| Thursday, November 2, 2023 |
| Luckyday Foundation announces $4 million for MSU's new Azalea Hall complex | |
 | A $4 million gift from the Luckyday Foundation of Jackson announced Nov. 1 will benefit the construction of Mississippi State University's new 412-bed residence hall complex. This gift will also continue the philanthropic legacy of Frank Rogers Day. Funds specifically are for the creation of the Luckyday Tower, a living and learning community for MSU's Luckyday freshman Scholars in the 159,000-square-foot Azalea Hall, a $96 million project at the corner of Barr Avenue and George Perry Street set to open in August 2025. The announcement of the multi-million dollar contribution was made during the annual freshman pinning ceremony, which is welcoming the fourth class of students into the program. MSU President Mark E. Keenum said he is thankful for the Luckyday Foundation's investment in both Azalea Hall and the student scholars. "This gift will create a new home for the Luckyday program here at MSU, and I could not be more excited about what this means for our Luckyday Scholars. I'm grateful for our exceptional partnership with the Luckyday Foundation and their support of these remarkable students as they learn and grow into the servant leaders our communities will need in the years to come," he said. |
| Mississippi State researchers develop prototype to advance cotton industry | |
 | Cotton has been a part of the Mississippi landscape and economy for most of the state's history, but that doesn't mean that growing and harvesting is stuck in the past. Researchers at Mississippi State are developing a robot to move the crop into the future. The robot is designed to go into a field using AI technology to pick cotton bolls one by one on its own. Assistant Professor Hussein Gharakhani said it will make the harvesting process more consistent, efficient, and accurate. "These robots can play a role because they are selective harvesters. They will pick just the cotton boll and they will not touch the plastic or other contaminants so you will have very clean fiber at the end," Gharakhani said. Gharakhani said that plastic is a big source of contamination in the cotton industry, and using this robot would improve the quality of the product. Xin Zhang, a fellow researcher on the project and assistant professor at MSU, is working to combine existing technology with new innovations to create a compact marketable model. "We're trying to develop an integrated system with a robotic mobile platform which can navigate itself in the field, for example, it can autonomously enter a row and then with the sensing cameras it can do the detection part and see where the cotton boll is and then move along when it finishes one plant," Zhang said. |
| MSU researchers pioneer new method to detect chronic wasting disease | |
| Mississippi State University researchers are pioneering a new way to detect the local presence of chronic wasting disease, a fatal disease threatening the nation's deer populations. Steve Demarais, Taylor chair in applied big game research and instruction in MSU's Forest and Wildlife Research Center, leads a team studying how scrapes left by deer could be a game changer in detecting CWD before noticeable physical symptoms surface. Scrapes are social cues bucks use to alert other deer of their presence, such as chewing an overhanging branch leaving saliva and pawing the ground to expose soil and urinating in the pawed area. Since the state's first case of CWD was reported in 2018, MSU Deer Ecology and Management Laboratory scientists have been at the forefront of CWD research, addressing the needs of wildlife agencies combating this disease. One of the key needs is to know where the disease is located as early as possible. "As bucks chew on overhanging branches and urinate on the scrape, prions -- abnormally formed proteins -- are released if a deer is CWD positive," Demarais said. "Camera traps show us that, on average, every scrape is visited by 12 bucks, each of which may or may not have CWD." |
| Goings on with Grant: Boardtown Pizza and Pints now open for lunch | |
 | When it comes to lunch, it's always been difficult for me to pass on a good slice of pizza, and on the weekends, maybe even a beer to wash it down. That said, Boardtown Pizza and Pints, a local pizza eatery at 705 University Drive in Starkville, opened for lunch starting this past Monday, owner Tyler Klaas said. Klaas told me after just a few months of the restaurant's reopening, he finally gathered enough staff and business to open for lunchtime hours. Restaurant hours are now Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant initially closed in March due to a small electrical fire and reopened in August. "The main reason we didn't do it before was after the fire we lost we lost 80% of our staff," Klaas said. "Getting people rehired and retrained was the biggest need for this, and now we're able to do that. We had a lot of people asking for it." Klaas said he also plans to start opening the restaurant for takeout orders Thursday through Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. so customers who come in for a late-night brew can also have a fresh slice of pizza. "We're going to give it a go this weekend," he said. "I was just thinking that if I'm going to be up here, I might as well see if I can't sell some pizza." |
| Colom ramps up spending as DA election approaches | |
| Donations have slowed for Scott Colom in his bid for a third term as 16th Circuit district attorney, but the incumbent Democrat has ramped up his spending as election day approaches. Between Oct 1 and 29, Colom raised $15,028, according to his most recent campaign finance report, bringing his year-to-date contributions to $127,989. In that same period, he spent $89,564 -- the lion's share of the $101,429.31 he has spent for the entire campaign -- and he has $26,559.69 on hand heading into the Nov. 7 election. Candidates in state and local races must file periodic campaign finance reports and itemize contributions or expenditures of $200 or greater. The most recent reports were due Tuesday. Republican challenger Jase Dalrymple had still not filed a campaign finance report for the period as of Wednesday, according to a spokesperson with the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office. In his most recent report, filed Oct. 12, the Friends of Jase showed almost $33,000 in fundraising and roughly $6,600 in spending. The district attorney serves Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties. Of Colom's contributions this period, $2,111 are non-itemized and $236.12 came from his own pocket. He itemized $12,917 in his most recent report, of which $3,010 came from out-of-state donors. His donations include $5,001 from Rod Colom; $1,000 each from Tannehill Carmean PLLC, McGill and Williams LLC and Kevin Wagner; $700 from Gary Anderson; $500 each Leila Watson, TC Express, Patient Care Medical Devices and Natalie Morgan; $350 from James Parkinson; $335 from Reed Cochran; $325 from Valeena Beety; and $250 each from Emmitt Johnson, Percy Bland, Nicole Clinkscales and Nellah Taylor. |
| Head of PERS assesses condition of the state retirement system | |
 | Video: Ray Higgins, Executive Director of PERS discussed the condition of the Mississippi public retirement system before the Stennis Capitol Press Forum at Hal & Mal's in downtown Jackson. Higgins acknowledged that PERS has a massive unfunded liability problem but said that many other states are in the same situation. Higgins' detailed talk provides a huge amount of insight on the details of PERS, which involves not only the ten percent of Mississippians who are PERS beneficiaries but all taxpayers who fund the PERS system. |
| Only debate of Mississippi governor's race brings insults and interruptions from Reeves and Presley | |
 | Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic challenger Brandon Presley insulted and spoke over each other several times Wednesday night in their only debate of a rough-and-tumble campaign season, presenting sharply contrasting plans for the state. The televised debate happened six days before the general election in a deeply conservative state where Republicans have held the governor's office for the past 20 years. Reeves said that Presley, a utility regulator, has taken questionable campaign contributions from "solar panel buddies ... that have tried to run the oil business out of America." Presley said the contributions he received were legal but state government "is bought and sold to the highest bidder" under Reeves, with the governor demanding campaign money before meeting with people. The debate was held before a small audience in the WAPT-TV studio in Jackson. It aired on the ABC affiliate in the Jackson area and statewide on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. |
| Reeves, Presley trade insults in only governor debate | |
 | Tate Reeves complains that Brandon Presley is bought and paid for by folks that ain't from around here, such as President Joe Biden. Presley says Reeves doesn't care about the healthcare of Mississippians or struggling hospitals because he won't sign off on Medicaid expansion. Reeves, the incumbent Republican governor and Presley, the Democratic challenger traded barbs for an hour Wednesday at WAPT in Jackson in what will be the only debate between the two before voters go to the polls in the Nov. 7 general election to decide who will hold Mississippi's top governmental job. It was aired by WAPT and Mississippi Public Broadcasting. WAPT turned their regular news studio into a makeshift theater with folding chairs for the 35 or so allowed to view the debate from within. Presley said he called on Reeves to take part in five debates, including one last month at a forum sponsored by the NAACP in Gulfport. But Reeves agreed to only one. Questions were asked by WAPT anchors Megan West and Troy Johnson, collected from viewer submissions. One poll has Reeves up by just one point. It was Presley, though, who was persistent and leaned in against Reeves the entire debate, seeming to have the governor on the defensive at times. Presley pushed Reeves on the TANF scandal that has been going on for many years and when he pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket to read text messages from Reeves' brother about Brett Favre, the governor exploded. "You can talk about me all you want, but keep my family out of it," Reeves screamed. |
| Mississippi gubernatorial debate results in war of words between Reeves, Presley | |
| While the Texas Rangers were busy winning the World Series last night, a different kind of swinging for the fences was occurring in Jackson. Incumbent Republican Governor Tate Reeves and his Democratic challenger Brandon Presley shared the stage at the Jackson studio of WAPT for the only debate of this election cycle. It didn't take long Wednesday night for the war of words to commence in the battle for Mississippi's Governor. Early in the debate, Presley could be heard off camera attempting to talk over Reeves as the Governor answered questions posed by WAPT moderators Megan West and Troy Johnson. Within the first few minutes, each side had insulted the other. It was to become a theme. Presley accused Reeves of playing a part in the TANF scandal that was exposed during his predecessor's administration and of being transactional with donors. Reeves repeatedly called out Presley for what he perceived as lies and argued that Presley was beholden to liberal donors in New York, California and Washington, D.C. He contended that Presley, as a Public Service Commissioner, had committed the same offense -- taking money from a regulated public utility -- that had sent three other Public Service Commissioners to prison. Neither Reeves nor Presley have been charged with any crimes. Beyond all the invective thrown about during the debate, there were really only two well-explored policy discussions: Medicaid expansion and tax policy. |
| Recriminations fly as Reeves, Presley accuse each other of lies in fiery Mississippi gubernatorial debate | |
| Mississippi voters who tuned in Wednesday night were treated to the most heated gubernatorial debate in recent history, as Republican Tate Reeves and Democrat Brandon Presley accused each other of lying, corruption, lying, offering up bad policies and lying. The two frequently talked over each other and the moderators -- and loudly when their mics were shut off. Recriminations flew. "When he qualified to run for governor he couldn't make it an entire hour without lying to the people of Mississippi," incumbent Reeves said early in the hour-long scrum. "And on this debate stage he couldn't make it one full minute without lying to the people of Mississippi." Presley quipped: "I told somebody recently that asked me about negative ads, 'If he'd quit lying on me, I'd quit telling the truth on him.'" Post-debate, each camp and their party leaders claimed victory. Both candidates landed blows, dodged and parried. Neither appeared to offer any major new policy, platform planks or accusation against the other likely to sway undecided voters. Perhaps not surprising given their only debate happened just six days out from Tuesday's election, the candidates mostly used talking points from their stump speeches and recent barrage of millions of dollars worth of ads attacking each other. |
| Reeves, Presley spar in Mississippi governor debate | |
| The first and only debate between Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic challenger Brandon Presley took place on Wednesday night in Jackson with each candidate sharing their plan for the state if voters were to elect them to Mississippi's highest office. While pokes were on full display – with Reeves and Presley not only interrupting but attacking each other on multiple occasions -- policies were also shared throughout the one-hour event. On the subject of education, Reeves continued to tout what the New York Times has dubbed the "Mississippi Miracle" as the state has gone from having some of the nation's lowest-performing reading scores to having its most improved. The Republican also brought up a recent teacher pay raise, which Presley went on to question the legitimacy of. "One teacher told me last week in north Mississippi that she netted out at $23 a month in teacher pay and he brags about the teacher pay raises," Presley said. "We need to get teacher pay to the national average to keep, retain, and attract schoolteachers to Mississippi. It's why the [Mississippi Association of Educators] endorsed me over Tate Reeves in this campaign." Reeves called Presley's story "a lie," saying it would be impossible for a teacher to net such a small amount after lawmakers passed a bill in 2022 raising the base salary for educators by an average of $5,140 with additional incentives included. "Every teacher in Mississippi makes at least $6,100 more per year today than they did when I became governor," Reeves fired back. "There is no possible way that a teacher netted $23 a month on a $6,100 pay raise. Brandon Presley lies really well, but he can't do math." |
| Democrats have two big governor races in Trump states next week | |
 | Democratic governors in the South are a dying breed. Andy Beshear and Brandon Presley are trying to prove they haven't gone extinct just yet. Kentucky and Mississippi are both electing governors on Tuesday. And both contests are seen as competitive despite the states' overall red tilt -- former President Donald Trump won Kentucky by 26 points and Mississippi by 16 in 2020. Tuesday's races will test the durability of Democrats' brand in the modern-day South -- and how much President Joe Biden's dismal approval ratings are a drag on the party at the ballot box. A victory for either Democrat in such red terrain could signal that Biden's unpopularity may not sink the party electorally. "Politics is a matter of pendulum swings," said Ronnie Musgrove, the last Democrat to serve as Mississippi governor, in the early-2000s. "And right now, when you got a gerrymandered legislature and when you got the major voices talking about culture wars to the exclusion of all the other things, then [Republicans] got a tailwind. However, over time, I think what this is going to show is that people want more than that." In Kentucky, Beshear, the incumbent, is facing Republican state Attorney General Daniel Cameron. And in Mississippi, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is trying to hold off a challenge from Presley, a state public service commissioner and distant cousin of the famous late singer with the same last name. Reeves' path to victory is clear: Remind Mississippi voters how much they hate Biden, while pumping up wins in the state. "Jobs and education: That's the mother's milk of governor's races and both metrics are at historically high levels," said Brad Todd, an adviser to Reeves. |
| U.S. Senate passes bill that directs $83M to Mississippi military construction projects | |
| Federal legislation has been passed that directs more than $83 million for military construction projects in Mississippi. The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed the FY2024 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Bill, which will allocate the funds for work being done at the Columbus Air Force Base, Keesler Air Force Base, and Army and Air National Guard Bases. "I've worked with my colleagues on the committee to support projects to improve the readiness and operational efficiency of active duty and reserve bases in Mississippi," Hyde-Smith said. "These Mississippi projects and support for veterans will, I believe, fare well as the Senate and House work toward a single bill that can be signed into law." Senate passage makes the legislation available for conference committee negotiations to reconcile differences with a House-passed MilCon-VA measure. The legislation also increases funding for the Armed Forces Retirement Home, which operates facilities in Gulfport and Washington, D.C. Overall, the bill would provide $296.5 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs for FY2024. |
| McConnell, Speaker Johnson divide sharply on year-end strategy | |
 | New Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) at a meeting with the Senate GOP conference Wednesday laid out his stark differences with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) over key elements of the year-end strategy, signaling the challenges the two leaders face in the weeks ahead. Johnson rejected McConnell's arguments, made in private and public, that U.S. aid to Israel should be tied to military aid to Ukraine, security assistance for Taiwan and provisions to boost security along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Speaker insisted to GOP senators that Israel aid will have move separately from Ukraine funding, arguing that it couldn't otherwise pass the House. But Johnson threw a bone to McConnell, Congress's leading Republican proponent of supporting the war in Ukraine, by pledging to GOP senators that he would bring a separate Ukraine aid package to the House floor after House lawmakers approve an Israel-only bill later this week. "It's pretty clear that he doesn't intend to leave Ukraine behind and that's reassuring to those of us that support Ukraine funding," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters after the meeting. "But there's also going to be a price to be paid on the border and it's not just going to be on money. It's going to be on policy that Democrats have refused to do in the past," Cornyn said. |
| Johnson's brewing SNAP crisis | |
| Mike Johnson's new role as House speaker heightens the chances of a major political clash next year over one of the nation's largest welfare programs and the government's preeminent aid package for farmers and rural America. The fallout is likely to reverberate in countless congressional races, not to mention President Joe Biden's attempts to win back rural voters in the 2024 presidential race. Johnson, more so than previous Speaker Kevin McCarthy, is a proponent of more hardline GOP efforts to overhaul the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the country's largest anti-hunger program that serves 41 million low-income Americans. As a senior member of the conservative-leaning Republican Study Committee, Johnson backed proposals to roll back food aid expansions under Biden and block states from exempting some work requirements for SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. In 2018, Johnson referred to SNAP as "our nation's most broken and bloated welfare program." Now, the RSC, Freedom Caucus hardliners and other Republicans are pressing to include similar measures in the next farm bill. Such a move would upend the fragile bipartisan coalition needed to pass the legislation -- a blow to House Republicans who represent the majority of rural and farm districts, including Johnson, as well as more centrist GOP members who will be fighting for their political lives in 2024. |
| 'Lying to America': GOP lawmaker blasts his fellow Republicans, vows he won't seek reelection | |
 | Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., announced he won't seek reelection to his sixth term in Congress, accusing his fellow Republicans of too often "lying to America" and being "fixated on retribution and vengeance." Buck in a video shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, first criticized Democratic lawmakers in Washington, accusing them of not supporting law enforcement, "politicizing student loans" and more. But after confirming that he will not run for reelection next year, the Colorado lawmaker quickly turned his ire to the colleagues on his side of the aisle. Buck said while many Americans "are rightfully concerned about our nation's future," if they're looking to GOP lawmakers, "their hope for Republicans to take decisive action maybe in vain." "Too many Republican leaders are lying to America, claiming that the 2020 election was stolen, describing January 6 as an unguided tour of the Capitol, and asserting that the ensuing prosecutions are a weaponization of our justice system," Buck said in the video. Buck's criticism is an unusual move from a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of the House's most conservative lawmakers. Buck did vote to certify the 2020 presidential election, despite false allegations from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans that there was widespread fraud in the race for the White House. The Colorado lawmaker last month also opposed Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as a speaker of the House candidate because he refused to acknowledge Trump lost the election. "The Republican Party of today, however, is ignoring self-evident truths about the rule of law and limited government in exchange for self-serving lies," Buck added. "I made a decision to leave Congress because tough votes are being replaced by social media status." |
| Senate Republicans erupt in anger over Tuberville's military freeze | |
 | The war in Gaza and a serious medical emergency suffered by the Marine Corps' top officer have forced into the open months of simmering Republican frustration with Sen. Tommy Tuberville's expansive hold on President Biden's military nominees, driving several of his colleagues to publicly denounce the gambit and urge Senate leaders to take immediate action to end the impasse. Concerns about Gen. Eric Smith's apparent cardiac arrest on Sunday, coupled with fast-moving developments in the Middle East, have surfaced repeatedly this week as officials in Washington seek an off-ramp to the bitter political dispute between Tuberville (R-Ala.) and the Biden administration that centers on the Pentagon's travel policy for troops seeking an abortion. Hundreds of senior military advancements have been stalled as a result, dating to February. On Wednesday night, a remarkable scene unfolded on the Senate floor as several Republicans, including Sens. Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Todd C. Young (Ind.) and Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) confronted Tuberville, imploring him to lift his hold for the sake of national security and proposing votes on individual officers whose promotions have been delayed. Tuberville rebuffed them one by one, blocking each proposed nominee as his colleagues' frustration continued to rise. The confrontation stretched nearly five hours, with Ernst, a retired Army officer, and Sullivan, a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, rotating to bring forward the bulk of 61 officers presented by name. They called out Tuberville for saying previously that he would relent on nominations that were brought forward for votes individually. "Xi Jinping is loving this. So is Putin," Sullivan said at one point, referring to top leaders in China and Russia. "How dumb can we be, man?" |
| Fed Extends Pause on Rate Hikes but Keeps Door Open to Moving Higher | |
 | Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hinted the central bank might be done raising interest rates for now but was careful not to rule out another increase after officials extended a pause in hikes. Officials voted unanimously on Wednesday to leave rates unchanged at a 22-year high. "The committee is proceeding carefully," Powell said during a press conference where he said nothing to shift the market's expectation that officials won't raise rates in December. Stocks climbed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.7%, or nearly 222 points. Bonds extended a rally that began Wednesday morning when the Treasury Department announced plans to slow the pace at which it issues longer-term debt. Yields on the 10-year Treasury note closed at 4.790%, down 0.084 percentage point from 4.874% on Tuesday. Yields fall as bond prices rise. At Fed officials' September meeting, most projected one more rate increase this year, but some have spoken in recent weeks as though they aren't eager to hike again unless hotter-than-expected economic data force their hand. Powell echoed that sentiment on Wednesday by repeatedly highlighting how much inflation has fallen, rather than emphasizing the economy's recent strength. "It sounds like this is a Fed that really doesn't want to hike again," said Mark Cabana, head of U.S. rates strategy at Bank of America. |
| IHL appeal to U.S. Department of Education results in win for Mississippi's colleges | |
| Magnolia Tribune previously reported that the Mississippi Institution of Higher Learning was placed under heightened cash monitoring by the United States Department of Education after an audit was submitted past deadline. The IHL Board of Trustees asked the Department of Education to reconsider due to extenuating circumstances surrounding the completion of the audit. Yesterday, the state received correspondence from the Department of Education accepting the justification offered by IHL and removing the heightened cash monitoring penalty. The letter received on Tuesday stated, "The Department has taken into consideration the underlying factors associated with this late audit submission. The Department accepts Mississippi's explanation of why the 2022 audit submission was late and has determined that the circumstances around the 2022 late audit submission meet the criteria to be considered unusual in that they are unique to the impact on the overall audit requirements resulting from the Coronavirus Pandemic and the compressed time span available to perform the audit work." It went on to explain that the affected institutions under Mississippi's IHL "have been removed from heightened cash monitoring and returned to advance funding." IHL Commissioner Al Rankins, Jr. told Magnolia Tribune "I am pleased that the Department of Education considered our long history of timely audit submissions and extenuating circumstances in granting relief from Heightened Cash Monitoring status for Mississippi's public universities. The Board of Trustees and I take the timely submission of the annual audit seriously and are committed to ensuring that our institutions continue to fully comply with all federal audit requirements." |
| Ole Miss launches faculty laureates program | |
| The University of Mississippi is launching a new program to promote creativity among its faculty. Faculty Laureates showcases excellence in academic inquiry, creative endeavor and communication. Developed and managed by the Mississippi Lab, the program includes stipends for travel and project development, and reduced course loads for the laureates' terms. John T. Edge, Mississippi Lab director, consulted with Ole Miss faculty members and Provost Noel Wilkin, and he researched programs at other universities, including Penn State and Ohio State, while developing the program. "We define creativity in an expansive way, by recognizing that all faculty, no matter their discipline, are creative," Edge said. "This complements another Mississippi Lab project, Staff Creative Residencies, which serves the University of Mississippi mission by investing in the inventive work of staff members." The Faculty Laureates program is underwritten by the Dr. Daniel W. Jones Endowment for Faculty Support. Jones was the university's 16th chancellor, serving from 2009 to 2015. A selection committee will choose two to three laureates every two years. After six months, laureates will propose full projects and apply for additional funding. |
| USM students watch entrepreneurial ideas develop through 'Hatchery' | |
| Innovative entrepreneurial ideas are being "hatched" on a daily basis at a unique Inspiration Lab within the College of Business and Economic Development at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dubbed "The Hatchery," this extraordinary space serves as a hub to help align and connect the wealth of entrepreneurship-related resources, knowledge and vision at the university. By facilitating entrepreneurial experiences, The Hatchery helps increase student opportunities to make their skill sets more relevant, dynamic, adaptable, marketable and consequentially more valuable in today's rapidly changing labor market. No one need sell USM senior Tori Faith Jones on The Hatchery's benefits. A marketing major from Meridian, Jones has utilized the lab to develop her own business, "Tori Faith Creations," while continuing to strategize about other entrepreneurial pursuits. "I could not be more grateful for The Hatchery and how much they have done for me and other fellow entrepreneurs and dream builders," said Jones. Located in Scianna Hall on USM's Hattiesburg campus, The Hatchery opened its doors within the physical confines of the Inspiration Lab in 2022. Although The Hatchery and Inspiration Lab are resources created by faculty in the College of Business and Economic Development, business students are not the only ones taking advantage of the think-tank atmosphere. |
| D.A.R. unveils Patriots marker, dedicates commemorative Liberty Tree at USM Vets Center | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families and the Twentieth Star Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution hosted a special ceremony Wednesday, honoring the patriots who fought for and won America's independence. The D.A.R. unveiled an America 250 marker and dedicated an elm tree commemorating Boston's original Liberty Tree, which stood from 1646-1775. It was where some of the first American patriots met to oppose British rule. Wednesday's community event was called, "Give Me Liberty! Meet at the Tree!" "Now, it's a big thing to have Liberty Trees, people to plant these in commemoration of the original, and we hope this one will serve our community as a meeting place for people to gather and remember our patriots," said Norma Williamson, co-chair of "Give Me Liberty! Meet at the Tree!." Both the tree and marker kick off Hattiesburg's celebration of America's 250th anniversary. "It's such an incredible honor that they chose to place this monument not only on our campus, but here in Hattiesburg and at our center," said Jeff Hammond, USM Veteran and Military Student Affairs director. "But, it ties in to what we do. We care, we care for veterans, their families, service members, National Guard, active duty, reserve, the whole bit." |
| ECCC, Neshoba General partner for nursing school | |
| East Central Community College (ECCC) and Neshoba General are teaming up to locate a nursing school in Philadelphia by 2026 on the hospital's campus. Dr. Brent Gregory, President of ECCC, shared the news with the Philadelphia Rotary Club last Monday, along with updates on various improvement projects and the college's athletic programs. The collaborative effort is still in the early phases but will involve site work and construction to transform an existing building across from Neshoba Medical Associates into a classroom space. The project is a game-changer for local students since Neshoba County residents have to commute to nursing schools at East Central in Decatur and Meridian Community College and even further to programs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, and Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. "It's a much-needed service offering, and we couldn't be happier about it," said Lee McCall, chief executive officer at Neshoba General. "It's a very great opportunity." On top of this groundbreaking initiative, ECCC is introducing an innovative Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) evening and weekend program, aptly named "Weekend Warriors," set to start in January 2024. The program will be provided at ECCC's Decatur campus, offering a new flexible schedule with classes taking place on Thursday and Friday evenings, as well as Saturdays. |
| Tougaloo College's Board of Trustees extends interim agreement with Dr. Donzell Lee | |
| Tougaloo College's interim president will remain in that position for another year. Dr. Donzell Lee was unanimously appointed by Tougaloo's Board of Trustees in July to serve as interim president. Wednesday, the board announced the unanimous decision to extend Lee's service through June 30, 2025. The board will begin a presidential search in the summer of 2024 to name the 15th president of Tougaloo College. Lee was selected as the interim president after Dr. Carmen Walters stepped down in June. |
| U. of Arkansas hire to study crops, climate | |
| Meteorologists use models to predict the weather. Elvis Elli uses models to predict how crops might respond to a complex and changing environment. Elli -- a new assistant professor of crop physiology and adaptation to climate change -- began work with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station in September. He will also teach crop physiology through the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Crop physiologists work to learn what influences plant growth and how plants respond to their changing environment. "We are very excited to have Dr. Elli as part of our team," said Jeff Edwards, professor and head of the crop, soil and environmental sciences department. "Dr. Elli brings with him a diverse knowledge of agriculture and strong crop modeling skills, which greatly strengthens our research portfolio and competitiveness for external funding." Elli was a postdoctoral research associate at Iowa State University for the past two years. In addition to research on corn, such as how corn plant architecture has changed over time due to breeding, he developed a framework to quantify multiple agricultural system variables simultaneously to study the impact of climate change on soybean nitrogen dynamics. Elli earned his bachelor's degree in agronomy and his master's in agronomy, agriculture and environment from Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil. His doctorate is in agricultural systems engineering, agrometeorology and climate risk from Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz - Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil. |
| To Speak at This University, You Must Agree Not to Boycott Israel | |
 | Earlier this year, Shirin Saeidi was at a dinner with three speakers who had been invited to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville center she directs when they told her something that surprised her. As part of the paperwork that would allow them to be reimbursed and paid for the trip, they had been prompted to sign a pledge saying they were not boycotting Israel. They told her it was something they would have liked to have known about beforehand. Since then, other speakers invited to the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies have raised concerns about the pledge; at least one declined to talk at the university. Then this week, Nathan Thrall, the author of a new nonfiction book called A Day in the Life of Abed Salama, which tells the story of a tragic bus accident outside Jerusalem, posted on social media that he had declined to speak at the university because of the pledge. Saeidi, who is also an assistant professor of political science, said she understood why Thrall and the other speakers had objected. The pledge exists because of a state law in Arkansas that says a public entity cannot enter into a contract with a company unless it certifies that it is not boycotting Israel. According to Palestine Legal, an organization that provides legal support to pro-Palestine activists, 38 states have some version of a law targeting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, or BDS, which aims to pressure Israel to end what its critics characterize as its oppressive policies toward Palestinians. The laws vary. Some outlaw investments in publicly traded companies that are participating in a boycott of Israel, for example, while others apply to contractors. |
| U. of Missouri physics researchers gain new insight into universe's 'building blocks' | |
 | University of Missouri researchers are studying particles that are considered the building blocks of the universe, which will help scientists using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope in future research. The researchers wrote about their study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon particles -- which are a class of chemicals that occur naturally in substances, such as coal and wood, and are considered essential building blocks in the cosmos of space -- in a Nature Journal article that was published Sept. 12. That research and other recent projects are lifting the profile of MU's Physics and Astronomy Department within the science community and could lead to more opportunities for students in the near future, current faculty and student researchers said. Aigen Li, an MU astronomy professor, was awarded a $175,000 NASA grant to observe the particles in the cosmos and on Earth. Li has been studying the particles for 20 years. Li also worked on this research with Xuejuan Yang, a former MU postdoctoral student of physics and astronomy. Yang is now dean of the School of Physics and Optoelectronics at Xiangtan University in China. Li and Yang wrote about their research together for Nature Journal. |
| High demand for comp sci degrees leads to enrollment caps | |
 | Before this year, if you wanted to major in computer science at the University of Michigan, your only barrier was getting accepted to the university. But a new model requires all students who want to study computer science -- whether they are incoming or already enrolled -- to apply for the major separately. Michael Wellman, Michigan's chair of computer science and engineering, said that the university has worked for years to try to accommodate everyone who wants to study the subject, hiring as many as six faculty members annually in recent years and even building a new computer science facility. The number of CS degrees awarded rose from 132 in 2012 to 600 in 2022. "We've done everything we can to grow our capacity and to find new ways to be efficient and scale up our classes over the years," he said. "Our faculty have the conviction across the board that we should teach everybody." But it hasn't been enough. So the university had to add the application to the major. Michigan is hardly alone. According to Wellman, it is among the last of its peer institutions to introduce some sort of restriction in the hopes of capping the number of computer science majors. Over the past decade, STEM degrees have gained rapid popularity, spurred in part by the idea that they lead to better job outcomes with higher pay. The rise in demand is causing many programs significant strife. |
| Law Firms Warn Universities About Antisemitism on Campus | |
 | With universities across the United States grappling with a rise in antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, elite law firms are putting schools on notice. In a letter to some of the nation's top law schools obtained by DealBook, about two dozen major Wall Street firms warned that what happens on campus could have corporate consequences. "We look to you to ensure your students who hope to join our firms after graduation are prepared to be an active part of workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment, much less the kind that has been taking place on some law school campuses," the firms wrote. The letter follows a series of recent antisemitic episodes at universities. Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York sought this week to reassure Jewish students at Cornell after online posts threatening violence against them. Students at other schools have said they feel increasingly unsafe amid rallies and other acts that, in some instances, have become violent. Big Law carries huge clout. Students at the schools that received the letter -- 14 top institutions, along with others that have strong ties with the signatories -- compete aggressively for jobs at the firms after graduation. And deans keep a close eye on job placement statistics. Many firms say that on-campus statements matter beyond school, especially as students graduate to client-driven businesses. The firms behind the letter urged schools to take this more into account when formulating academic policies. |
| What do universities owe their donors? | |
| Weeks into the war between Israel and Hamas, conflict continues to spill onto campuses in the US. Among other things, numerous high-profile donors have threatened to close their checkbooks over how college presidents are -- or aren't -- communicating about a complicated geopolitical issue thousands of miles away. Donors, mainly to highly selective institutions, have accused those institutions' presidents of failing to condemn Hamas soon or forcefully enough for the Oct. 7 attacks on Israeli civilians. Some donors have demanded the resignation of presidents they believe have not adequately addressed the war. Others have accused colleges of allowing antisemitism to go unchecked on campus, particularly in relation to student protests and support for Palestinians. At the heart of those tensions lie a few questions: How much influence do donors exert over the institutions they support? And what, if anything, do those institutions owe them? Massive donations often come with expectations to match. And as fighting between Israel and Hamas continues, big-name donors are making it clear that they want university leaders to act in ways that align with their values -- or access to their fortunes will dry up. But donor-relations experts suggest that such expectations are neither realistic nor appropriate. |
| White House to develop first national strategy to counter Islamophobia | |
| The White House announced Wednesday it is developing the first national strategy to counter Islamophobia in the United States amid backlash from many Muslim Americans over its support for Israel. "President Biden ran for office to restore the soul of our nation. He is unequivocal: There is no place for hate in America against anyone. Period," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. The strategy will be a joint effort led by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council to "counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms," she said. The announcement is part of Biden's 2022 directive to coordinate on efforts to counter Islamophobia, antisemitism and related forms of bias and discrimination. The new strategy follows weeks of backlash toward Biden from Democrats on the left wing of the party, young voters, Arab Americans and others over his response to the violence in the Middle East, as Israel has pummeled Gaza with airstrikes. The White House has been clear on its fight against antisemitism throughout the administration -- and especially since an uptick in incidents following the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7. It released the nation's first national strategy to counter antisemitism and announced new steps earlier this week to address reports of antisemitic incidents on U.S. college campuses. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State Soccer Set to Make SEC Tournament Semifinal Debut Versus Top-Seeded Arkansas | |
| Mississippi State soccer will pen a new chapter into their program record books when they take the pitch on Thursday evening in Pensacola. The Bulldog's matchup with Arkansas will notch the first time that State has appeared in an SEC Tournament semifinal as State finds itself just one game from Championship Sunday. Thursday's matchup comes just one week removed from their last encounter, a 1-0 decision for Arkansas in Fayetteville. In the regular season finale, the entire Bulldog defense was able to frustrate the Hogs throughout the match. State became just the fifth team to hold the Hogs scoreless in the first half this season and just the second team to do so in Fayetteville. With just five minutes remaining in the contest, Bea Franklin found the back of the net on an Emilee Hauser service for the game winner, claiming the outright SEC Championship for Arkansas. State registered eight shots throughout the first meeting with an impressive 62.5% of them being on frame, forcing Phoebe Carver to make five key saves throughout the matchup. Maggie Wadsworth continued her attacking ways as she registered three shots with two of them being on goal. No. 4 seed Mississippi State and No. 1 Arkansas will kick off at 5 PM CT in Pensacola with the SEC Network broadcasting the match to a national audience. |
| No. 18 Mississippi State makes history in Pensacola | |
| Mississippi State senior goalkeeper Maddy Anderson looked around for a split second following No. 24 Alabama's fourth penalty try during Thursday night's SEC Tournament quarterfinal match. After not initially reacting following Gianna Paul's attempt, a shot wide left of goal, Anderson quickly realized that the 18th-ranked Bulldogs had just clinched a spot in the semifinals for the first time in program history. The ensuing celebration was one that felt like decades in the making as the most successful team so far in program history continues to set new benchmarks for the future. Alabama dominated the match, but in the end, Mississippi State prevailed with a 1-1 (2-0 p) win, its second win against the Tide this season. The Bulldogs (10-4-5) rode the hot hand of Anderson in net, who made eight fantastic saves against an unrelenting Alabama (11-4-5) attack, one that more than doubled MSU in total shots in the match, 20-8. Through the cold and wind and nearly four hours of soccer, the Bulldogs are in the semis, set to play No. 10 Arkansas for the second time in three matches. The Razorbacks prevailed a week ago in Fayetteville, 1-0, but Mississippi State is looking to flip the script to play for a chance at a SEC Tournament title on Sunday. |
| What Mississippi State football wearing throwback jerseys means to Jackie Sherrill, 1998 SEC West champs | |
 | The interlocking MSU logo is more than a throwback look for Mississippi State football fans. It's featured on cars driving down Highway 12, on polos of fans tailgating in The Junction and T-shirts of young fans getting their first taste of Davis Wade Stadium. That's because the 1998 MSU team is more than an SEC West-winning group. It's a team held on a pedestal within the athletic facilities and still celebrated around Starkville. It's an era where the uniforms, logos and names -- such as Wayne Madkin and Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack -- are synonymous with words such as toughness and attitude. For those supporting the maroon and white, 1998 wasn't just another season. "That year, to me, probably convinced the Mississippi State people that we could compete for championships," former MSU athletics director Larry Templeton told the Clarion Ledger. This week has been a chance to relive the feeling. As the Bulldogs (4-4, 1-4 SEC) run out of the tunnel to face Kentucky (5-3, 2-3) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network), they'll be sporting a throwback look as part of a homecoming game honoring the 25-year anniversary of coach Jackie Sherrill's 1998 team. As store fronts around the city suggest, it's a chance to, "Hail State like '98." |
| What to watch for: Mississippi State vs. Kentucky | |
| Following a demoralizing 27-13 loss last week at Auburn, Mississippi State is back home Saturday as the Bulldogs welcome Kentucky to Davis Wade Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network. The Wildcats won their first five games but have now lost three straight during a daunting stretch featuring Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee. Kentucky's offense looked good against the Volunteers, but the defense gave up more than 250 rushing yards in a 33-27 loss. MSU is 4-4 and 1-4 in Southeastern Conference play. The Wildcats are 5-3 and 2-3 in the SEC. Neither team is ranked in any of the polls, though Kentucky is receiving one vote in the AFCA Coaches Poll. The all-time series is tied, 25-25. In recent years, both teams have dominated at home, with the Bulldogs' last win in Lexington coming in 2014 and the Wildcats' last win in Starkville coming in 2008. MSU won seven straight against Kentucky from 2009-2015. |
| How Kentucky football and Mississippi State match up -- with a game prediction | |
 | Against Mississippi State, Mark Stoops and the UK defensive brain trust must prepare for two very different quarterbacks --- each of whom has enjoyed prior success vs. Kentucky. Until a left shoulder injury caused Will Rogers (61.4 completion percentage, 1,275 passing yards, 10 TDs. vs. four picks) to miss the past two games, the 6-2, 215-pound senior had started 38 straight games for MSU. A dropback passer, the Brandon, Mississippi, product thrived in ex-MSU coach Mike Leach's Air Raid. Rogers completed 36 of 39 passes for 344 yards in Mississippi State's 31-17 win over UK in Starkville in 2021. In Rogers' absence the past two weeks, Vanderbilt transfer Mike Wright (58.2 percent completions, 307 yards, three TDs vs. two picks) has run the State offense. A dual threat, Wright engineered Vandy's 24-21 upset of UK in Lexington last season, running 11 times for 126 yards and a touchdown and completing 12 of 23 passes for 184 yards with one TD and one interception. Mississippi State has two former UK defensive backs and one ex-Kentucky recruiting commitment on its roster. Former junior college cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson flipped from UK to MSU late in the class of 2022 cycle. In a starting role, the 6-3, 195-pound senior has 25 tackles, two tackles for loss and two pass breakups. Ex-UK CB Jamari Brown -- who left Kentucky to play for Purdue -- has appeared in two games for MSU and has made one tackle. Former UK safety Ja'Kobi Albert has not appeared in a game this season. Prediction: Mississippi State 19, Kentucky 17. |
| Auburn now selling alcohol for general admission seating at sporting events | |
 | For the first time in the school's history, Auburn is selling alcoholic beverages for consumption with general admission at sporting events, beginning with Wednesday's men's basketball exhibition against Auburn-Montgomery. A handful of cash bar options have been available for certain club seating at previous sporting events, but Auburn is the last Southeastern Conference member to make the move of making alcohol this accessible at sporting events, with a collection of import and craft beers, seltzers and canned wine on sale at seven concession stands and multiple grab-and-go stations at Neville Arena. Alcohol sales are limited to only Neville Arena for now, according to a report from AL.com, with plans to introduce sales at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the future. The department also released this statement: "After extensive research and discussion, Auburn Athletics made the decision to begin public alcohol sales at Neville Arena for the 2023-24 athletic season which will be followed by gradual roll outs at other athletic venues throughout the year ahead. "Currently, 84% of all Power Five schools have public offerings at their venues and Auburn is the last Southeastern Conference institution to implement public sales. Multiple studies show selling alcohol in athletic venues decreases binge drinking and creates a culture with fewer alcohol-related offenses on game day." |
| Big 12 unveils 16-team conference football matchups through 2027 | |
| A new era began in the Big 12 on Wednesday with the unveiling of the 2024-2027 conference football matchups for its 16 teams. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah arrive in the wake of the Pac-12's demise, joining 2023 arrivals BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston. Gone to the SEC are Texas and Oklahoma, two cornerstones of the original Big 12 that formed in 1994 and formally began in 1996. The Big 12 said this schedule, featuring nine conference games, prioritizes geography, historic matchups and rivalries as well as competitive balance. Each team will play every other at least once at home and away -- some over three seasons, others in all four. Matchups in 2024 that were played in 2023 will not repeat at the same site. The Big 12 joins the Big Ten in continuing to play nine conference games. The SEC and ACC both have adopted an eight-game league schedule for 2024. The schedule brings new annual rivalries, an issue with the departure of Texas-OU, the league's marquee matchup, while trying to make geographic sense -- a challenge in a league that now spans the country. The Big 12 will compete as a 16-team conference for the first time in 2024. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will become members in the summer of 2024 joining Baylor, BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech and West Virginia. |
| Sources: Big Ten coaches urge action vs. Michigan in call | |
| A vast majority of the Big Ten coaches expressed their frustrations with the ongoing signal-stealing investigation at Michigan in a video call with commissioner Tony Petitti on Wednesday, sources told ESPN. The call, which took 90 minutes, included nearly an hour without Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who hung up after the regularly scheduled Big Ten business to allow the conference's coaches to speak freely about the NCAA's investigation into Michigan. According to five sources familiar with the call, a chorus of voices encouraged Petitti to take action against Michigan in a call that was described as both intense and emotional. "Collectively, the coaches want the Big Ten to act -- right now," said a source familiar with the call. "What are we waiting on? We know what happened." The coaches in the Big Ten laid out to Petitti, who was hired in April, just how distinct of a schematic advantage Michigan has held the last three years by illegally obtaining the opposition's signals ahead of time, as has been alleged. Coaches used words like "tainted," "fraudulent" and "unprecedented" on the call to describe Michigan's signal-stealing scheme, as has been alleged. Much of the call, according to sources, was coaches explaining to Petitti both how it worked and how it impacted them and their programs. Both in-person opponent scouting and using electronic equipment to steal signals are not allowed by NCAA rules. |
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