| Monday, September 25, 2023 |
| Grammy-nominated acapella quartet opens MSU Lyceum Series' 76th season | |
 | The soulful harmonies of Kings Return will fill Lee Hall's historic Bettersworth Auditorium on Oct. 4 as the Grammy-nominated acapella vocal group kicks off the Mississippi State University Lyceum Series' 76th season at 7 p.m. The quartet -- first gaining notoriety after barebones versions of "God Bless America" and "Ubi Cartis" sung in stairwells went viral -- draws from R&B, jazz, gospel and pop influences. Reviewers have said the band of vocal brothers defy the constraints of a single genre and explore a myriad of sonic shades and textures. After releasing a debut EP in 2021, Kings Return's first full-length album, 2022's "ROVE," featured a cover of the Bee Gees' song "How Deep Is Your Love," which earned a Grammy nomination in the Best Arrangement Instrumental or Acapella category. To learn more about and listen to Kings Return, visit www.kingsreturnmusic.com. Individual tickets to the show are $30 per person, $25 for MSU employees and senior citizens, $10 for children and free for MSU students. They are available online at www.msstate.universitytickets.com or at the Center for Student Activities, Suite 314, Colvard Student Union. The Lyceum Series is MSU's longest running performing arts series and is a key part of the university's continued commitment to the arts. |
| MSU theatre department kicks off 60th season with 'Pants on Fire' | |
 | The theatre department at Mississippi State is kicking off its 60th season with its first play "Pants on Fire". "Pants on Fire" is a show that changes with the audience. At every performance, the attendees will submit suggestions for what they want to see as they enter the theatre. The cast then uses these suggestions to build the show from the ground up and create a new performance entirely using improv. "The show is not like a traditional theatre show. It's an improvised show. So, there's an outline and there are six cast members throughout the show run. The cast members are switching between key roles, so in one of the shows, one of them will be the hero; one of them will be the villain. It'll change like that throughout the process," said Ryan Bergman, Co-director. The show will be performed from September 25-29 for local school children and public performances will be available for attendance on September 27 and September 28 at 6 p.m. and October 1 at 2 p.m. |
| A Medieval French Skeleton Is Rewriting the History of Syphilis | |
 | In the last days of the 1400s, a terrible epidemic swept through Europe. Men and women spiked sudden fevers. Their joints ached, and they broke out in rashes that ripened into bursting boils. Ulcers ate away at their faces, collapsing their noses and jaws, working down their throats and airways, making it impossible to eat or drink. Survivors were grossly disfigured. Unluckier victims died. It seemed plausible that the great pox, later called syphilis, might have journeyed with Spanish mercenaries, who represented much of the army of Naples when France attacked that kingdom in 1495. And it might have arrived in Spain with the crews of Christopher Columbus, who returned there in 1493 from the first of his exploratory voyages. For most of the centuries since, a significant historical narrative has blamed Columbus and his sailors for bringing syphilis to Europe. But for roughly two decades, paleopathologists examining European burial sites have suggested that medieval bones and teeth display signs of syphilis infection, disrupting the belief that the disease arrived there in the 15th century. "It's exciting that greater complexity is being introduced progressively by this work, and by some securely dated and accurately diagnosed ancient skeletons that have been published since 2016," says Molly Zuckerman, a biological anthropologist and professor at Mississippi State University who collaborates on studies of ancient infections. "When we look at modern disease landscapes, we understand that a lot of the time we have co-circulating strains of diseases. If the origin of syphilis hadn't been set up initially against the backdrop of the Columbian Exchange, we might have recognized that sooner." |
| Your questions about upcoming power rate increases, answered | |
| Electric bills are rising across the Golden Triangle starting this fall, with the Tennessee Valley Authority announcing it will raise the wholesale price to provide power to its member utilities by 4.5% starting Oct. 1. Also, a three-year COVID-19 pandemic credit that provided relief for some TVA utilities is expiring. In response, Columbus Light and Water, Starkville Utilities and 4-County Electric Power Association have all announced rate increases of their own. But how much will your bill increase? That depends on where you live, and more importantly, how much power you use. Each utility company charges for power based on two rates -- the base customer rate that is the same for every user and the usage rate that charges by the kilowatt hour. In the cases of CLW and 4-County, they are only raising their usage rates. At Starkville Utilities, it's a tad more complicated. There will be a 4.4% increase to the usage charge, and all bills will see a $1 per month increase to the base customer charge. General Manager Edward Kemp said this will not only cover the TVA increases, but it will also help the utility's operations keep up with inflation. The average power bill in Starkville, which Kemp estimated at $102.97, will increase by $5.56 per month assuming the same usage patterns. Usage charge changes at all three utilities will be reflected on customers' November bills. SUD's base customer charge will take effect in November and will be reflected on bills customers receive in December. |
| New alert system launched for emergencies, other notifications | |
| Residents can sign up for a new, improved system to receive city alerts. Information Technology Director Joel Clements said the system went live Wednesday, and anyone interested can sign up at the city's website. More than 100 signed up on the first day, he said. Users can elect to receive alerts for emergencies, general notifications (road closures, utility work, etc.), city events and parks events. They can choose to receive alerts by email, text, voice call or via a mobile app, Clements said. "You can give us as much or as little information as you like when you sign up," Clements said. "If you do provide an address, we can send you geo-targeted alerts." The CivicReady system is offered by CivicPlus, which also serves as the city's website host. It will cost the city $8,000 to offer it the first year and $11,000 each subsequent year. While Clements said the website has offered the "basic functionality" of an alert system since 2018, it didn't offer the signup ease and notification delivery options of the new system and only ever built up a "few hundred" users. Several city departments use social media regularly to disseminate information quickly, Clements said, but even that has its limitations. "Not everybody is on social media," he said. "But even if you are ... you may not see an alert that would cause you a detour on your morning commute in enough time to act on it." |
| Project at old Vowell's presses on after Corner Market backs out | |
| Renovations to the old Vowell's Marketplace at 118 Hwy. 12 W. should be complete by year's end, but the developer is actively looking for another anchor business after Corner Market backed out. As of now, Ace Hardware is the only confirmed tenant for the new shopping center, and project contractor Luke Robinson, of Ridgeland-based Codaray Construction, said the store could likely start moving into its 10,000-square-foot space there in January. Roy Oswalt, through his company 44 Properties, purchased the 60,000-square-foot space a few months after Vowell's closed in November 2021, with plans for a shopping center that would facilitate three tenants. The developer announced in May 2022 that Ace and Corner Market, a Mississippi-based grocery chain, would take two of those spaces, and efforts were underway to recruit a third tenant. Some time later, Corner Market backed out, but Oswalt said he couldn't remember exactly when. "We'll (continue) to build it out, and then try and see if I get somebody to go in there," Oswalt said. "... Corner Market just up and left. I have no clue why." With the construction nearing completion, Oswalt said he and his team at 44 Properties are looking for tenants to occupy the remaining 50,000 square feet. "We have nothing set in stone," Oswalt said. "I know we have Ace Hardware coming in, but other than that, it's just an open space. I haven't decided what we are going to put in there." |
| Mississippi-owned Express Care opens Starkville and Tupelo clinics | |
 | Express Care, an urgent care clinic offering multiple locations across the Magnolia State, recently announced the opening of its newest clinics: one in Starkville and one in Tupelo. Owned and operated by Mississippians, Express Care is an urgent care clinic providing care to patients of all ages. In addition to diagnostic care, the clinic offers treatment for all of life's non-emergency situations. This includes access to X-ray technology and laboratory services in-house for fast and reliable results. With additional locations in Booneville, Cleveland and Oxford, group officials said they are "delighted" to share the news regarding opening their doors in more Mississippi communities. "We're thrilled to be in both Starkville and Tupelo," said Director of Operations Greg Gowen. "Our team is committed to offering excellent and efficient service. I'm excited for patients in these communities to experience what we're all about." |
| Season ticket sales open for SCT's 46th production year | |
| Season tickets are now on sale for a season of music, comedy, drama and mystery at Starkville Community Theatre. The upcoming 2023 to 2024 season will be the 46th for SCT. All shows are performed at the Playhouse on Main, located on Main Street in downtown Starkville between Moe's Barbecue and 929 Coffee. "This season truly has something for everyone, from big laughs to heart-tugging drama to music that will fill up your soul and get your toes tapping," said SCT Executive Director Gabe Smith. "Produced by local volunteer artists, with some jaw-dropping local talent involved, SCT programs its seasons and creates its shows with all kinds of audience members in mind, and I think you see that reflected in the year we have coming up." "An SCT season ticket is really one of the hiding-in-plain-sight steals for the cost in the Golden Triangle, giving a viewer year-round entertainment for a very low price, all things considered," Smith said. "Our productions have a reputation for care and quality, and if you've thought about checking out a show in the past but never made the leap, now's the moment." SCT's season of programming is supported in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. |
| Cybersecurity alert issued for Cadence Bank customers after software hack | |
 | If you are one of the thousands of Cadence Bank here in Northeast Mississippi, you may want to look for a letter in the mail with details on a major cybersecurity issue affecting your personal information. Letters from the financial institution were in the mail, and they warned about what the corporation calls a cybersecurity incident affecting a computer file transfer tool called MOVEit from a company called Progress Software. In response to this discovery, Cadence Bank swiftly activated its security measures and initiated an extensive investigation to comprehend the ramifications of this incident and identify the individuals who might be affected. Preliminary findings confirm that some sensitive data was indeed compromised, although the in-depth investigation is still underway. |
| Crawford farmer helps Ukrainian refugee families come to Mississippi | |
 | In between working from sunrise to sundown on his Crawford farm, Rodney Mast aids Ukrainian families seeking refuge in the U.S. Now, some of those families have planted their uprooted lives in Mississippi. Mast has worked with Ukrainian orphans for several years. In 2018, his sister sponsored an orphan over the summer. Mast and his wife, Christine, quickly got involved and in December 2019, they adopted three young boys from Ukraine, adding to their five biological children. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Mast shifted his focus to getting orphans out. "For the first month when the war started in 2022, my whole world was with Ukraine and moving orphans out," Mast said. From February to June 2022, Mast prioritized moving orphans out of Ukraine. Then, he shifted to helping families move out. He described the effort as "grassroots," relying on local families to help the Ukrainian refugees. After what started as a personal effort, Mast quickly became a well-known figure in the effort to help Ukrainian families. Soon, he was getting requests from families in Ukraine looking to move to the U.S. and find host families. Many of those requests come through social media outlets such as Facebook, and communication proceeds form there through social media, as Mast helps the families connect with American host families. "My role has kind of just become fitting the puzzle pieces together," Mast said. |
| Mobile farmers' market a 'blessing' to Mississippi's underserved communities | |
 | A farmer in northeast Mississippi is taking his produce on the road and opening a mobile farmers' market in areas across the state. As farmers often do, Michael Lane takes pride in all of the produce he has on sale. Colorful produce is presented in baskets for customers to buy, and jars of pickles have carefully placed stickers explaining their unique flavors. It's a fully functional and stocked produce stand, but these items are all on display inside of a refurbished school bus. "I just got the bus this year. ... This year I had a little dream," Lane said. "I said, you know, I'm gonna start a mobile market." Lane Farms is in Plantersville, but the mobile market Lane and his wife have created goes all across northeast Mississippi. They visit farmers markets hosted by ACCESS Community Health Clinics, which are all mostly located in rural areas and serve people under a certain income level. ACCESS Director Marilyn Sumerford says Lane is a "blessing" to the communities he visits. "What we're experiencing in Smithville is that the only place people had to buy food was at Dollar General. And when I was in there, I saw they were buying the frozen pizzas, they were buying the hotdogs and the chips and all of those things." she said. "When people drive into that farmers' market and they see that bus parked out there, I mean, it just makes them happy," she said. "They're excited about getting on the bus. And I mean, he truly is a blessing when you think about that. ... [The Lanes] have regular jobs and then they come home and do this." The "regular job" she's referring to is working for a car company, but Lane says his farming work is what truly fulfills him. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves says he'll have 'debates' with challenger Brandon Presley | |
 | Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said he'll have debates -- plural -- with his Democratic challenger Brandon Presley, but those haven't been agreed to or scheduled yet as the clock ticks down to the Nov. 7 election. "Our team is working with their team," Reeves said at a press conference on Thursday. "I have been pretty busy ... I am letting the campaign team work on that. But I am sure we are going to have debates. We have always had debates." Presley has accepted debate invitations from WJTV in Jackson and stations across the state owned by Gray Television. On the campaign stump, he has accused Reeves of "hiding out" and dodging debates. "He doesn't want to debate," Presley said last week. "... He won't even show up in his own TV commercials to talk to the people of Mississippi. So, I highly doubt he's going to have the guts to stand toe-to-toe with me in a debate. His ads that he's running are bald-faced lies, and he doesn't have the guts to stand on a stage and look me in the face and say these lies and so he won't agree to any debates." Reeves' count on Thursday portends any debates would be spicy, should they come to fruition. "I'll be honest with you, I look forward to getting on the stage with that individual, who seems to have a really hard time telling the truth," Reeves said. |
| MHA parts ways with President & CEO Moore | |
| The Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA) has not only lost significant membership this year, but its Board of Governors is now looking for a new President and CEO. On Friday, it was made known that MHA had parted ways with longtime President and CEO Tim Moore. The decision had been forthcoming for some time. "I have really enjoyed my time at MHA and tried to represent the hospitals across the state, and I'm sure, in the future, I'll find a way to continue to do that," Moore told Magnolia Tribune. As for what led to the decision by the MHA Board, Moore said that would have to come from chairman Lee McCall, the CEO at Neshoba General Hospital. Calls to McCall were not immediately returned. The Mississippi Hospital Association has been under scrutiny since it was first made known in a series of Magnolia Tribune articles that key hospital systems across the state were leaving the organization over what was described as a loss of confidence in the MHA leadership. The University of Mississippi Medical Center made their exit first. In a letter noticing MHA of its termination of membership, Vice Chancellor LouAnne Woodward and Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs Alan Jones noted the decision came "due to recurring behavior including insufficient transparency around decision making, a misaligned strategic vision and lack of effective communication." Within days, George Regional, Memorial in Gulfport, and Singing River Health System followed suit, leaving MHA for similarly stated reasons as voiced by UMMC leadership. |
| Longtime head of Mississippi Hospital Association let go by board | |
| As Gov. Tate Reeves announced his plan to save Mississippi's rural hospitals, the state hospital association's longtime leader prepared for his last day at the organization. Tim Moore, who's led the Mississippi Hospital Association for a decade, confirmed to Mississippi Today that the board fired him. His last day in his current position is today. He will stay on in another capacity to help with the transition until Nov. 30. "The board made a decision to execute a unilateral separation that's in my employment contract," Moore said when reached by phone. He declined to say when the decision was made but said he has known about it "for some time." The decision comes months after a handful of hospitals cut ties with the Mississippi Hospital Association following a $250,000 donation from the group's political action committee to Reeves' opponent in the gubernatorial race, Democrat Brandon Presley. It was the PAC's largest donation in history. Moore, who led both the organization and its PAC, was criticized harshly in the weeks that followed the decision, though he maintained he was acting out the wishes of the association and its directors. The hospitals that left the organization included the state's largest public hospital, the University of Mississippi Medical Center. UMMC's leaders, Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and medical school dean, and Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs, stood at the governor's right hand as he announced his plan at a press conference Thursday, along with almost all of the leaders of the hospitals that previously left the association. |
| In Mississippi, a Win for Jackson Residents Battling State Control | |
 | When Mississippi's mostly white and Republican-controlled State Legislature voted last spring to add a state-run police force and court system atop the existing ones in the state's mostly Black, Democratic-run capital, Jackson, some residents went to court to fight what they called an assault on their right to self-government. Now the State Supreme Court has handed them a small victory, ruling unanimously that the Legislature had no authority to add four state-appointed judges to the locally elected Circuit Court that handles most of the city's court cases. In its ruling, the court said the State Constitution requires that circuit court judges be elected in all but extraordinary circumstances, such as the replacement of a judge who is disabled or disqualified. The legislation cited "nothing special or unique" that justified adding unelected judges to the court, the ruling stated. Cliff Johnson, who directs the MacArthur Justice Center at the University of Mississippi and who argued the case before the State Supreme Court, said the ruling closed an avenue that the Legislature could have used to place judges in other predominantly Black cities in the state. But beyond that, he said, it restored a measure of local control to "an 83 percent Black city that has four Black circuit judges elected by local folks." "The fact that they were able to beat this back and get a victory in the context of this effort to control Jackson means an awful lot," he said. |
| Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residents | |
 | Medicaid, the federal and state health insurance program for the poor, requires states to provide dental coverage for children but not adults. But with a growing recognition of the economic and health costs of poor dental health and an influx of federal pandemic dollars, six states began or expanded their Medicaid programs this year to provide coverage for adults. Access remains difficult in many of those states with some dentists refusing to treat Medicaid patients. Even those who want to expand their practice are finding themselves caught up in red tape. Dr. Victor Wu, the chief medical officer for Tennessee's Medicaid program, said he was pleased with the rollout of Medicaid dental benefits that started in January, but he acknowledges the state needs to build out its network and increase the participation rate among dentists. While dental care often is seen as routine, the poor often go without any care for years or even decades. Doing so has significant costs, both to taxpayers and to those who cannot afford treatment. One study from Texas A&M University found that treatment for preventable dental conditions represents up to 2.5% of emergency room visits, at a cost of $2 billion a year. An additional $45 billion is lost year in productivity in the United States annually from untreated oral disease, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hawaii, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Maryland and New Hampshire were the latest to begin or expand their dental coverage; they did so this year. |
| White House faces questions over Biden repeating story at fundraiser | |
 | The White House on Friday sought to explain why President Biden repeated the same story to donors within a matter of minutes at a recent fundraiser, saying he was simply making clear to the crowd why he decided to run for the White House in 2019. Two reporters asked press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a briefing about the episode during a New York City fundraiser Wednesday, when Biden explained multiple times how the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, and then-President Trump's response to it, spurred him to run for president. "The president was making very clear why he decided to run in 2019. He made it very clear as to what he saw in this country and what was going on," Jean-Pierre said when asked about the repetition by Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy. A transcript of the fundraiser released by the White House showed Biden telling donors about the 2017 Charlottesville rally and how Trump's comments that there were "very fine people" on both sides after white nationalists clashed with counter-protesters inspired his bid for the White House. After Biden concluded that anecdote, the transcript shows him immediately talking again about the Charlottesville rally and Trump's response to it. Some conservatives seized on Biden's retelling of the story as further evidence that his age is a concern and that he is not mentally sharp enough for the job. Polling has repeatedly shown that Biden's age is a concern for a majority of voters as he seeks reelection. Biden is 80 and would be 86 at the end of a second term. |
| Anti-vaxxers are now a modern political force | |
 | For years, groups at the vanguard of the anti-vaccine movement had been operating with relatively small budgets and only a handful of staff. Now, they're awash in cash. The Covid-19 pandemic has produced a remarkable financial windfall for anti-vaccine nonprofits. Revenue more than doubled for the Informed Consent Action Network and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Children's Health Defense in 2021 compared to the year prior, according to a POLITICO analysis of tax filings. The nonprofits that survived on operating budgets of around a few million dollars just a few years prior are now raking in more than $10 million each. "Covid vaccines have been the foot in the door for the more general anti-vaccine movement. And unfortunately, that door is open pretty wide now," said Dr. Dave Gorski, a Michigan-based oncologist who has been tracking anti-vaccine efforts for two decades. The funding spike reflects a sea change for once-fringe entities. The anti-vaccine movement has now emerged as a modern political force. Though these groups have been trying to roll back vaccine requirements for years, the movement has gained new traction in a post-pandemic world. Earlier this year, a lawsuit funded by the anti-vaccine group Informed Consent Action Network forced Mississippi to allow religious exemptions for mandatory childhood vaccinations for the first time in more than four decades. That case, perhaps the greatest policy achievement for the movement to loosen vaccine requirements in schools or workplaces, alarmed public health experts. Depressed vaccination rates have led to more deaths from Covid-19, and have the potential to enable the return of potentially fatal childhood diseases such as measles. |
| Ideological rifts among U.S. bishops are in the spotlight ahead of momentous Vatican meeting | |
| Early next month, the Vatican will open an unprecedented gathering of Catholic clergy and laypeople from around the world. The synod is intended to be a collegial, collaborative event, though the agenda includes divisive issues such as the role of women in the church and the inclusion of LGBTQ Catholics. If there's Exhibit A for how elusive consensus might be, it's the United States' participation. In effect, there are two high-level U.S. delegations widely viewed as ideological rivals -- six clerics appointed by Pope Francis who support his aspirations for a more inclusive, welcoming church; five clerics chosen by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops who reflect a more conservative outlook and more skepticism of Francis' priorities. Natalia Imperatori-Lee, a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College in New York, worries that the synod, which starts Oct. 4, might widen rifts among U.S. Catholics rather than narrow them. "The polarization of the country has infiltrated the church in such a way that I worry we can't see our way out of it," she said. "The synod is supposed to be about listening, and humility, and willingness to change, but that's not what clergy are trained to do," she added. "There's this unwillingness among much of the clergy to be taught anything, and that's going to be a real problem." Francis himself recently evoked the resistance he faces among some conservative Catholic leaders in the U.S. At a meeting in August with Jesuit priests in Portugal, he assailed the "backwardness" of some of those conservatives, saying they have replaced faith with ideology. |
| Auditor says no support so far for his college redesign plan | |
| Buoyed by a series of tweets from State Auditor Shad White belittling certain liberal arts degrees as "garbage," "useless" and "indoctrination factories," a recent report from his office calls for Mississippi to change how it funds higher education by stripping public money from programs that don't support the state's economy in favor of those that do. But in an interview Friday afternoon, two days after the report was released, White said he could not think of any lawmakers who had reached out to him about setting up a committee -- the report's central recommendation -- to study revamping higher education funding in Mississippi. "I'm wracking my brain," he said. "Not a ton (have reached out) because it's just been out for two or three days." Toren Ballard, an education policy analyst at Mississippi First, said it's important to understand that taxpayers are not really footing the bill for the state's universities. As state funding for higher education has plummeted since 2000, the cost of tuition has ballooned, putting the onus on Mississippians to pay for college, leading them to choose career paths that help them afford it, Ballard said. "I think we're not giving enough credit to individual student decision making here," Ballard said. Al Rankins, the IHL commissioner, seemed to agree. In a statement, he said it would "appear more productive" to address Mississippi's brain drain by creating more career opportunities. "University students are adults who choose their majors based on their interests and career aspirations," he said. "After graduating some choose to pursue opportunities in other states for a myriad of reasons outside of the control of our universities." |
| UM opens new courts and offers classes featuring fast-growing recreational sport | |
| The University of Mississippi is serving up one of the country's fastest-growing sports to students by building several pickleball courts and incorporating the sport into the recreation curriculum. The university replaced three tennis courts behind the Turner Center with eight new pickleball courts. Ole Miss students, faculty and staff are already taking advantage of the additions. Students have formed a pickleball club and reserved the courts for tournaments, said Jason Shirkey, associate director of campus recreation. "You're seeing traffic pick up now, and as we get the word out there and information starts being passed on campus, it will take off, more people will start playing and it will start getting crowded," Shirkey said. "The athletes are playing; the soccer team plays, some of the baseball guys are playing. It's a pretty popular sports even with our athletes on campus." Interest in the sport -- described as a cross between tennis, table tennis and badminton -- has grown rapidly. Pickleball participation has increased by more than 158% nationwide since 2021, according to the Sports and Industry Fitness Association. The sport's accessibility is one of the main factors in the sudden surge of interest, said Allison Ford-Wade, interim chair of the Department of Health, Exercise Science and Recreation Management. "It's fairly easy for people of all skill levels to pick it up," she said. "It's really fun to play." The project cost about $61,000, with $40,000 coming from the Chancellor's Office and $21,000 from the Department of Campus Recreation, he said. |
| Mississippi pharmacies fall short in providing opioid-reversal drug, study shows | |
| Almost half of Mississippi pharmacists are not readily storing and selling naloxone, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Mississippi. More than 40% of Mississippi pharmacies do not carry naloxone, despite a 2017 standing order from the state that allows pharmacists to dispense naloxone with or without a prescription at a patient's request. This is the first study since the passage of the order to investigate the accessibility of naloxone, commonly known as Narcan -- a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Emily Gravlee, a fourth-year University of Mississippi doctoral student in pharmacy administration and creator of the study for her master's thesis, said it's important to have naloxone available at community pharmacies because they are access points for many people. "If we don't have naloxone available at community pharmacies, then that could potentially represent a missed opportunity for a patient to receive a life-saving medication," Gravlee told Mississippi Today. Sujith Ramachandran, associate professor of the Department of Pharmacy Administration at the University of Mississippi and one of the paper's coauthors, said there could be multiple reasons that independent pharmacies fall short among community pharmacies. Standardized corporate policies may be in place throughout chain pharmacies to stock and dispense naloxone, while independent pharmacies' policies vary from business to business. |
| Board Search Committee to meet next Thursday regarding search for next JSU president | |
| The Board Search Committee will meet on Thursday, September 28, 2023, beginning at 10 a.m. for the purpose of discussing personnel issues concerning the search for the next president of Jackson State University. Members of the Committee may participate in the meeting via teleconference or online meeting platform. Members of the public and media may attend the meeting in the IHL Board Room, located in the Universities Center, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, Miss. 39211. An Executive Session may be held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. The Board Search Committee will recess its meeting on Thursday and will then reconvene and continue its discussions on Friday, September 29, 2023, beginning at 8:30 a.m. |
| William Carey's Rural Health Summit offers insight to improved medical care in rural areas | |
 | With more and more medical facilities struggling to stay afloat in rural areas, William Carey University's College of Osteopathic Medicine is doing what it can to find solutions. This week, the university held its third Rural Health Summit to bring awareness not only to the issues surrounding the lack of medical care in rural areas but also to inspire its students and community leaders to help change the narrative. Many hospitals in the state's rural communities are struggling to stay afloat. Some have had to cut services and others are considering closing their doors, not just from the lack of revenue but because fewer doctors are willing to work in rural areas. One of the ways WCU is leading the charge is by sending its third- and fourth-year students to rural areas for the second half of their medical training. "One of the things we're looking at is being a pipeline to these hospitals," said Dr. Italo Subbarao, dean of WCU's College of Osteopathic Medicine. Another measure that has been successful is recruiting medical students from the areas that are in need, since they have a stronger connection with those areas and are more likely to stay. |
| Belhaven University completes 5-story parking garage | |
| A $12 million parking garage was just completed on the Belhaven University campus in Jackson. The new five-story parking complex is now open, solving the university's parking challenges and providing ample parking spaces. The garage was constructed over the existing parking lot between Heidelberg Gymnasium and the Dr. Billy Kim International Center. Access is from the two university entrances off Peachtree Street, with one entrance putting drivers at the lowest level of the garage and the other higher in the garage. Parking has long been a challenge at Belhaven University due to steady growth in enrollment over the years. Belhaven University President Dr. Roger Parrott calls the garage "a game-changer" for the campus. "It makes the best use of our land," he said. "We can't take up all the limited space with parking. It gives us enough capacity to assure that we could eventually build another residence hall and classroom building in the future." The garage's exterior, constructed with brick, blends with the existing buildings on campus. Its design incorporates two below-ground stories, minimizing its visual impact from Peachtree Street. The completion of the parking garage was made possible by the generous support of an anonymous donor who gave $12 million for the project. "I've been a university president for 33 years, and I never expected anyone to give money for a parking garage," Parrott said. "It's pretty remarkable." |
| Alabama's four-year public universities continue enrollment boosts, bucking trends and perceptions | |
 | Is a college education worth the costs, time, and debt at a time when jobs are aplenty? It's a question being asked by parents and students nationwide, as four-year universities and smaller colleges struggle to boost enrollment. Media reports highlight the anguish of student loan debt, and politicians -- particularly Republicans -- have grown skeptical over the future of a college education. A Wall Street Journal-NORC poll in March showed there was a 20% decline since 2013 in Americans who had faith in the value of a four-year degree. But given the difficult atmosphere for colleges since the pandemic, Alabama's institutions seem to be bucking a trend – or at least a general perception that college education is trending downward. Overall, nationally, higher education enrollments might be stabilizing somewhat after the pandemic, according to the most recent statistics provided last spring by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. In spring 2023, there was a national 0.5% year-over-year enrollment loss, compared to a 3.1% drop in the spring 2022 over the prior year. According to preliminary enrollment data in Alabama, only three of the state's 14 public, four-year universities experienced a downturn in annual enrollment between 2022-2023. But two of those three schools -- the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama at Huntsville – experienced explosive growth over the past decade. Enrollment numbers included both undergraduate and graduate students. A few of the state's largest universities are also touting record-breaking statistics. |
| Food Network chef to host cooking class at Auburn University | |
 | An Auburn University grad and Food Network chef will return to the Plains on Oct. 23 to host a cooking class at the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center. Chef Justin Robinson will host his Rockstar Culinary Class at Auburn University. There will 16 spots for spectators to learn from the AU grad that has appeared on the Food Network's Chopped, Iron Chef Showdown, Fox's MasterChef and Ciao House. "If you ever love to cook or want to learn how to cook but didn't have the means to go to culinary school, this is a great class to attend," said Robinson, who hosted a similar class in May. " He said guests will have a chance to get their hands dirty. "We really learn the ins-and-outs of prep work. We learned the basics of flavor profile. We learn how to elevate such a basic dish to make it something that you and your family will enjoy especially with the holiday season coming up," he said. The class is part of a contract Robinson has with AU to work as a guest-lecturer and host these classes for the city. This one will go through taking apart a chicken and turning it into three unique dishes. There is currently no place for interested customers to register, but the School of Hospitality Management events tab will have updates. |
| Anti-religion group threatens to 'warn' Auburn University after 200 kids baptized on campus: 'Absolute joke' | |
 | An anti-religion group attempting to throw cold water on an Alabama university after the school's football coach was filmed assisting with the baptism of a student has a "twisted interpretation of the First Amendment," a legal expert says. On Friday, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to Auburn University President Christopher Roberts warning that more than 200 student baptisms, one of which was assisted by Auburn Tigers head football coach Hugh Freeze, somehow violated the Constitution's Establishment Clause. "These ongoing and repeated constitutional violations at the University create a coercive environment that excludes those students who don't subscribe to the Christian views being pushed onto players by their coaches," it states. But Tyson Langhofer, senior counsel and director of the Center for Academic Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom, is calling FFRF's letter a "twisted interpretation of the First Amendment." "Freedom From Religion Foundation's twisted interpretation of the First Amendment has the potential to crush both students' and their coaches' essential right to live out their faith," Langhofer told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Public universities are supposed to be the marketplace of ideas and have an obligation to protect and promote free speech and free exercise of religion," Langhofer stated. The baptisms took place Tuesday night in a lake at Auburn's Red Barn venue, which is located about a half mile from Auburn University's Neville Arena, where a "Unite Auburn" worship event drew a massive crowd. |
| UT adds two off-campus housing units for fall 2023 | |
| The University of Tennessee added 337 beds to its housing inventory as the 2023 school year started. In May, UT announced a master lease agreement for the 2023-24 academic year with Lakemoor Station Apartments and Quarry Trail. UT recognized the increase in demand for housing as enrollment rose each year. Lakemoor Station has 192 furnished bedrooms in one, two and three-bedroom units for students. University Housing has seen an influx of students seeking to stay on campus longer, which correlates with the increase in housing demand. According to a press release by UT, the master lease and buildings will meet UT's short and long-term housing needs. According to Richard Swearingen, the director of administrative services with University Housing, all students who requested placement through University Housing this semester received a room. "We are aware of the impact the housing market has on our students and the need for affordable housing options in a high-demand housing market," Swearingen said. "The university continues to support students' housing needs on and off campus through housing fairs, educational programming and an off-campus housing website, which has postings from off-campus properties." Additional units under construction are expected to become available for student living in January 2024. The extra beds will serve upper-division students admitted for the spring semester and those who request a room change while staying in UT housing. |
| The taxpayer? The state?: UVa Board of Visitors debates who it actually serves | |
| At the University of Virginia Board of Visitors' first meeting of the academic year earlier this month, members got an education on how a high-functioning board operates. But not everyone agreed with the lesson. Clayton S. Rose, who previously served as president of Bowdoin College from 2015 to 2023 and is now a professor at Harvard Business School, led the conversation. He was clear on one point: Board members should "serve the university's interests" -- that is, not personal interests. "Boards are a single unit, not a collection of free agents with a particular agenda in mind. They focus on the university's interest," he told the board. Board members should be "cheerleaders," he said, protecting the reputation of the institution they serve. His point elicited some strong criticism from two board members, both appointed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Doug Wetmore, appointed last year, and Paul Harris, who just took his seat on the board this summer, argued that, while it might be true that trustees of private colleges -- which Rose is familiar with -- serve the university, UVa is different. UVa is a state institution. In the school's own "Statement of Visitor Responsibilities" it makes it clear: "Visitors support the University's broader public mission and promote the values of a public university, including serving as conduits for conveying the interests of citizens and political leaders of the Commonwealth to the University." While the board's members should naturally serve the school itself, they also owe an obligation to Virginia taxpayers and residents, Harris and Wetmore said. |
| AI meets med school in new dual-degree program | |
 | Beyond the bustle of med school classes and socializing, Aaron Fanous spent his free time reading up on artificial intelligence and computer science. Balancing it all was an undertaking, but in addition to medicine, he's always had an interest in technology. "I saw how influential software was in the medical world, and a lot of context was missing from it," Fanous said. "The reality is, technology will come into medicine -- it will be in most fields -- and knowing what can be done with it will open so many doors to improve the entire system as a whole. That's too big to ignore." Fanous is one of the first students enrolled in the University of Texas at San Antonio's new dual-degree medical program, which launched last week. It is among the first in the nation to combine artificial intelligence with medicine. The program comes as many universities are pouring money into AI, with some spending millions on initiatives to equip students with what many believe will be critical skills for the future. Interest in AI's impact on medicine has ramped up recently, with researchers citing potential benefits in treating, diagnosing and caring for patients. "There has been a lot of conversation everywhere about AI and, in particular, the large language model," said Dr. Alison Whelan, chief academic officer at the Association of American Medical Colleges. |
| She got famous on YouTube. Now it helps fund her research in quantum gravity | |
 | The dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic helped transform Sabine Hossenfelder into an unlikely social media star. In the process, she has raised a few eyebrows among her fellow scientists. She's also made an important discovery that just might bode well for her future research. Hossenfelder turned to YouTube "to keep my sanity" when she was unable to go to her office at Germany's Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies. Actually, you might say she returned. She'd started a channel in 2007 but just hadn't been very active. Then came a rebranding -- Science without the gobbledygook. Today, she has 1 million subscribers (up from 50,000) and also enjoys a strong and growing contingent of Patreon supporters. Several times a month, the theoretical physicist and mathematician drops a new video, dispensing her dry wit and pithy wisdom to a loyal fan base of nerds across the internet. She takes her role as a science communicator seriously, aiming her videos at an audience seeking context. "People can go to my channel and get the brief, 20-minute summary," Hossenfelder says. "They don't have to read a whole book or download a review article, which they won't understand anyway." Her channel stakes out the no-man's land between gee-whiz science and the heavyweight journals. From her experience as a freelance writer, Hossenfelder says she "knew full-well that there were stories you just can't get by an editor, not because they're wrong, but because they have no timely hook." She aims to fill that gap. It all comes packaged with a spoonful of humor to help the science go down. |
| The Band of Debunkers Busting Bad Scientists | |
 | An award-winning Harvard Business School professor and researcher spent years exploring the reasons people lie and cheat. A trio of behavioral scientists examining a handful of her academic papers concluded her own findings were drawn from falsified data. It was a routine takedown for the three scientists -- Joe Simmons, Leif Nelson and Uri Simonsohn -- who have gained academic renown for debunking published studies built on faulty or fraudulent data. They use tips, number crunching and gut instincts to uncover deception. Over the past decade, they have come to their own finding: Numbers don't lie but people do. "Once you see the pattern across many different papers, it becomes like a one in quadrillion chance that there's some benign explanation," said Simmons, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the trio who report their work on a blog called Data Colada. Simmons and his two colleagues are among a growing number of scientists in various fields around the world who moonlight as data detectives, sifting through studies published in scholarly journals for evidence of fraud. At least 5,500 faulty papers were retracted in 2022, compared with 119 in 2002, according to Retraction Watch, a website that keeps a tally. The jump largely reflects the investigative work of the Data Colada scientists and many other academic volunteers, said Dr. Ivan Oransky, the site's co-founder. Their discoveries have led to embarrassing retractions, upended careers and retaliatory lawsuits. The hunt for misleading studies is more than academic. Flawed social-science research can lead to faulty corporate decisions about consumer behavior or misguided government rules and policies. Errant medical research risks harm to patients. Researchers in all fields can waste years and millions of dollars in grants trying to advance what turn out to be fraudulent findings. |
| White wants government to dictate majors to IHL students | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: State Auditor Shad White is playing IHL tzar again. Now he foolishly wants the government to tell university students what they can and cannot major in. "It's time to stop investing in college degrees that aren't worth anything and put our money into degrees that can supercharge Mississippi's economy," he tweeted on Sept. 12. Wow! The self-anointed tzar is for big-brother government taking away students' freedom to choose their majors. He would force them into select majors by eliminating state funding for "useless degrees" in "garbage fields," he said in a follow-up report last week. Well, it's not like the state is the big source of funds for those majors. Indeed, students (and their parents) pay more of those costs than the state does. ... Getting rid of attractive majors would more likely run off students instead of shifting them to the auditor's chosen majors. No, we don't need a big-brother state government dictating majors to students. If we want more students to choose certain majors, the state should consider incentives instead of dictates. Meanwhile, the auditor should leave IHL business to the trustees constitutionally charged to operate our universities and to the professionals who run them on a daily basis. |
| Mississippi Medical Association has not always been out front on state's health care issues | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: This year the [Mississippi] Medical Association -- or at least its political action committee -- has endorsed Tate Reeves for governor. Reeves, like Barbour in the early 2000s, is blocking a proposal that many other health care groups argue would help improve health care in the state. Reeves has adamantly rejected pleas from numerous groups to expand Medicaid with the federal government paying at least 90% of the costs to provide health care to primarily the working poor. Heck, while not uttering the words Medicaid expansion, even the aforementioned Mississippi Medical Association has voiced support for expanding Medicaid. ... When asked if the endorsement of Reeves meant the Medical Association was giving up on Medicaid expansion, Dr. James Rish, chair of the Medical Association's political action committee, replied via email: "We look forward to further discussion and engagement with Gov. Reeves to address the many healthcare challenges in our state, including improving accessibility, affordability, and the overall statewide healthcare delivery system for all Mississippians." If history is an indicator, one thing is for sure: members of the Medical Association will be sitting front and center when and if Medicaid is ever expanded, just as they were when the cigarette tax was finally increased. |
SPORTS
| Some MSU athletes meet up with students from ACCESS program | |
| Some Mississippi State athletes are getting acquainted with fellow students they may not see in class. Members of the men's tennis teams hung out at the courts with students from the university's "ACCESS" program. "ACCESS" provides the full college experience to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program focuses on four main components: academics, career development, independent living, and socialization. Leaders in the athletic department want athletes to learn valuable lessons from the experience. "As you are growing and going through Mississippi State we give back because people give to us they are coming to our games. They are supporting us. We have to support things and initiatives at our university and this will help the students from the 'ACCESS' program. Maybe learn how to possibly do a little extra things on campus and get to know our student-athletes," said Ann Carr, Executive Director of Student-Athlete Experiences. "ACCESS" students will spend some time with members of the softball team next Friday. |
| Bulldogs Sweep Alabama In SEC Home Opener | |
| Mississippi State's volleyball team earned a nice and tidy sweep of Alabama [25-16, 25-20, 25-21] in front of a raucous 752 fans on Friday evening at the Newell-Grissom Building. "Our fans and our family are the best in the country, and I cannot thank them enough for creating this atmosphere," head coach Julie Darty Dennis said. "It is electric as ever and gives us this edge when we play at home. It's such a special place to play, and it means so much when we're at home." Karli Schmidt and Sophie Agee led the Maroon and White with 10 kills each. Schmidt has pumped home double-digit kills in nine of her last 12 outings. Schmidt also added three blocks on the evening. On top of Agee's 10 kills, she collected 12 digs for her third double-double of the season while adding two aces. As a team, Mississippi State complied 40 kills on a .243 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs limited Alabama to 32 kills on a .145 attach mark. |
| Rattler keeps hot hand, leads South Carolina over Mississippi State 37-30 | |
| Spencer Rattler went 18-of-20 passing for 288 yards and three touchdowns to lead South Carolina to a 37-30 win over Mississippi State on Saturday night. Rattler's favorite target, Xavier Legette, caught five passes for 189 yards, including touchdowns of 76 and 75 yards for the Gamecocks (2-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference). South Carolina didn't lean on Rattler entirely. "We knew the plays would be there. But we needed to get the run game going," coach Shane Beamer said. And they ran they ball 47 times for 144 yards, a modest total, but nearly triple the 53 yards they averaged in the first three games. But when South Carolina needed something, they turned to Rattler, the Oklahoma transfer who in his past seven games has finally shown why he was once one of the Sooners' most highly touted recruits. After three weeks of pounding the ball on the ground with inconsistent results, Mississippi State (2-2, 0-2) returned to the kind of Air Raid passing attack the Bulldogs used under coach Mike Leach, who died in December. Will Rogers threw for a career best 487 yards on 30-of-48 passing with a touchdown and an interception. Lideatrick Griffin set a school record with 256 yards receiving on seven catches, including a 65-yard touchdown. It was an encouraging outing after a 41-14 loss last week to LSU and Rogers said the Bulldogs can build on it. "It starts with practice. You find out a lot about a person when things don't go right," Rogers said. "I practiced as hard as I ever practiced. Keep working on it." The Bulldogs host No. 13 Alabama Saturday night. |
| Bulldogs rally behind Rogers, Griffin, but can't hold off Gamecocks | |
| A week after Will Rogers turned in arguably the worst performance of his lengthy Mississippi State tenure, the senior quarterback was in top form Saturday night, throwing for a career-high 487 yards. Senior receiver Lideatrick "Tulu" Griffin was responsible for more than half of that total, setting a single-game school record with 256 receiving yards on just seven catches. But despite those historic showings, MSU's defense had few answers for a balanced South Carolina offensive attack and the Bulldogs fell 37-30 in front of a lively crowd of more than 78,000 at Williams-Brice Stadium. "They converted touchdowns in the red zone," MSU head coach Zach Arnett said. "We knew we were going to give up some yards and maybe play a little more conservative to protect against some of the deep ones from their really good receiving corps. Obviously we gave up a few deep ones, and so we had to play a little bit more bend-don't-break. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out." ... "I'm really proud of the competitive spirit and fight they showed," Arnett said. "They very easily could have put their heads down and quit, and it wouldn't have been much of a football game. They ought to be able to draw confidence from the way they moved the ball and hit a lot of explosive plays. Unfortunately we gave up too many explosive plays, too." |
| Mississippi State football's Kevin Barbay fulfilled promises, including Tulu Griffin, Mike Wright | |
| In Mississippi State football's 37-30 loss at South Carolina on Saturday, those who have listened to first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay throughout the offseason saw promises fulfilled. Barbay has stressed since he was hired in January needing to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers -- specifically wide receiver Lideatrick "Tulu" Griffin. Doing so was an obvious necessity, according to coach Zach Arnett. "I would assume a guy who is the first team All-American kick returner, who takes all of them back in a bunch of different ways as a kick returner, probably can hit the same seams on offense," Arnett said. "We play to our strengths. We find a way to get the ball in our most explosive guys' hands. He's one of the most explosive guys with the ball in his hands in the country. We try to get it to him in a bunch of different ways. All offenses do that with their personnel." Griffin caught seven passes for a single-game program record 256 yards. One of his receptions was a 65-yard score. He also had a nine-yard run. Through four games, Griffin has caught 20 catches for 388 yards and three touchdowns. He's already halfway to his mark of 40 catches in 13 games last season and is on pace to surpass his 502 receiving yards. |
| NCAA, conferences could be forced into major NIL change as lawsuit granted class-action status | |
 | A federal district judge on Friday granted class-action status to the portion of an anti-trust lawsuit against the NCAA and the nation's top college conferences that challenges the association's remaining rules regarding athletes' ability to make money from their names, images and likenesses. Based on the lawsuit's allegations, an injunction against the NCAA's remaining rules regarding athletes' ability to make money from their names, images and likenesses (NIL) could create the possibility of athletes being able to get NIL money from their schools for any reason. "We're now poised to get the rules stricken that prevent conferences and schools from making NIL payments," said Steve Berman, one of the lead attorneys for the plaintiffs. "That's going to be huge for these athletes." Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the case also a seeking class-action status for a damages claim that, according to filings by the NCAA, could be worth more than $1.4 billion. Friday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken expressly does not address that issue, with Wilken writing that she resolve that matter in a separate order. Wilken is the judge who previously oversaw the O'Bannon and Alston cases that resulted in findings of antitrust violations by the NCAA. If class-action status is granted to all of the groups of athletes that the plaintiffs are seeking to have covered under the damages portion of this case, and the plaintiffs then win at trial, antitrust law calls for the monetary award to be tripled. Friday's ruling was not a surprise. In its written filings in the case, the NCAA had not contested the plaintiffs' request for an injunction that would change the association's rules. And during a hearing Thursday on all class-certification matters, a lead attorney for the NCAA, Rakesh Kilaru specifically said the association and the conferences were not contesting this issue. |
| Colleges getting cozy with NIL collectives worries Title IX activists | |
| When Texas A&M's 12th Man Foundation announced in February that it had launched the 12th Man+ Fund -- a trailblazing idea in the NIL space to bring its collective under the umbrella of a booster program -- the university knew Title IX would have to be a priority. But a university strengthening ties with a collective --- one that primarily raises money to benefit the football team -- raises questions about who will ensure female athletes are promoted and paid equally. "I always thought there was going to be a movement and an evolution of this where institutions were more involved," Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. "The moment that happens, that's where you would trigger Title IX oversight." Two memos halted the movement. A&M discontinued the fund's NIL arm after six months, citing a memo from the IRS that said donations to collectives are not tax exempt. A memo from the NCAA said the fund violated rules against compensating athletes. Other universities have indicated a desire to pursue closer relationships with their NIL collectives, an effort Bjork said he thought would help ensure equal opportunities for female athletes. But some experts say the unofficial relationship between schools and collectives already leads to violations of Title IX, a law that prohibits discrimination on the bases of sex in educational programs receiving federal funding. "Given the way collectives are currently operating, if they continue to operate like that when they get inside, and they're raising more money for football athletes than for other athletes, particularly in female sports, that's going to be a Title IX issue," said Kristi Dosh, a writer, speaker, sports business analyst and attorney. |
| SEC commissioner Greg Sankey says no movement yet on football scheduling for 2024, beyond | |
 | Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey said Saturday that league and ESPN representatives met last week to discuss when SEC games would be played during the 2024 season. But Sankey, who attended the LSU-Arkansas game, said there is no timetable for deciding when game dates will be announced, nor have plans been advanced for a football scheduling format beyond next season. At the SEC spring meeting in May, the 14 current member schools were unable to agree on a long-term scheduling format to accommodate the addition of Texas and Oklahoma in 2024. The SEC decided to stay with an eight-game schedule but without divisions. In June, the SEC announced each school's opponents. LSU's home games will be Alabama, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, which will play at Tiger Stadium for the first time. The Tigers will play at Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina and Texas A&M. "Are the games changing?" Sankey asked. "Yes. How much will they change? There are a variety of ways we can schedule over time. There are a lot of pieces to work on." |
| Misery Index message for Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin: Maybe troll less, coach more | |
| Lane Kiffin has been a college coach for 134 games. When's the last one that left you saying, "Man, that's an incredible win. I don't know how he pulled that one off?" Here's the answer: At the end of the 2011 season, when Kiffin was coaching Southern California, he took a team in the middle of a postseason ban and won on the road at Oregon, which was ranked No. 4 and right in the national championship race. Putting that aside, could you name Kiffin's next-best win by ranking? It was at the end of the 2020 season when Ole Miss beat No. 8 Indiana in the Outback Bowl. Indiana, folks. Indiana. The point of this historical exercise is that there's a pretty large sample size now suggesting that Kiffin -- who wins a solid 65% of his games -- will beat most of the teams he's supposed to beat but basically never delivers the kind of program-changing or even credibility-building victory that most coaches need to get even a fraction of the publicity he does. To be clear, it's hard by definition to beat top-10 teams. It's not something you can expect all the time, especially at a place like Ole Miss that is often middle-of-the-pack in the SEC. But doing it once in awhile would be nice. And Ole Miss is the most miserable fan base in America this week because he's in his fourth year and it hasn't happened yet. |
| How Lane Kiffin sparked an Ole Miss football branding explosion: 'We needed some buzz' | |
| Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter calls it the "Kiffin Factor." It's a concise way to label Lane Kiffin's talent for drawing eyeballs. His sheer quotability, love of social media trolling (sometimes involving music superstar Taylor Swift) and ability to produce one of college football's most exciting offenses just about every season make him a branding superstar. "We needed that at Ole Miss," Carter told The Clarion Ledger this week. Administratively, Ole Miss has invested to turn the spark Kiffin, 48, provided them with into a branding explosion. The Rebels name 17 staff members in their directory with roles related to video or creative content, with an additional four assigned specifically to football. In 2019, Matt Luke's final season as coach, the Ole Miss football media guide listed two such staff members. It's an investment just about every major athletic department across college sports is making. But few are experiencing similar growth to what Ole Miss has generated. According to data shared by SkullSparks, a company that partners with college sports brands to help them recruit talent and build their digital strategies, Ole Miss increased its football following on the three major social media networks -- Facebook, Instagram and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter -- by 14% in 2022. |
| A Saturday inside the ACC's Game Day Operations Center shows the hustle to get rulings on the field right | |
| Al Riveron is gliding. Well, bouncing. No, levitating. All three, really. He's moving -- fast. The mid-afternoon college football slate on Saturday, Sept. 9, is starting. Riveron, the longtime NFL official who was named the ACC's supervisor of football officials in November, is breaking in his new digs inside the league's brand-spanking-new Game Day Operations Center (GDOC). "This is the best game-day operations center in the country," he declares of the 1,216-square-foot facility located on the 12th floor of the Bank of America Tower near Bank of America Stadium in uptown Charlotte and tucked in the heart of the ACC's new headquarters. "And that's no lie." There are monitors everywhere. Twelve screens line either side wall, grouped in clusters of three. The massive front screen itself can show 16 different views at once and be divvied up in varying formats depending what Riveron desires. The ACC had a command center in its old offices in Greensboro, N.C., but that was roughly a quarter the size of the setup league officials now utilize. The Charlotte GDOC also boasts a screen area three times larger than its predecessor -- including the 140-square-foot video board at the front of the room and an additional 64 square feet of displays on the side walls. The job of those inside the center is relatively straightforward. ACC interns from colleges in the area are assigned one game per week and set up at a station along either wall on the right or left side of the room. They chart plays, take note of every flag thrown and call over to Riveron, collaborative replay official Jeff Roberson or replay supervisor Mark Bitar, should a reviewable play take place. (The interns aren't making any determinations on rulings). Overseeing the whole operation is Michael Strickland, the ACC's senior associate commissioner for football. Strickland quips he hasn't spent many fall Saturdays over his 11 years with the league somewhere other than previous iterations of the operations center. |
| NCAA committee recommends removing marijuana from list of banned drugs | |
| An NCAA committee recommended that each of the association's three divisional governance bodies introduce and adopt legislation that would remove cannabinoids -- the chemical substance derived from the cannabis plant -- from the NCAA's list of banned drug classes. The NCAA posted a release Friday stating that the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS), which provides expertise to the association related to athlete health, made the recommendation. Committee members met this week in Indianapolis and also recommended developing a "robust educational strategy to accompany a potential change to cannabinoid legislation." The release also noted that the recommendation was based on "extensive study informed by industry and subject matter experts," including doctors and substance misuse experts, and informed by a December 2022 Summit on Cannabinoids in College Athletics and "the consensus opinion formed that cannabis is not a performance-enhancing drug and that a harm-reduction approach to cannabis is best implemented at the school level." "The recommendation aims to recenter student-athlete health while recognizing membership opinions and the shifting cultural and legal landscapes surrounding cannabinoids," the release stated. Additionally, it noted that removing cannabinoids from the list of banned substances "acknowledges the ineffectiveness of existing policy" and "affirms the role of the NCAA drug-testing program to address only performance-enhancing substances." |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
