| Monday, November 20, 2023 |
| Mississippi State works on ways to improve the university | |
 | The future of Mississippi State University was the topic of discussion in a forum with faculty, staff, and MSU President Mark Keenum. "Today was a dialogue with myself and our campus community. I like to have an opportunity to interact and share with our staff and students. To show them where we are headed and to also give them an opportunity to ask me questions," said Keenum. The dialogue would not be a one-time event. More of a jumping-off point for future discussions as plans are made and carried out. "I plan to do more of these types of meetings but more on a smaller scale in specific departments on our campuses. It helps me and our administration to hear about what we are doing, how well we are doing, and how we can improve. It also gives me an opportunity to share what we have going on with our university," said Keenum. And even though the university is doing well, Keenum said there is always room for improvement and innovation. "We have a new strategic plan that is transforming MSU. And part of that vision is to continue our trajectory ... And to serve our students with high-quality programs .... Also, to talk about enrollment growth with our students and what we can be doing to grow our enrollment," said Keenum. |
| Reservations encouraged for practices at Cornerstone | |
 | Starkville Parks and Recreation General Manager Brandon Doherty briefed the board of aldermen during a Friday work session about Cornerstone Park's operating hours, when fields would be available and anticipated maintenance issues. In October the city cut the ribbon on Cornerstone Park, a $23 million baseball/softball complex that includes 12 tournament-ready fields. It is located off of Highway 25 in west Starkville. The complex will serve as home for city recreational leagues during spring and summer, and will host tournaments on the weekends, mostly for travel ball organizations. The city has contracted with Sports Facilities Management to operate its parks, including Cornerstone. Fields will be open for practice, Doherty said, but reservations are recommended. "Practices for travel teams will need to be scheduled, and we will dedicate them to a field," Doherty said. "... If you show up without a scheduled time, there's no guarantee there's going to be an available field. We really encourage everybody to call ahead." Doherty said reservations can be made by calling or emailing the athletics office, and practices may not be scheduled more than two weeks in advance. |
| Meeting lofty Red Kettle goals depends on getting more bell ringers | |
| Despite falling short of collections during the 2022 holiday season, the Columbus and Starkville Salvation Army chapters begin their Red Kettle campaigns on Friday and aim to collect a combined $175,000 this year. Taking place each year during the Christmas season, the campaign is the organization's largest fundraising effort. The money raised helps fund assistance efforts throughout the following year -- from food pantries and clothes closets to rental and utility assistance. In Starkville, Salvation Army Service Center Manager Tatiana Burgess said her team hopes to raise $75,000 despite only raising $36,000 in 2022. "We want to have those funds to be able to give the community what they're asking for," she said. "People come in after house fires, and if they're in a homeless situation, being able to give them clothes and food and any necessities that they need is important." Burgess said she started recruiting volunteers in October and looks specifically for "energetic people" to ring the bells and collect donations. She hopes to partner with live musicians between now and Christmas to help increase collections. "We plan to have some smiling faces out there and actually people who are doing things other than just running the bells," she said. "So we're encouraging live musicians to come. We want people who have some type of presence that will attract more donations. We still have plenty of spots." For more information on being a bell ringer, contact the Columbus branch at (662) 327-5137 or the Starkville branch at (662) 324-3304. |
| How Vardaman became the 'Sweet Potato Capital of the World' | |
 | In 1996, the wives of three sweet potato farmers -- Daphna Cook, Karen Wright and Barbara Williams -- decided to start a business selling baked goods featuring products centered on the vegetable that made the small town of Vardaman famous. They called it Sweet Potato Sweets. It all began in a rental building west of town and is now located in a building on the stretch of Highway 8 in Vardaman known as Sweet Potato Avenue. They started with sweet potato pies and bread. Over the years, the menu has grown to include a Forrest Gump-esque list of sweet potato-infused products: sweet potato fudge, sweet potato sausage balls, sweet potato casserole, sweet potato cheese straws, sweet potato pancake mix, sweet potato congealed salad, sweet potato quiche. The list goes on and on. "We are the only bakery in the world that I know of that has sweet potatoes as an ingredient in everything," said Jan Cook-Houston, 65, manager of Sweet Potato Sweets. Eventually, Wright and Williams got out of the business and it was owned solely by Daphna Cook. After her death, Paul Cook took ownership. He still owns the shop, which is managed by his daughter, Cook-Houston. All of the sweet potatoes used in the bakery are grown by the family at Cook Farms. "My grandmother told my mother 'You have lost your mind. You will never be able to sell a sweet potato pie in Vardaman,'" she recalled. "Because everybody made their own, everybody had their own potatoes. But she lived long enough to see that you can sell a sweet potato pie in Vardaman." In fact, you can sell a lot of sweet potato pies in Vardaman. Driving into Vardaman, there's no questioning whether you're in the "Sweet Potato Capital of the World." |
| Flu is soaring in seven US states, health officials say | |
 | The U.S. flu season is underway, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country, health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Carolina. It was also high in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the U.S. territory where health officials declared an influenza epidemic earlier this month. "We're off to the races," said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert. Traditionally, the winter flu season ramps up in December or January. But it took off in October last year, and is making a November entrance this year. Alicia Budd, who leads the CDC's flu surveillance team, said several indicators are showing "continued increases" in flu. There are different kinds of flu viruses, and the version that's been spreading the most so far this year usually leads to a lesser amount of hospitalizations and deaths in the elderly -- the group on whom flu tends to take the largest toll. Budd said that it's not yet clear exactly how effective the current flu vaccines are, but the shots are well-matched to the flu strains that are showing up. In the U.S., about 35% of U.S. adults and 33% of children have been vaccinated against flu, current CDC data indicates. That's down compared to last year in both categories. |
| Rosalynn Carter, Former First Lady Who Wielded Influence in Turbulent Presidency, Dies at 96 | |
 | Rosalynn Carter, who as first lady of the U.S. served as a key adviser to her husband, Jimmy, during his turbulent presidency, died at her home in Plains, Ga., on Sunday, according to the Carter Center. She was 96. "Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished," former President Carter said in a statement issued Sunday. "She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me." During the Carter presidency from 1977 to 1981, "she was his equal partner in the White House," attending cabinet meetings, testifying to Congress and serving as U.S. envoy to Latin America and elsewhere, said E. Stanly Godbold Jr., a retired Mississippi State University professor and a biographer of the Carters. The Carters' relationship was so close that "I don't think you can understand one of them without understanding the other," he said. |
| Former first lady Rosalynn Carter dies at 96 | |
 | Rosalynn Carter, one-half of the longest-lived presidential couple in American history and perhaps the most egalitarian as well, died on Sunday, the Carter Center announced. She was 96. Carter, who married the future governor and president in 1946, was widely credited with expanding the role of first lady beyond the nation's most prominent hostess to an active partner in policy and international travel, becoming a trusted adviser even in an era when most newspapers would only call her "Mrs. Carter." "Rosalynn Carter set a new precedent for first ladies," wrote historian E. Stanly Godbold, author of "Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter: A Biography." "She established the Office of First Lady, worked side by side with her husband as an equal partner in most of the responsibilities of the presidency, and actively pursued her own agenda to make the world a gentler place." "She leaves a legacy," Godbold said of Rosalynn Carter, "of improved care for the mentally ill, help for the vulnerable in American society, successful peace initiatives in the Middle East and elsewhere, and the advancement of human rights around the globe. A master politician, diplomat, as well as caring mother and wife, she was intimately involved in every aspect of the Carter presidency." |
| Rosalynn Carter, First Lady and a Political Partner, Dies at 96 | |
 | Rosalynn Carter, a true life partner to Jimmy Carter who helped propel him from rural Georgia to the White House in a single decade and became the most politically active first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, died on Sunday in Plains, Ga. She was 96. Over their nearly eight decades together, Mr. and Mrs. Carter forged the closest of bonds, developing a personal and professional symbiosis remarkable for its sheer longevity. After Mr. Carter lost his re-election bid in 1980 to Ronald Reagan, he and Mrs. Carter embarked on what became the longest, most active post-presidency in American history. They traveled the world in support of human rights, democracy and health programs; domestically, they labored in service to others, most prominently pounding nails to help build houses for Habitat for Humanity. "At the beginning, she was imprisoned by her shyness," E. Stanly Godbold Jr., a Carter biographer, said in an interview for this obituary. "Once she started breaking out of her shell, she piggybacked her career onto her husband's. Then she had a foot in both worlds, the liberated career woman as well as the supportive spouse." |
| Biden is spending his 81st birthday honoring White House tradition of pardoning Thanksgiving turkeys | |
| Liberty and Bell are ready for their presidential pardons. The two Thanksgiving turkeys were due at the White House on Monday to play their part in what has become an annual holiday tradition: a president sparing them from becoming someone's dinner. "We think that's a great way to kick off the holiday season and really, really a fun honor," Steve Lykken, chairman of the National Turkey Federation and president of the Jennie-O Turkey Store, said in an interview with The Associated Press. The event, set for the South Lawn this year instead of the Rose Garden, marks the unofficial start of the holiday season in Washington, and Monday was shaping up to be an especially busy opening day. President Joe Biden, the oldest president in U.S. history, also was celebrating his 81st birthday on Monday. In the afternoon, his wife, first lady Jill Biden, was accepting the delivery of an 18-and-a-half foot Fraser fir from Fleetwood, North Carolina, as the official White House Christmas tree. Lykken introduced Liberty and Bell on Sunday at the Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel close to the White House. The gobblers checked into a suite there on Saturday following their red-carpet arrival in the U.S. capital after a dayslong road trip from Minnesota in a black Cadillac Escalade. The tradition dates to 1947 when the National Turkey Federation, which represents turkey farmers and producers, first presented a National Thanksgiving Turkey to President Harry Truman. |
| Biden campaign facing heat over plans to deal with his age | |
| At the Democratic National Committee's September fundraiser retreat, a donor pressed Joe Biden's deputy campaign manager, Quentin Fulks, about one of the more oft-discussed topics in party circles: the president's age. How, the person asked during a question-and-answer session on the 2024 campaign, should donors handle the stream of concerns they've heard about it? Fulks acknowledged the obvious: You can't change the age of the president, who will turn 81 on Monday. Instead, he advised the donor to focus on Biden's historic accomplishments. Interviews with more than a dozen Biden donors and fundraisers, Democratic strategists and party officials, many of whom were granted anonymity to discuss the issue candidly, revealed deep concerns that the campaign's approach to his age isn't enough to quell voters' fears about it. Many donors are directly urging top campaign aides to go on offense, leaning even harder into Biden's age as proof of his wisdom in turbulent times. They are pushing for more humor about "Grandpa Joe." "I think everyone knows it's an issue, and we have to address it," said Ron Klain, who served as Biden's chief of staff for his first two years in the White House. He added that it's important to "emphasize [that] it gives him more wisdom and experience, how he's navigated this difficult problem in Ukraine." But others fret that not enough has been done to place a similarly harsh spotlight on the fact that Trump himself is 77. |
| Voter frustration could be key to turnout in 2024, experts say | |
 | Former President Trump and President Biden appear to be headed toward a rematch, despite polls showing many voters are not satisfied with the current options for president. Experts said this could create a political environment in which more voters decide to sit out next November than in past recent elections. They said turnout could also be uplifted through building intense opposition to the other party's candidate. "These are two well-known individuals, and most people's views are made up about them," said William Howell, a professor in American politics at the University of Chicago. "And so the relevant question isn't for the vast, vast, vast majority of people, 'Do I vote for Trump or do I vote for Biden?' It's, 'Do I vote at all?'" Voter turnout has been trending up in the most recent presidential elections, staying near or past 60 percent of the eligible voting population since 2004, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. About two-thirds of eligible voters participated in the 2020 presidential election between Trump and Biden, the highest turnout in more than a century. But polls have regularly shown throughout the 2024 election cycle that many voters do not want a rematch. A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, just under a year before the election, showed about half of registered voters want other candidates to jump in the race. |
| Santos Faces New Expulsion Push Led by His Own Party After Damning Report | |
| The Republican chairman of the bipartisan House Ethics Committee introduced a resolution on Friday to expel Representative George Santos of New York from Congress, citing the committee's damning new report documenting violations of House rules and evidence of pervasive campaign fraud. The move by Representative Michael Guest of Mississippi, the committee's chairman, laid the groundwork for a pivotal vote after Thanksgiving that could make Mr. Santos only the sixth representative to be ejected in the chamber's history. "The evidence uncovered in the Ethics Committee's investigative subcommittee investigation is more than sufficient to warrant punishment," Mr. Guest said in a statement accompanying his five-page resolution. "And the most appropriate punishment is expulsion." Mr. Santos, a Republican, has survived two expulsion efforts after a crush of reports in The New York Times and other publications exposed his fabricated life story and federal prosecutors charged him with 23 felonies. But support for Mr. Santos appeared to be eroding on Friday, as dozens of lawmakers in both parties indicated that the ethics report -- showing how he spent tens of thousands of dollars in political contributions on Botox, Ferragamo goods and vacations -- was the final straw for a lawmaker who has caused a year's worth of political headaches. |
| Guest files motion to expel Santos; Raskin says he'll support it this time | |
 | House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest introduced a resolution Friday to expel Rep. George Santos a day after a report from the panel outlined new evidence that the New York Republican violated federal law in areas that weren't covered by an existing federal indictment. Guest, R-Miss., said the evidence detailed in his committee's report is "more than sufficient to warrant punishment," adding that the "most appropriate" action is to expel Santos. He told CQ Roll Call Thursday that he would coordinate with House leaders on floor timing for the resolution, but said he expects that to be after the Thanksgiving holiday. It's unclear whether the chamber will get the two-thirds majority needed to purge Santos. The House voted 179-213 on Nov. 1 to reject a measure to kick Santos out of Congress, with 182 Republicans and 31 Democrats voting against the effort. But at least one Democrat said the Ethics Committee's report has changed his mind. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who voted against expelling Santos early this month, said on X, formerly Twitter, late Thursday that he "will vote for his expulsion" if Santos doesn't resign. Guest's resolution points to additional potential violations of federal law not covered in the 23 criminal charges in the indictment of Santos. Guest said the public attention on Santos, along with the federal charges in the Eastern District of New York, led the committee to finish its report without recommending a punishment, noting that such a recommendation would have delayed the report's release for months. |
| Nora Miller named grand marshal of Christmas parade | |
| With the holiday season coming up quickly, Main Street Columbus has announced that Mississippi University for Women President Nora Miller will be the grand marshal of the Columbus Christmas Parade. Miller will be appearing in the parade which starts at 6 p.m. Dec. 10. The parade follows the theme "A Classic Christmas," and will also include the Budweiser Clydesdales. We are honored that Nora Miller, 15th President of Mississippi University for Women, will represent The W and serve as this year's grand marshal," Barbara Bigelow, executive director of Main Street Columbus said in a Tuesday press release. "When thinking of 'classic' Columbus, The W definitely comes to mind, so President Miller seemed a logical representation. We are thrilled that she is available." Miller also expressed her excitement to serve as grand marshal in the release. "I am looking forward to joining other community members participating in the parade and serving as the grand marshal," Miller said. "This is quite an honor and, as a native St. Louisan, I am particularly pleased to be joining with the Budweiser Clydesdales." Main Street Columbus also shared its upcoming slate of family-friendly holiday activities as a way to "get into the holiday spirit." |
| Magee Center, Interfraternity Council partner to sponsor male mental health program | |
| A student-led partnership at the University of Mississippi promises to help male students better manage their mental health. The university's Interfraternity Council and the William Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education have partnered to offer Manual, an online program focused on mental health challenges for men. Users have 24/7 access to trained professionals to discuss a broad range of issues via phone call or text. Ole Miss students can access these resources by logging in and creating a free account on the Manual app or website. Ashton William Heath, IFC president, said he sought out a service this past spring that could mitigate the health and wellness challenges that college-aged men like himself face. The most common mental health challenges for all college students, based on professional assessments, include anxiety, depression, substance use, suicidal or self-injury behaviors and eating disorders. Heath said he has the Manual app on his phone and has used it many times, especially during stressful weeks. Research indicates that men are less likely than women to seek help for mental health difficulties. By providing easy access to reliable information online, Manual helps men take the first step. |
| Grant funds new playground for USM's Children's Center | |
 | The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation has awarded a grant to The Children's Center for Communication and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) through the USM Foundation. Officials said the funds will be used to build a new playground on USM's Hattiesburg campus. The playground will serve as an outdoor therapy space for children with complex communication needs and developmental disabilities who are currently receiving services from The Children's Center and as an inclusive play space for children in the Hattiesburg region with and without disabilities. "The playground at The Children's Center is much more than a playground," said Sarah Myers, director at The Children's Center. "This outdoor space is not used as a break from a child's therapy. On the contrary, when the space is set up to support it, it is an extremely effective therapy setting." |
| Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Lab is world's fastest | |
 | It triumphed despite a pandemic and historic disruptions to the global supply chain, achieving a feat so great that some of the world's leading scientists have called it a "miracle." It has accelerated discoveries into the universe, the human body and the tiniest of subatomic particles. Now, even as powerful new supercomputers have come online, Frontier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is still the world's fastest for the fourth time in a row and has established itself as a vital chapter in the lab's 80-year story. The $600 million, 296-ton machine built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and chip manufacturer AMD debuted in May 2022, breaking what the high performance computing world calls the exascale barrier with over one quintillion calculations in a single second. Just as the Top500, a list that tracks the fastest supercomputers, announced Frontier had yet again topped its biannual ranking, the Department of Energy announced a record number of science teams that will use its most powerful machines, including Frontier, in 2024. It's the first full year Frontier will be open to users around the world. The department owns both Frontier and Aurora, a newer and larger supercomputer at Argonne National Laboratory that failed to take the No. 1 spot on the November list. To scientists like Bronson Messer, director of science at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, it's not so much the No. 1 spot that matters, but the scientific breakthroughs Frontier will unlock. |
| Are Public Colleges in Texas Still Allowed to Celebrate Pride Month? Depends Who You Ask. | |
 | General counsels at Texas public colleges have outsize power this year to determine which services for historically marginalized students will end when the state's new law restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in higher education takes effect on January 1. That's because the law, Senate Bill 17, leaves too much to interpretation, critics say. As a result, general counsels' offices will be expected to figure out such details as what to do if job applicants submit unsolicited diversity statements, whether public-college employees may serve as faculty advisers for identity-based student organizations, and what kinds of diversity trainings are prohibited. Uneven application of the law could result in disparate experiences for members of historically marginalized groups, depending on which college they attend. A review of guidance documents released by three university systems so far raises questions about whether universities may hold programs to celebrate Pride Month, for example, or whether student health care, such as therapy organized around gender identity or sexual orientation, could be restricted at some campuses. The Texas measure, which was signed into law in June, prohibits public colleges from having diversity, equity, and inclusion offices; bans the use of diversity statements; forbids preferences to job applicants based on such characteristics as race and national origin; and ends mandatory diversity training. |
| Inside the Pro-Palestinian Group Protesting Across College Campuses | |
| After last month's attack on Israel by Hamas, Students for Justice in Palestine promoted a "tool kit" for activists that proclaimed "glory to our resistance." The group has been banned or suspended by Brandeis, Columbia and George Washington University. And it was recently the target of thundering speeches on Capitol Hill and blistered during a Republican presidential debate. In the six weeks since Hamas attacked Israel, there may be no college group that has drawn more scrutiny than Students for Justice in Palestine, perhaps the most popular and divisive campus organization championing the Palestinian cause. But unlike many national campus groups -- whether they are sororities, fraternities, religious or political -- Students for Justice in Palestine is by design a loosely connected network of autonomous chapters. There is no national headquarters and no named leader. There is a national student steering committee, but it is anonymous. The group has never registered as a nonprofit, and it has never had to file tax documents. One of the people who founded it about 30 years ago, Hatem Bazian, has described the setup as "a symbolic franchise without a franchise fee." That deliberate lack of hierarchy has been crucial to the network's ascent, allowing chapters to spring up with few obstacles, according to interviews with 20 people and a survey of videos, academic writings, archival news accounts and public records. The flat structure, though, has also fueled worries among pro-Israel groups that accuse the network of driving antisemitism on campuses, often with little accountability. |
| Will the Feds Strip Colleges' Funds Over Anti-Jewish, Muslim Bias? | |
 | Amid the protests and incidents that have rocked college campuses since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, a cry has gone up from conservative politicians and groups for the federal government to pull federal funding from colleges and universities if they fail to quell antisemitism and protect their Jewish students. Republican presidential candidates and members of Congress have been especially vocal in calling for such punishment. "We're not in the business of using taxpayer dollars to provide and nourish hate," said Utah Representative Burgess Owens, a Republican who chairs the House subcommittee on higher education, at the end of a hearing last week on campus antisemitism. "That is not the American way." But stripping colleges of their access to federal funds would be an unprecedented step for the Education Department to take. It's possible under the law, legal experts say, but it would only happen after a long and complex investigative process. However, Biden administration officials have said that they agree more action is needed to counter the recent rise in both antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses. And they have moved quickly to respond. Last week, the department's Office for Civil Rights opened six investigations into complaints alleging antisemitic or anti-Muslim harassment on college campuses. Based on past precedent, those investigations will likely result in a settlement or resolution agreement, not a loss of funding. If the OCR finds a college has violated federal civil rights law, it has the authority to yank federal funding, which would include the financial aid students use to pay tuition. |
| Opinion: PERS solvency based on model assumptions | |
 | Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: The Mississippi Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) has $20 billion of unfunded liabilities. That's approximately $16,000 for every Mississippi household. Ninety percent of Mississippi households will never get a dime from PERS. They don't work for the state government. They only pay into PERS through various government taxes. This creates some political tension. PERS is a defined benefit retirement plan, meaning a public employee gets a predetermined amount of retirement money. Defined benefit retirement plans are time bombs, putting all the stock market risk on the taxpayers and none on the public employees. Most private sector retirement plans, such as 401K plans, are defined contribution plans. Employees put in a defined amount and what they get out is determined by how their investments have fared. All the risk is on the employee and none on the employer. Mississippi's $20 billion PERS unfunded liability is clear evidence that our state needs to transition from a defined benefit to a defined contribution plan. So why don't we? |
| Politicians want private school vouchers, but not a vote to amend constitution to allow them | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: With Mississippi's general election in the rearview mirror, some conservative groups and politicians are calling for legislation in the upcoming 2024 session to send public money to private schools. The Mississippi Center for Public Policy, a group that supports school vouchers, sent out a news release proclaiming, "Mississippi conservatives have a super duper majority -- let's use it" during the upcoming session. Republicans -- presumably conservatives -- do have super majorities in the Legislature as they did for the past four years. But most state Republicans, including Gov. Tate Reeves, who won reelection on Nov. 7, did not campaign on the issue of spending public funds on private schools. The governor spoke a lot about public education, but uttered hardly a word on the issue of vouchers on the campaign trail or in his television commercials. The debate and possible legislation dealing with school vouchers apparently will take place against the backdrop of a case pending before the Mississippi Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of spending public money on private schools. What is before the Supreme Court is Section 208 of the Mississippi Constitution that states, "No religious or other sect or sects shall ever control any part of the school or other educational funds of this state; nor shall any funds be appropriated toward the support of any sectarian school, or to any school that at the time of receiving such appropriation is not conducted as a free school." |
| Peace looming between MHA and Medicaid | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford writes: Discord between the Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA) and the Division of Medicaid is dwindling. Six years ago the discord was palatable. MHA and 65 of its hospitals formed a non-profit corporation, Mississippi True, that developed the state's only provider sponsored health plan. Mississippi True then competed for one of the state's lucrative Medicaid managed care contracts. Under the leadership of Gov. Phil Bryant's appointed director David Dzielak, Medicaid ranked the hospitals' proposal next to last. Lack of experience appeared to be a key issue. Mississippi True "argues it will never have the experience necessary to win an award if it can't get the contract because of a lack of experience," reported the Clarion-Ledger. "They structure the RFP to give the contract to whoever they want," complained Sen. Angela Hill. The hospitals and MHA protested and took Medicaid to court but to no avail. United Healthcare, Magnolia Health, and Molina Healthcare got the precious contracts. After a while, the discord began to ease. Notably, when new proposals came up for review last year, Medicaid, under the leadership of Gov. Tate Reeves' chosen director Drew Snyder, ranked the hospitals' TrueCare proposal first. |
SPORTS
| QB Rogers shakes off rust to help Mississippi State boot Southern Miss 41-20 | |
| Following the firing of head coach Zach Arnett on Monday, Mississippi State had plenty of distractions heading into Saturday afternoon's showdown with Southern Miss. The loss of a coach, the upcoming Battle of the Golden Egg against rival Ole Miss and a rusty quarterback in Will Rogers made for an upset alert for the Bulldogs. But State found a way through it using a couple of late touchdowns in a 41-20 win over the Golden Eagles. Interim head coach Greg Knox was promoted to his post on Monday afternoon after serving as an offensive analyst earlier this year. The former MSU running backs coach from 2009-17 also took over when Dan Mullen left Starkville for Florida in 2017 and helped the Bulldogs to a TaxSlayer Bowl win over Louisville. "They took the team that we went over every day in the meetings and bought into it. They had a really productive week of practice and I was very pleased with their attitude and effort," Knox said after the game. Freshman kicker Kyle Ferrie proved invaluable early when he got MSU points when the team's offense was stagnant. Mississippi State hosts Ole Miss on Thanksgiving in the Battle of the Golden Egg. |
| Hubbard leads Mississippi State past Northwestern, 66-57, wins Hall of Fame Tip-Off | |
| Freshman Josh Hubbard put up a career-high 29 points to help Mississippi State pull away from Northwestern, 66-57 to win the championship game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Hubbard hit 4 of 8 from behind the arc and was 7-for-7 from the free throw line and has scored in double figures in his last four games. After Brooks Barnhizer hit from distance to put Northwestern in front, 48-47 with seven minutes left, Hubbard took over, feeding Cameron Matthews and Jimmy Bell Jr. for layups, then knocking down a 3 of his own to put the Bulldogs up 54-48. Over the closing stretch Hubbard scored 11 points, going 4-for-4 from the line. Dashawn Davis scored 11 points and D.J. Jeffries pulled down 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs (5-0), who shot 23 of 49 from the field (46.9%), including 8 of 22 from distance (36.4%). Mississippi State plays host to Nicholls Friday. |
| Bulldogs survive at Belmont to continue undefeated start to season | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball picked up a gritty win on the road Sunday afternoon in Nashville, a 63-62 win at Belmont that keeps the Bulldogs undefeated so far on the season and gives head coach Sam Purcell's team a quality road win against a tournament regular early in the schedule. Senior guard Darrione Rogers corralled a rebound with 17 seconds left and converted the putback to give the Bulldogs the lead for good. MSU (5-0) scraped past the Bruins (2-2) thanks to a collection of scorers in the starting five and off the bench. Jessika Carter led the way with 17 points, followed by JerKaila Jordan with 13, while three other Bulldogs finished with eight points on the afternoon. MSU now travels to Katy, Texas for the Van Chancellor Classic, with games against Clemson, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and Tulsa lined up for the weekend after Thanksgiving. |
| State's Historic Soccer Season Comes to a Close in the Sweet 16 | |
| No. 6 Mississippi State (12-6-5) faced off against the No. 2 Stanford Cardinal (18-0-4) on Sunday for an opportunity to place themselves in the Elite 8 of the 2023 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. After a hard-fought battle on the pitch, the most successful season in Mississippi State Soccer history came to a close as the Cardinal outlasted the Bulldogs 1-0. Stanford secured their solitary goal early in the match during the third round of the NCAA Tournament at Cagan Stadium. In the 11th minute, Elise Evans, a sophomore at Stanford, skillfully headed in the game-winner. The opportunity arose when Maya Doms' initial header from a Stanford corner struck the crossbar, only for Evans to be perfectly positioned to net her second goal of the season on the rebound. This marked the first of six corners for the Cardinal in the game. Impressively, Stanford has now achieved four consecutive shutouts, with the last goal conceded occurring in the 68th minute against No. 2 UCLA on October 29 -- resulting in an impressive 383:37 minutes of consecutive scoreless play. After trailing 1-nill at the half, State came out of the locker room with blazing fury, unleashing three shots and securing a corner kick in the early going to apply pressure to the Cardinal. State was also able to thwart many Stanford chances in the second half, frustrating the home crowd as they were unable to stretch the lead. As the game wore on, the Stanford defense remained stingy as they were able to hang onto the early goal to advance in the tournament. |
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