State's ability to win is dwindling, plenty of opportunities still remain through a difficult slate ahead – at Alabama (No. 23 RPI), vs. Ole Miss (No. 51), at Auburn (No. 28), at Tennessee (No. 19), vs. Arkansas (No. 3), at LSU (No. 4) and vs. Texas A&M (No. 44). To string victories together as the season turns to April, the Bulldogs have to find consistency in pitching. They rank last in the SEC in ERA (6.62), which is a direct result of their conference-high 176 walks allowed. At this point, Mississippi State is running low on time to experiment with its pitching. Here's what MSU's rotation should look like starting Thursday (6 p.m., SEC Network+) at Alabama (21-8, 3-6 SEC). |
| Bulldogs Finish Third After Record-Breaking Day At Mossy Oak Collegiate | |
| No. 21 Mississippi State closed its home event, the Mossy Oak Collegiate, with a third-place finish, just two strokes shy of the team title. The Bulldogs posted a three-round total of 826 (38-under). It was a record day. The team total was tied for the second-best 54-hole score in school history and just three strokes shy of tying the school record. MSU's second-round team score of 23-under 265 marks the lowest team round in school history. Entering the 2022-23 season, only 15 better rounds against par had been recorded in NCAA Division I history. "I am so proud of this team," head coach Dusty Smith said. "They played some great golf this week. You always talk about putting yourself in a position to win a golf tournament heading into the back nine in the final round, and that's exactly what we did. We handled adversity very well this week and never backed down." MSU has now recorded seven top-five finishes this season, which is tied for the fifth-most such finishes in a season in program history. State has fallen outside the top five at just one tournament this year. With eight rounds in the 60s at Mossy Oak, the Bulldogs now have shot 31 rounds in the 60s this year, which trails only their 34 such rounds in 2018-19 in school history. The Mississippi State men's golf team will play its final regular-season tournament on April 10-12 at the Mason Rudolph Championship hosted by Vanderbilt in Franklin, Tennessee. |
| As Mississippi State redefines its offensive identity, Lideatrick Griffin stands to benefit | |
 | Wide receiver Lideatrick Griffin has become one of the best-known Mississippi State football players. On the field, he's an explosive talent who led the nation with 32.26 yards per kickoff return last season. Off the field, he's active on social media -- engaging with potential MSU recruits -- and attends various MSU sporting events. However, through all the hype, his offensive numbers haven't popped. In three seasons, he's caught 71 passes for 779 receiving yards and five touchdowns. For a player drawing immense attention on special teams, he wasn't difficult to contain in Mike Leach's Air Raid offense. Under offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, who has moved Griffin from the outside to slot receiver, that could change. Spring practice has proven Barbay wants Griffin involved, whether it be deep passes, screens or handoffs. Barbay claims his offense is built on utilizing the best 11 players, and it's evident Griffin is toward the top of the list. "He's a guy that you've just got to find ways to put the ball in his hands," receiver coach Chad Bumphis said. "That's what coach Barbay is really good at -- drawing up ways to find those guys that can score at any moment." |
| Delta State announces $10 million athletic campaign | |
| Delta State University Director of Athletics Mike Kinnison announced a five-year, $10 million athletic campaign to raise funds for student-athlete scholarships and academic support, facility enhancements, and staff supplements, as well as program additions. "Statesmen and Lady Statesmen Athletics are an effective part of DSU's academic mission. Our programs can unify alumni involvement and support, afford national recognition, promote recruitment, and offer a shared sense of pride among the Delta State family. The University's athletic program must build for national prominence," he said. The athletic campaign committee has already raised more than $500,000. Kinnison believes that building a multipurpose turf indoor practice facility will provide a competitive edge for athletes and coaches in all sports. |
| NCAA, Power Five conferences facing new antitrust lawsuit over pay to athletes | |
 | Attorneys acting on behalf of two former college athletes on Tuesday filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA and the Power Five conferences that seeks damages for thousands of college athletes based on the nearly $6,000-a-year academic-achievement payments that were allowed by a U.S. district court judge in March 2019 and unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court a little more than two years later. Tuesday's filing is certain to be cited by the NCAA as another illustration of why it says it needs a federal law covering college athletes' ability to make money from their name, image and likeness that also would include protection from antitrust suits. A form of such protection was one feature of a bill that has been offered by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., although not in the current Congressional session. However, the plaintiffs' lead attorneys, Steve Berman and Jeff Kessler, told USA TODAY Sports they have no concerns about this case strengthening the NCAA's position with lawmakers. Said Kessler: "I've spoken to many members of Congress about this the last several years. I know Steve has, too. We have yet to find members of Congress who don't worry about the athletes as the victims of the exploitation. They're not really terribly concerned about the NCAA's claim that, somehow, it's the victim. So, I don't think there's any real desire in Congress to grant immunity to the NCAA any more than they would grant immunity to Amazon." |
| Oklahoma moves closer to significantly reshaping state NIL laws | |
| Oklahoma's sweeping name, image and likeness bill is one step closer to becoming a law. On Monday, the Oklahoma House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 840 by a vote of 84-5. The transformative bill was initially introduced in January by state senators Greg McCortney and Shane Jett. Supporters say the bill levels the playing field for Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa and other colleges when recruiting and retaining student-athletes who also want to capitalize off NIL. SB 840 removes virtually all restrictions on who can represent athletes in NIL deal negotiations and allows universities to support NIL activities from third parties. It also allows schools to set parameters to prevent NIL activities from interfering with school or team activities, allows schools to be compensated for use of logos or facilities, and allows schools to require that student-athletes take financial literacy and contract courses. It also prohibits student-athletes from securing deals using a school logo. Additionally, it doesn't require student-athlete compensation to be in line with market value and does not count scholarships as compensation. |
| After outcry, Jill Biden's office says White House invitation is for LSU women's team | |
 | It's customary for the winner of the NCAA women's basketball championship to receive an invitation to visit the White House. But earlier this week, first lady Jill Biden was all in to host both Louisiana State University and the University of Iowa following Sunday's game --- even though LSU won. Now, the first lady has walked back her apparent dual invitation, following lots of negative reactions across social media and television. A particularly strong objection came from LSU star player Angel Reese, who called the dual invite "A JOKE" in a tweet. During an event on Monday at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver, Biden congratulated both teams -- praising them on their performance and highlighting Iowa's sportsmanship. "I know we'll have the champions come to the White House; we always do. So, we hope LSU will come," the First lady said. "But, you know, I'm going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come too, because they played such a good game." But Vanessa Valdivia, press secretary for the first lady, later clarified Biden's comments on Tuesday morning, tweeting that the comments "were intended to applaud the historic game and all women athletes." (The Office of the First Lady of the United States did not immediately respond to NPR's separate request for comment about her remarks.) "[The first lady] looks forward to celebrating the LSU Tigers on their championship win at the White House," Valdivia added. |
| Tiger Woods doesn't know how many Masters he has left | |
| As Tiger Woods prepares for his 25th Masters appearance, the five-time champion said Tuesday that the thought of one day playing his last competitive round at Augusta National has crossed his mind. "I don't know how many more I have in me," Woods said. "I know more guys on the Champions Tour than I do the regular tour." There wasn't any resignation in the way Woods said it. It was more of an unintentional explanation for the message he has been repeating over the past year since he battled to make the cut in his 2022 return to the Masters after a car crash that nearly took his leg: His body is no longer the same, but his game remains. And so does his stubbornness to practice, compete and ultimately win. "The overall desire to win has always been there," Woods said. "And I've always worked at it and believed in what I could do." What he can do now is limited. Woods, 47, said Tuesday that his game feels better than it did last year but that his body aches more because he has pushed it more, both at the Genesis Invitational in February and getting ready for the first major of the year by practicing at home. If there's any place where Woods can compete, especially win, it's Augusta, which has become like a second home for his golf game as well as a repository for his best moments and favorite memories. And even though his mobility is not where he wants, he has accepted the reality of his circumstances and has instead, as he put it Tuesday, chosen to be grateful for still having his leg. |
| An Ever-Changing Masters Course Changes Again | |
 | The golfer Brendon Todd takes comfort in the memories of practice rounds he played at Augusta National Golf Club with José Maria Olazábal, who won the Masters Tournament in 1994 and 1999. The course was shorter when Olazábal was dominant, and the difference between the longest hitters and everyone else wasn't that large, Todd said Olazábal told him. "He said everyone hit the ball the same distance, and it was shorter back then," said Todd, who has played in three Masters tournaments. "It was about accuracy. It was a second-shot golf course. That's still the case today." But there's a big difference: The course is about 600 yards longer than it was 30 years ago and is now at 7,545 yards. And the big hitters absolutely bomb the ball today, which has the United States Golf Association considering changing how far golf balls fly. Todd, who ranks 203rd on driving distance on the PGA Tour this season, is not one of them. The Masters lives in our imaginations as the only major venue that never changes. It's an annual rite of spring to see azaleas bloom and pimento-cheese sandwiches in patrons' hands, and anyone lucky enough to be invited to play -- or even score a badge to watch -- treats their time going around Augusta National with reverence. This is the course that Dr. Alister MacKenzie, among the best Golden Age architects, and Bobby Jones, the great amateur champion, created to host an invitational tournament that would bring together the best golfers. All of that is true, but the course itself is like a living entity, growing, shifting and changing regularly. It looks little today like it did when the first tournament was played in 1934. |
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