| Thursday, January 18, 2024 |
| MSU returns to normal operations Thursday, January 18 | |
 | Mississippi State University (all campuses) will resume normal operations on Thursday, January 18, at 8 a.m. after being impacted by winter weather and conducting remote operations earlier this week. Normal operations mean that all university employees are working at their assigned work locations, all university facilities are operational, and buildings are open based on normal operating hours, and students are attending classes based upon the mode of instruction for their courses. All campus activities proceed as scheduled. Those facing travel issues or other mobility issues may receive academic accommodations and should contact their faculty member or instructor. Students, faculty and staff should continue to monitor weather conditions and exercise caution and good judgment when traveling. MSU encourages all students, faculty and staff to monitor the media as well as www.msstate.edu and www.meridian.msstate.edu and official university social media for updates. |
| Warming areas serve cold, hungry and homeless through icy conditions | |
 | When the temperature dropped in the Golden Triangle this week, places to warm up opened in both Lowndes and Oktibbeha County. At the Oktibbeha County Warming Center at First Baptist Church's warehouse, which opened Sunday as a temporary overnight shelter, Emergency Management Agency Director Kristen Campanella said the number of visitors has grown from one to eight visitors staying overnight. Campanella said this has mostly included repeat visitors. Campanella said the Oktibbeha center has been open to everyone but homeless people primarily use it. Just a few, she said, simply did not have heat in their homes. The warming center in Starkville includes a sleeping room, recreation room, kitchen, showers and restrooms. The Red Cross provided the center's cots and blankets, while Starkville Strong provided snacks and staffing. The center has also received donations of blankets, jackets, gloves, hats, snacks and more from other sources, Campanella said. "Without all that, we wouldn't have been able to pull it off," Campanella said. Campanella said the overnight center will remain open through 8 a.m. Monday. Updates are available on the Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Agency/E911 Facebook Page. "We are monitoring the expected rain and cool (temperatures) that are expected for (Thursday) and may consider extending the hours depending on if we have the resources available to do so," Campanella wrote in a text to The Dispatch on Wednesday. "If not, we may look at transporting them to open warming centers nearby if they desire to do so." |
| Don't Laugh and Drive: U.S. Cracks Down on Funny Highway Warnings | |
 | In recent years, drivers across the country have chuckled (or groaned) at the humorous safety messages that have popped up on America's highways. But federal officials say some of the attempts at humor have gone too far and could be distracting or misunderstood. In the latest edition of the federal standards for highway signs, published in December, officials warned that messages "with obscure or secondary meanings, such as those with popular culture references" or those that are "intended to be humorous," should not be used. The federal guidance, reported by The Wall Street Journal, was a blow to state officials who have had fun moonlighting as comedy writers in an attempt to grab the attention of drivers. Paul Katool, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Transportation, is part of a group of employees who bat around ideas every month for funny highway signs, riffing on movies, pop music and upcoming holidays. One sign that drew widespread attention in Mississippi referred to the lyrics of the hit Taylor Swift song "Anti-Hero": "Texting and Driving? Say It: I'm the Problem. It's Me." Another popular one, Mr. Katool said, referred to the "Star Wars" television show "The Mandalorian," declaring: "Baby Yoda Uses the Force But Still Needs a Car Seat." Not every sign is a runaway hit, Mr. Katool acknowledged. When the movie "Barbie" came out last year, the department urged drivers not to text with the message: "Be a Doll, Use Your Accessories at Home." "It was popular," Mr. Katool said. "It wasn't super viral." Still, he said, humorous signs are "great conversation starters." "There's only so many ways you can say, 'Don't text and drive,'" Mr. Katool said. "People tune you out." |
| Furniture sellers hoped for a better 2023 | |
 | What even is a sale these days, when retailers race from one discount event to the next? Certainly the world of furniture belongs in that picture. And on Wednesday we got some news about how it's going for the sector. Despite some recovery during the holidays, furniture and home furnishings still saw an overall 4.7% decline in sales for the year, according to the Commerce Department. But it's been a bit of a rollercoaster for the industry over the past four years. Discretionary spending was totally happening last year -- just not in the way furniture retailers wanted it to. "If you spent $1,500, or $1,800 for a Taylor Swift or Beyonce ticket, that's the cost of, you know, of a sofa," said Bill McLoughlin, editor of Furniture Today. And in this economy, Swift is beating sofa. In part because consumers already splurged on furniture during the pandemic lockdown. And the chilled housing market hasn't helped either. McLoughlin believes what the industry really needs is an increase in affordable housing. "You put 10,000 people into a new home, that's 10,000 potential new sofa purchases," he said. But Mark Schumacher with the Home Furnishings Association isn't holding his breath on a construction boom. "We don't see new housing starts making any sort of a huge comeback," Schumacher said. He is hopeful that if the Fed cuts rates this year -- something many economists expect -- that could get more folks into new homes. |
| Mississippi Lottery passes $2 billion in gross sales | |
 | Since the first tickets were sold in November 2019, the Mississippi Lottery has passed $2 billion in gross sales. "These four years have passed in a flurry of excitement and growth," said Mississippi Lottery Corp. President Jeff Hewitt. "Reaching the $2 billion mark is an incredible accomplishment, and we are excited about continuing our growth and success into year five." MLC has returned more than $500 million to the state for roads, bridges and education. More than $377 million has gone to the Highway Fund and more than $142 million to the Education Enhancement Fund. By law, the first $80 million of lottery proceeds go toward the state highway fund to help with the state's infrastructure, with the remaining going to the the education enhancement fund. That deal is in place for the first 10 years of the lottery. After that, the first $80 million will go to the general fund. "Enthusiastic retailers, loyal players, dedicated Lottery employees and knowledgeable vendors have all contributed to the success of the MLC," said Mike McGrevey, chairman of the MLC board of directors. "Given the achievements so far and the plans for the future, I sincerely believe the Mississippi Lottery will continue to be a winner for Mississippi." |
| State Health Officer Daniel Edney asks Mississippi lawmakers to pay attention to health issues | |
 | During a Wednesday meeting of the Senate's public health and welfare committee, State Health Officer Daniel Edney gave updates and suggestions on emergency management services, prenatal care and healthcare availability throughout the state. Edney told legislators that while the state has made great strides in improving its national ranking in obesity and diabetes rates, sitting at 45th and 48th in the nation, respectively, he hopes the Mississippi State Department of Health will focus on improving its EMS system by working with county governments to possibly regionalize new jobs. "I plan to bring some good news to you, and then of course the challenges that continue to face us," Edney said. "...The workforce is small, and it's shrinking. So I'm working with the EMS Advisory Council, it's all hands on deck on what we have to do for workforce development for EMS, even with funding opportunities." According to a recent National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians report, most agencies nationwide reported increasing turnover rates on average from 8% in 2019 to 11% in 2022. "I'm just asking for attention to be paid to EMS," he said. "As EMS things come before you, really look at it." After the presentation, Committee Chair Sen. Hob Bryan, D, representing Itawamba, Lee and Monroe counties, told the Clarion Ledger the committee plans to take the information presented by Edney into consideration as it considers bills focusing on the public health sector this session and beyond. |
| In 2023, Reeves limited state business with China. Today, he's requesting state funds for a Chinese company. | |
| In 2023, Gov. Tate Reeves decried Chinese technology as "an existential threat" and signed bills limiting what business the state of Mississippi could do with China. In a special session today, he's asking Mississippi lawmakers to send millions in state taxpayer funds to a Chinese technology company to close an economic development deal. A China-based technology company is one of four companies that will partner -- pending legislative approval of a state incentive package proposed by Reeves -- to construct a $1.9 billion Mississippi plant to make an electric battery to power commercial trucks. Bill Cork, Reeves' appointed director of the Mississippi Development Authority, confirmed to members of the Mississippi House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday that three major commercial vehicle companies will each own 30% shares of the company, while the Chinese company, which will provide the technology to manufacture the battery for the commercial vehicles, will own 10%. Cork gave the presentation in advance of Thursday's special session called by Reeves, who is asking the Legislature to appropriate around $350 million in state incentives to entice the companies to locate their project in Marshall County near the Tennessee state line. Cork said he could not divulge the names of the companies involved in the project until after the Legislature passed the incentive package. But upon direct questioning from a Ways and Means member, Cork confirmed the technology provider is a respected Chinese company. |
| Lawmakers say Gov. Tate Reeves isn't focusing economic development in majority-Black regions | |
| Days after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves pledged to be a governor for all Mississippians, several Democratic lawmakers said Reeves uses his power to invest in certain parts of the state while ignoring others. The governor demonstrated his favoritism just this week, the legislators said in a Wednesday interview with Mississippi Today, when Reeves called a special session to ask lawmakers to spend $350 million in state funds to finalize an economic development deal in north Mississippi's Marshall County. The legislators say none of the state's recent economic projects have gone toward communities west of Interstate 55, an area where the Mississippi Delta and population hubs of Black citizens are located, or to the state's capital city. "Not taking anything away from Marshall County, but I do believe the impact of having 1,500 or 2,000 jobs west of I-55 would change the whole status of this state," Democratic Rep. John Hines of Greenville said. The Delta remains one of the most impoverished places in the nation. The region's hospitals are at risk of closing, and its citizens are continuing to leave for other areas of the state and other states, according to U.S. Census data. The Democratic officials argue that economic investment like the Marshall County project would give a major boost to west Mississippi, an area struggling to survive. Corey Custer, deputy chief of staff to Reeves, said in a Wednesday statement that the governor supports investing in all areas of the state, including the Delta, Hinds County and communities west of I-55. |
| Madison County legislators start the new session with big ambitions | |
| Schools, jobs, and infrastructure improvements are at the top of the list this legislative session in Madison County. The session began on Jan. 2. Sen. Walter Michel, a Republican who represents District 25 covering parts of Hinds and Madison Counties, said he is working with the Madison Business League to bring in state money for several road improvements in Madison County. Specifically, Michel said he wanted to continue to push to bring funds to the ongoing Reunion Parkway bridge over I-55 connecting to Bozeman Road. He said this project will work "in tandem" with a number of other projects proposed by the state and county including the widening of Gluckstadt Road and though is close to three years out, the widening of I-55 between Madison and Gluckstadt. "They all work together," Michel said. State Rep. Jill Ford, a Republican from Madison, said she is still working on her exact legislative agenda for this session but noted that she wants to concentrate on issues preserving representative government, parental rights, protecting women and children, reducing federal control of public schools and returning tax dollars to working families. She specifically said she would focus on supporting local schools and law enforcement. "As a Realtor, my personal goals will always be to protect law enforcement and public schools," Ford said. "The No. 1 reason why you buy real estate in Madison County is for safety and ability to educate your children in an A+-rated school system." |
| The Reeves-Presley 2023 campaign was the most expensive governor's race in state history | |
| The bitter 2023 election between Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic challenger Brandon Presley was the most expensive governor's race in Mississippi's history, according to campaign finance reports filed last week. Documents filed with the Secretary of State's Office show that Reeves spent $12.7 million last year, and Presley spent $13.1 million, totaling around $25.8 million spent between the two candidates. Excluding outside political action committees, the 2024 race shattered spending records in prior gubernatorial campaigns. The most expensive governor's race before the 2023 election was the 2003 race between Republican Haley Barbour and Democrat Ronnie Musgrove, when Barbour pumped $11.3 million into the race and Musgrove spent $7.7 million -- collectively $19 million spent. The candidate who spends more money on a campaign typically has a higher likelihood of prevailing at the ballot box, such as the case with Barbour in 2003. Presley, however, spent more money than Reeves, and the Democrat still lost with just 47.7% of the vote. The campaign cycle left Reeves with $23,000 in his main campaign account and Presley with $172,000. But Reeves still has around $1.9 million in a "legacy" account, which he can spend however he sees fit or even pocket the funds. Reeves' legacy account, which was created before state campaign finance law changed in 2017 to implement tighter spending requirements, has steadily accrued interest earnings since 2018. |
| Secretary of the Interior visits Tribe | |
| Choctaw Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben hosted Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland as she toured the homelands of the Mississippi Choctaws last week. Members of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education were also in attendance. The leadership delegates visited the Chahta Immi Cultural Center, Choctaw Central High School campus, surveyed the future site of the new Choctaw Central school campus, the newly constructed MBCI Boys and Girls Club Teen Center, and other sites. Secretary Haaland, BIA Eastern Regional Director Kimberly Bouchard, BIE Director Tony Dearman, and BIE Education Program Administrator Dr. Connie Albert made the visit to meet with Tribal representatives and discuss current Indian education reform initiatives. "Having Secretary Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, visit us here in Choctaw is a proud moment for our Tribe," said Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben. "During my visits to the Nation's capital, my topmost priority is for our Tribe to have a true working relationship with our federal government. Maintaining a true government-to-government relationship between the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and our Nation's leaders means they know who we are and that our needs are on their radar. Secretary Haaland's visit is a testament to this relationship, and we are very appreciative for her and her staff as well as members with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education to take time out of their busy schedules to visit us here in Choctaw." This is the third time the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, a member of the President's cabinet, has visited the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. |
| Biden meeting doesn't change contours of debate over Ukraine, border | |
 | President Joe Biden hosted congressional leaders and the top lawmakers on key national security committees Wednesday as the White House and House Republicans continue to talk past each other on what the president has called an urgent funding request. Speaker Mike Johnson, who previously met in person with the president shortly after taking office in October and spoke by phone with Biden about border issues about a week ago, has remained focused on those issues -- but the White House points to negotiations with Senate Republicans led by James Lankford, R-Okla., as the path to progress. The speaker has not been at the table for those discussions. And Biden may have made an impassioned plea to help Ukraine in the White House meeting on Wednesday, but afterward it seemed plain that the supplemental spending bill's legislative future still hinges, as it has for weeks, on a separate partisan row over managing a steady flow of immigrants on the U.S.-Mexico border. "I told the president what I had been saying for many months, and that is we must change at the border, substantive policy change," Johnson, R-La., said outside the West Wing. "There was remarkable consensus in that room. Just about every person in that room talked about the importance of aiding Ukraine. And everyone in the room also talked about that we had to do something about the border. It's broken and President Biden said he knows that and wants to really make significant change on the border," Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said at the Capitol after the meeting. |
| Trump turns his ire on Haley, with barrage of policy, personal and conspiratorial shots | |
 | Donald Trump is moving aggressively to finish off Nikki Haley. And he's taking a two-pronged approach to doing it: Going after his former U.N. ambassador on policy in public remarks while launching conspiratorial, even racist broadsides against her online. On Wednesday evening, the former president repeatedly assailed Haley, who has staked her campaign on a strong showing in the Granite State, accusing her of endangering entitlement programs, being in the pocket of donors and acting as a stalking horse for Democrats. "As you've probably heard, Nikki Haley is counting on Democrats and liberals to infiltrate your Republican Primary to put her over the top in this state -- which is no surprise, since her campaign is funded by Democrats," Trump said. "If Haley wins, Biden wins." He insisted he only picked her as U.N. ambassador to elevate his ally, Henry McMaster, to the South Carolina governorship by getting Haley out of that post. Haley, he added, would be "killed" by Biden in a general election matchup. Online the attacks have nothing to do with policy -- or with Biden. In a Truth Social post, Trump promoted a false conspiracy theory that Haley is ineligible to run for office because her parents, immigrants from India, were not U.S. citizens when she was born. The attacks seem designed to reach two very different types of Republican audiences. But their goal is the same: Sinking Haley in next week's New Hampshire primary and sewing up the GOP nomination early. In a sign of that focus, almost half of Wednesday's speech excerpts sent in advance to reporters by the campaign focused on Haley. Haley on Wednesday also kicked it up a notch, devoting a section of her longer than usual stump speech to Trump -- calling out lies her former boss has told about her policy record, and taunting him for not debating her. |
| DeSantis faces a bleak path ahead as he shifts resources to South Carolina | |
 | Ron DeSantis is turning his sights to South Carolina, moving much of his presidential campaign staff there and assuring allies that he plans to stay in the Republican race for that late February contest after effectively surrendering in New Hampshire. But the Florida governor's path to the GOP nomination is bleaker than ever, with Donald Trump cracking 50 percent of the vote in Iowa this week and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley running ahead of DeSantis in her home state. In New Hampshire, which votes next on Tuesday, DeSantis has become an afterthought, tumbling into the single-digits in public polls and expected to finish a distant third. Many Republicans have questioned the viability of DeSantis's candidacy, anticipating a string of defeats in upcoming states. "If he can't beat Trump in Iowa, a state where he went all in, he's not gonna beat him anywhere," said Alex Conant, who oversaw communications for Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign. "Hope is not a strategy," he said. DeSantis's pivot to South Carolina was another last-ditch reinvention for a campaign once seen as the biggest threat to Trump but that is now grasping for relevance. DeSantis aides say they can eventually win a one-on-one with Trump -- and suggest that if Haley loses South Carolina on Feb. 24 that would embarrass her out of the primary. But DeSantis -- not Haley -- is facing the biggest doubts about his longevity in the race. |
| Nikki Haley Has a South Carolina Problem: Her Home State Is Trump Country | |
 | Nikki Haley's long-shot strategy to win the Republican presidential nomination is to pull off an upset in New Hampshire next week over former President Donald Trump---then beat him again in her home state of South Carolina a month later. But she has a problem: South Carolina is Trump Country. Haley, who turns 52 years old on Saturday, grew up in the small city of Bamberg, S.C., went to Clemson University and spent most of her political career in the Palmetto State, serving as its popular governor from 2011 to 2017. Despite Haley's deep personal ties and political legacy, Trump, 77, has been considered the front-runner in South Carolina for months. Haley lags behind Trump by about 30 points in most state polls taken before the GOP field narrowed following the Iowa caucuses. Surveys show Trump with about 50% or more support of those polled, while Haley attracts about 20%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has polled in the low teens or lower. Trump is looking to quickly lock up the nomination after his win in Iowa on Monday, when DeSantis came in a distant second followed by Haley in third. To blunt Trump's rise, Haley would need to win, or come very close, in New Hampshire on Jan. 23, and then score a convincing win on her home turf in South Carolina's Feb. 24 contest. Rep. Ralph Norman, one of the most prominent Republican elected officials in South Carolina to endorse Haley, said he expected her to campaign hard in her home state and ultimately do well. He said the race now is between Haley and Trump. "Nikki has always come through," Norman said. |
| The Vatican's top expert on AI ethics is a friar from a medieval Franciscan order | |
 | Friar Paolo Benanti wears the plain brown robes of his medieval Franciscan order as he pursues one of the most pressing issues in contemporary times: how to govern artificial intelligence so that it enriches -- and doesn't exploit -- people's lives. Benanti is the Vatican's go-to person on the technology and he has the ear of Pope Francis as well as some of Silicon Valley's top engineers and executives. With a background in engineering, a doctorate in moral theology and a passion for what he calls the "ethics of technology,'' the 50-year-old Italian priest is on an urgent mission that he shares with Francis, who, in his annual peace message for 2024, pushed for an international treaty to ensure the ethical use of AI technology. "What is the difference between a man who exists and a machine that functions?" said Benanti in an interview this week with The Associated Press during a break at the Pontifical Gregoriana University, where he teaches courses such as moral theology and bioethics to students preparing for the priesthood. "This is perhaps the greatest question of these times, because we are witnessing a challenge that every day grows more profound with a machine that is humanizing." For his part, Benanti said that regulating artificial intelligence shouldn't mean limiting its development. "It means keeping them compatible with that fragile system that is democracy, that today seems to be the best system," he said. |
| Mississippi University for Women president 'confident' new name will be agreed on by Feb. 14 legislative deadline | |
| Last Monday, officials at the Mississippi University for Women caused a firestorm of controversy after they sent out a gung-ho announcement that the institution was changing its name to Mississippi Brightwell University. While most critics were not against the rebranding itself -- especially considering the university has been coeducational now for 41 years -- the bulk of opposition found the proposed name to be an overall poor choice. Alumni hit social media, complaining about the name but also feeling left out of the conversation, citing a school-conducted survey that didn't even include Mississippi Brightwell University as an option. Nora Miller, the president of Mississippi University for Women, admitted her mistake during a recent episode of The Gallo Show. Displaying genuine candor, Miller has pushed Mississippi Brightwell aside for the time being and has called for the school's naming task force to come up with a handful of options for the larger MUW community to choose from. "Right now, we are taking a bit of a pause. We announced our proposed name last week, and we have been getting a lot of feedback -- some that is very constructive feedback," Miller said. "So, we have hit the pause button. We are listening and reflecting on the constructive feedback... We are going to gather more information and see what can be acceptable. And this time, we will share prospective names with the larger community and get more feedback on those." While Miller stands by the decision not to use compass points or historical names, she did admit that the task force's decision to try to protect the school's storied "W" may have been a misstep in the process. |
| Start of spring semester delayed to Jan. 25 due to winter weather | |
 | As a result of the severe winter weather that has hit Oxford and much of Mississippi the University of Mississippi delayed the start of the spring semester to Thursday, Jan. 25. Chancellor Glenn Boyce sent an email to the university community informing students, faculty, and staff of the new start date for the semester and the cancellation of all campus activities Jan. 18 and 19. He also advised students to delay their return to Oxford until Jan. 23 at the earliest. "Hazardous conditions and extreme temperatures continue with the current forecast predicting temperatures to remain below freezing until Sunday," Boyce said. "University facilities crews need sustained above-freezing temperatures and space to operate in order to effectively clear a layer of ice covering roads, parking lots, and sidewalks on campus." All classes, in person, remote and hybrid, will begin at their regularly scheduled times on Thursday, Jan. 25. The delay affects the Oxford campus as well as all regional campuses. "While the weather conditions continue to present significant challenges, I am confident in our decisions to uphold the safety of our campus community which is always our top priority," Boyce said. "We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in getting another successful spring semester underway at the University of Mississippi." |
| Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo returns to Hattiesburg | |
 | The "Greatest Show on Dirt" returns to Hattiesburg January 26 and 27 for the 38th Annual Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo. The Department of Campus Recreation at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will host the event at the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center. The rodeo will start at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. Special entertainment will be provided by 15-time PRCA Rodeo Act of the Year, John Payne. Retired Southern Miss higher education professional and current City of Hattiesburg project manager, Sid Gonsoulin, will serve as the Rodeo Grand Marshal. The rodeo, which began in 1986 at the Southern Miss Equestrian Center with J. Hugh Mitchell as the first Grand Marshal, serves as a fundraiser for student scholarships and professional development. The rodeo has been held at the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center since its opening in 1999. Each year at the rodeo, cowboys and cowgirls show off their elite skills in barrel racing, calf roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, team roping, and bull riding. The top riders are eligible to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which is held in Las Vegas, Nevada. |
| Millsaps College names its 12th president | |
 | The Millsaps College Board of Trustees has named Frank Neville as its 12th president, according to a statement from the school. Neville was selected by the 17-member search committee, which consisted of trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and students. On Jan. 15, the Board of Trustees voted to elect him as the college's next president. Board Chair John Lindsey said in a statement, "Frank Neville distinguished himself throughout the selection process with a combination of experience, skills, and innovative thinking. These exceptional characteristics, together with his passion for liberal arts education, will be essential to Millsaps' future." Neville steps into a situation at Millsaps having the challenge of turning around a declining student population. Millsaps has an endowment of around $100 million and fewer than 700 students. Millsaps enrolled around 160 freshmen this fall. According to U.S. News data, Millsaps has 637 undergraduate students as of 2022. Neville currently serves as Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff at Georgia Tech. His background includes strategic planning, implementation, and executive management. Neville brings more than 35 years of experience to his new role. One of the biggest hurdles the search committee encountered during the hiring process was the negative publicity that Jackson has received in the past couple of years, such as the water crisis, crime rates and the garbage collection crisis. |
| Officials: New WCU Institute for Primary Care to offer 'generational benefit' for all Mississippians | |
| The College of Osteopathic Medicine's Institute for Primary Care under construction at William Carey University will benefit generations of Mississippians who are most in need of medical care, according to WCU officials. "The mission of William Carey University's College of Osteopathic Medicine is to train future doctors to follow Christ's example to serve the underserved," said Dr. Ben Burnett, WCU president. "The Institute of Primary Care will expand our ability to recruit and train primary care physicians, who are the people who have the most contact with patients in health care settings." The university broke ground last month at its Hattiesburg campus and site work is under way for the 60,000-square-foot facility which is expected to be completed in winter 2025. A $20 million infrastructure grant through AccelerateMS is financing the construction. Dr. Brett Golson, WCU vice president of spiritual development, said the institute's impact on WCU's mission to provide health care to underserved communities was "paramount." "We hold the nation's top ranking for service to rural communities, but our goal isn't simply to maintain that level of service -- but to expand primary care services to even more rural areas," Golson said. |
| LSU engineering building floods after pipe busts, videos show part of ceiling caved in | |
 | Videos posted to social media Wednesday show flooding inside LSU's Patrick F. Taylor Hall and part of the ceiling caving in on the first day of classes. LSU spokesperson Abbi Rocha Laymoun said the pipe burst on the fourth floor and caused water to leak down to the first floor. Freezing temperatures throughout the week are a suspected factor in the burst, Laymoun said. "The situation is now under control, and custodians are working to drain the water out of the building," Laymoun said Wednesday afternoon. Patrick F. Taylor Hall is home to the university's engineering school and was completed in 2017. The 410,000-square-foot building cost $114 million to build over three years. |
| Florida Board of Education bans DEI on college campuses, removes sociology core course | |
 | Goodbye, DEI. The Florida Board of Education Wednesday approved rules that prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion spending and remove sociology from general education core course options at community and state colleges. "We will continue to provide our students with a world class education with high quality instruction," Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said during the board's morning meeting on Tallahassee Community College's campus. The established rules follow Gov. Ron DeSantis's conservative target on education in the state, where he signed a DEI law last year that dismantles such programs in public colleges and universities while making changes to the post-tenure review process for faculty. While Florida's Board of Governors has already introduced similar DEI regulations for institutions in the State University System, the Board of Education's unanimous vote Wednesday officially implements the rule for the Florida College System -- which consists of 28 colleges. "DEI is really a cover for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination, and that has no place in our state colleges at all," Chair Ben Gibson said during the meeting. "Our state colleges need to be focused on learning and not any form of discrimination of any sort whatsoever." In addition, the regulation about the sociology course comes after Diaz --- who also serves on the Board of Governors --- made the proposal to the board to remove "Principles of Sociology" from the state's core courses for general education requirements during a November meeting. |
| ORNL research effort could define future of Navy's nuclear fleet, and some want it to end | |
 | U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann is pushing to defund a nuclear nonproliferation research program that supports work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in his district. Since 2016, Congress has given $100 million to three national laboratories to develop a new kind of fuel for the U.S. Navy, which powers all its aircraft carriers and submarines with onboard nuclear reactors. Fleischmann, chairman of the House subcommittee on energy and water projects, recommended the program to find a low-enriched uranium fuel for the Navy lose its $20 million budget. Where other Navy vessels use gas and oil as fuel, much like a combustion engine in a car does, aircraft carriers and submarines use uranium from decommissioned nuclear weapons. The so-called "Nuclear Navy" was born in Oak Ridge after World War II, as scientists scrambled to find uses other than weapons for nuclear power. Outside of a few research reactors transitioning to low-enriched uranium fuel, naval reactors are the only items other than weapons that use bomb-grade uranium in the U.S. Oak Ridge is instrumental not just in storing bomb-grade uranium, but in research that could push the Navy beyond it. In the last few years, samples of low-enriched uranium fuels have been tested for naval use at the High Flux Isotope Reactor at ORNL, according to a National Nuclear Security Administration report to Congress. |
| Harvard May Keep Interim President 'For Years' | |
 | Harvard University is likely to keep its interim president, Alan Garber, in place for years, despite calls to replace Claudine Gay with another Black woman, some top experts believe. Gay resigned the presidency after a record-short tenure of six months, relenting to a bombardment of complaints from conservative forces over pro-Palestinian campus protests and flaws in her scholarly writings. Harvard then named Garber, its provost, to replace her, pending a permanent appointment, without making clear how long the search process might take. That has touched off debates that include whether Harvard should name another Black woman to demonstrate its commitment to equity or keep a more traditional president such as Garber -- a professor of economics, public policy and health-care policy, who publicly demonstrates his Jewish faith and support for Israel and maintains well-established and even outsize ties to the university's corporate partners. Even some academic leaders supportive of Gay admitted they were wary of immediately subjecting another Black woman to the treatment she experienced, including a barrage of racist emails and phone calls throughout her brief presidency. "I think it's important to diversify leadership across higher education and all types of institutions," said Lynn Pasquerella, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and a past president of the historically female Mount Holyoke College. "But to subject another Black woman to that kind of hatred, vitriol and targeted attack would be unethical at this moment in time." |
| 4 More Colleges Face Civil Rights Investigations | |
| At the University of Minnesota in October, some faculty members were allowed to post statements in support of Palestinian people on official university websites -- a decision that, along with other incidents, a law professor and former regent say warrants a federal civil rights investigation. The Education Department appears to have agreed, adding Minnesota to its growing list of institutions under investigation for potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires federally funded institutions to protect students from discrimination based on race, color or national origin. The department has said that law also protects against discrimination based on shared ancestry, which includes antisemitism or Islamophobia. The law professor and former regent wrote in a complaint to the department that an investigation "could help alleviate an increasingly oppressive academic atmosphere for our students." Among other examples, they cited an incident in which a Jewish faculty member was "accosted" while filming a "pro-Hamas rally," the Star Tribune reported. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the Education Department has launched 51 investigations into complaints alleging discrimination based on shared ancestry -- 33 of which involve a college or university -- and not yet resolved any. Over all, the department has 99 open investigations related to Title VI shared ancestry violations that date back to 2016, meaning most were initiated in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The department's pace isn't letting up in the new year. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State Hosts Tennessee on Thursday; Tipoff Moved To 4 P.M. | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball hosts Tennessee inside Humphrey Coliseum to close out its first SEC home stretch on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. CT. on SEC Network. The contest was originally scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT prior to being moved up to accommodate travel with inclement weather conditions in the Southeast and surrounding areas. Despite the time change, gameday parking is expected to operate as normal. Due to parking lots being open during campus operating hours, an overflow plan will be implemented if needed. Parking attendants will guide passholders to secondary lots if necessary. If Lot CC is full, passholders will be directed to the North Garage. If Lot DD is full, passholders will be directed to Lot EE. Fans not in attendance can follow action on SEC Network with play-by-play Sam Gore and analyst Holly Warlick or through their Mississippi State radio station with Jason Crowder. Mississippi State improved to 15-4 overall and 2-2 in the SEC this season with a pair of victories at Arkansas on Jan. 11 followed by a home win over rival Ole Miss on Jan. 14. Mississippi State travels to take on Florida on Monday at 6:00 p.m. CT on SEC Network. |
| Mississippi State women's basketball announces tip-off time change against Tennessee | |
| Tip-off between Mississippi State women's basketball and Tennessee on Thursday inside Humphrey Coliseum has been moved to 4 p.m. CT, the school announced on Wednesday. The game was originally slated for a 6 p.m., but inclement weather forced a change. Mississippi State has been under remote operations this week due to snow and freezing conditions, although all campuses are returning to normal operations on Thursday. The game will still be televised on SEC Network. Mississippi State (15-4, 2-2 SEC) is looking to build momentum on its two-game winning streak, which was capped by a win against rival Ole Miss on Sunday. The Bulldogs opened SEC play losing their first two contests against Vanderbilt and No. 1 South Carolina but are back at .500 now. After a shaky nonconference, Tennessee (10-6, 3-1) opened its SEC slate on a strong note with three straight wins. However, UT comes to Starkville fresh off a loss at Texas A&M on Sunday. The teams split two meetings last season, with each program winning at home. MSU's win in Starkville came in a double-overtime thriller. |
| Purcell, Park-Lane address Auriemma's comments on NIL and transfer portal | |
| Following a win at St. John's on Saturday, legendary Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma delivered a lengthy response to a reporter's question about NIL and the transfer portal, and seemingly called out Mississippi State point guard Lauren Park-Lane, who transferred to the Bulldogs after spending four seasons at Seton Hall. "In women's basketball, where some of the teams in (the Big East), you've got a player that's really, really, really, really good who you've coached the hell out of and you've just made them who they are, it happened to Seton Hall last year," Auriemma said. "And that kid goes, 'Yeah, well, I think I can make more money somewhere else.'" Park-Lane and MSU head coach Sam Purcell addressed those remarks Wednesday, with Purcell emphasizing that Park-Lane had completed her four-year commitment at Seton Hall and graduated from the school with a degree in social and behavioral sciences. She only had an extra year of eligibility because of the NCAA's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, granting an additional year to all student-athletes who were in college during the 2020-21 season. Purcell said he listened to Auriemma's comments on Tuesday evening and agreed with much of his larger point, but took issue with the reference to Seton Hall, pointing out that Park-Lane was not the only Pirates player to transfer after last season. The Bulldogs' coach even brought in a photo of Park-Lane's teammates lifting her up in the locker room after Park-Lane set a program record with 10 made 3-pointers in a win at Colorado State last month. "Lauren Park-Lane is just an absolute winner," Purcell said. "The one thing I'm upset about as her head coach is nobody's talking about what makes her so special and so good. Lauren Park-Lane defines what's great about college athletics. Her story is more than just a basketball player. This is a young lady, first and foremost, who graduated from Seton Hall, graduated in four years." |
| Men's Basketball: Mississippi State's defense falters in loss to No. 8 Kentucky | |
| Against one of the best offensive teams in all of men's college basketball, Mississippi State's defense was not up for the challenge. No. 8 Kentucky raced out to an 18-point halftime lead Wednesday night, withstood a Bulldogs run early in the second half and went on to a 90-77 victory, sending MSU to its third loss in four games to open Southeastern Conference play. The Wildcats shot 55.6 percent from the floor, the highest percentage the Bulldogs (12-5, 1-3 SEC) have allowed all season and only the second time a team has made more than half its shots against MSU. Antonio Reeves led the way for Kentucky (13-3, 3-1) with 27 points, making eight of 12 field goals and all nine of his free throw attempts. The Wildcats were able to get to the foul line 27 times, compared to just 10 for the Bulldogs. MSU's offense was also sloppy in the first half, turning the ball over eight times leading to 10 Kentucky points. But the Bulldogs came out firing to start the second half, using a 14-2 run within the first three minutes out of the break to cut their deficit to six. The Bulldogs return to Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday to host last-place Vanderbilt. The Commodores, who lost to the likes of Presbyterian, San Francisco and Western Carolina in non-conference play, are all the way down at No. 250 in the NET rankings -- 69 spots lower than Southern, MSU's worst non-conference loss. |
| Chris Jans addresses Mississippi State's recent defensive struggles | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs are coming off three straight games where they've allowed at least 70 points. It's that kind of defensive struggle that head coach Chris Jans knows needs to be addressed. Part of the problem, as Jans explained, is that competition has improved in conference play. Still, he knows that the Bulldogs need to find a way to figure things out on that end of the floor. "Well, we're playing better teams," Chris Jans admitted. "That's certainly a part of it. We've had some great opponents already in the early part of the SEC season." This change isn't entirely surprising for Chris Jans, though, as SEC games are always going to be more challenging the a non-conference schedule is, and they're going to be more challenging more consistently. "That's what happens, more often than not. You play the non-league. Then, you play in this league, and you get exposed a little bit. We'll get back to work and figure out how we can get better on that end of the floor." Most recently, Mississippi State is coming off a 90-77 loss to Kentucky. In that game, the Wildcats shot 55.6% from the field and 30.4% from three-point range. The Wildcats also shot 17 more free throws than the Bulldogs, which was potentially the difference in a 13-point loss. Next up, Mississippi State will look to bounce back at home against Vanderbilt. |
| Bulldogs add Payton Woods from Sam Houston State | |
| Mississippi State volleyball head coach Julie Darty Dennis has dipped into the transfer portal for the first time this offseason, adding outside hitter and defensive specialist Payton Woods from Sam Houston State. Woods appeared in 14 matches for the Bearkats as a freshman in 2023, finishing with 3.2 kills, 0.82 digs and 0.43 blocks per set and earning a spot on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. She attended Lake Creek High School in Montgomery, Texas, where she set the school records for kills, digs and aces. The Bulldogs finished 13-15 overall last fall and 6-12 in Southeastern Conference play, and most of their offensive production will be returning in 2024. Kill leader Karli Schmidt is back for her final season of eligibility, and Amina Shackelford and Rebecca Walk will return as well. Middle blocker Sanaa Williams and defensive specialist Mary Neal are also back in the fold. "She is a wonderful, kind, talented and determined player and person," Darty Dennis said in a release. "She will fit right into our culture and our gym and will continue to help us work hard to achieve our goals on and off the court." |
| Former Bulldog Jordan Westburg to get flagship Topps rookie card in February | |
| On June 26, 2023, Jordan Westburg became the 64th player from Mississippi State to make their Major League Baseball debut. Westburg, drafted 30th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles, suited up with the O's for the first time against the Cincinnati Reds, going 1-for-4 with an RBI, walk and run scored in a 10-3 win. He ended up playing in 68 games for Baltimore last season, hitting .260 with three home runs and 23 RBIs, but on Feb. 14, he'll officially make his mark in baseball history. Westburg will be part of the 350-card base set of 2024 Topps Series 1 Baseball, the flagship product of baseball card collecting in the hobby, getting his first official rookie card. Series 1 is one of three Topps flagship products released every year, and with a wave of Mississippi State guys close to breaking into the big leagues, collectors could see more former Bulldogs in packs before the end of 2024. Former Bulldogs Justin Foscue, Jake Mangum, Zac Houston and Colby White could all see their big-league breakthroughs this season. |
| Trying to make sense of NIL and the transfer portal, like it or not | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: It is the question I get asked most no matter where I go: at a civic club, the barber shop, a tavern, the golf course, the grocery store or just about anywhere else. Goes like this: So, how do you really feel about name, image and likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal? Here's the truth: I hate the combination of the two. I despise what the two, together, have done to college sports, which is rip away the foundation of what the college sports experience was supposed to be about, both for participants and for spectators. Simply put, for me, it is not as much fun as it once was. I hasten to add, that is not because some athletes are making hundreds of thousands of dollars or that some are becoming rich before they even know what to do with the riches. Ever since college sports became a TV-fueled multi-billion dollar industry, I have believed the athletes should share in the spoils. Just not this way, with the right to play musical schools on an annual basis depending on who offers the most money. It's free agency without guidelines and without a salary cap -- and really, without any regard for education. The richest schools will get the best players, and the poor will get the hell beat out of them. ... Sports participation teaches many life lessons, one of which is that perseverance and hard work in the face of disappointment will pay off in the end. The portal teaches the opposite. Used to be that if you were a second teamer and weren't getting on the field or court as much as you desired, you buckled down and worked harder. Now? "Screw this," they tell the coach, "I'm going in the portal." |
| Ross Bjork follows family roots back to Ohio State | |
 | In 1908, Ross Bjork's maternal great-grandparents built a family farm in Williamstown, Ohio, 77 miles northwest of Columbus. Bjork said he remembers the sound of the gravel road leading up to the farm, knowing he soon would be surrounded by the warmth of family and a lot of Ohio State scarlet and grey. Decades later, while Bjork served as the athletics director at Texas A&M, he said his mother, Linda, would post more on her Facebook about the Buckeyes than her son's Aggies. "It's just a neat sort of family full-circle moment," Bjork said. In front of approximately 30 family members sporting Ohio State gear, media and other officials, Bjork was introduced as the heir apparent to the Ohio State athletic director position. He will take over the reins on July 1, a day after the retirement of current athletic director Gene Smith, who has served in the role for the last 19 years. Bjork's last day at Texas A&M will be Feb. 2, he confirmed with The Eagle. "The bus for Ohio State athletics only stops, maybe once, if any, and we can't control that bus schedule," Bjork said during the press conference. "We can't control when it pulls over, so the timing may not be ideal, but the stop is ideal for family and for family history. If one move could be surrounded by all of this, this was it." New Ohio State President Ted Carter, who has been on the job less than 20 days, said that he sought a candidate that could manage the magnitude of the Buckeye program, but, more importantly, navigate the changing college athletics landscape. |
| Schools set to pay at least $200 million in buyouts to hire and fire college football coaches | |
 | Major-college athletics departments likely will end up spending a combined total of at least $200 million in connection with football coaching and staff changes made during and after the 2023 season, a USA TODAY Sports analysis has found. The figure is based on commitments related to the firings and hirings of head coaches, assistant coaches and strength coaches, according to school documents obtained through open-records requests and e-mails with athletics department officials. In addition to paying buyouts to coaches they fire, or to assistants they do not retain after a head-coaching change, schools routinely cover buyouts that newly hired coaches may owe to their previous employer as compensation for breaking those contracts. This has become increasingly pricey for schools that fill a head-coaching position by hiring another school's head coach. And it has become increasingly common for schools seeking to fill assistant coaching positions. This type of spending comes against the backdrop of increasing calls for college athletes to receive greater benefits from their schools. This includes NCAA President Charlie Baker's recent proposal for a new competitive subdivision whose schools would be required to put at least $30,000 into "an enhanced educational trust fund" for at least half of their athletes. One coach for whom offset is not a factor is Jimbo Fisher. His record-obliterating $77 million-plus buyout will come entirely from Texas A&M, which fired him on Nov. 12. |
| ACC court filing accuses FSU of breach of contract, seeks damages | |
| The Atlantic Coast Conference filed an amended complaint in North Carolina Superior Court on Tuesday seeking damages from Florida State for "serial breaches of critical legal promises and obligations" and questioned FSU's right to have leadership in ACC positions. The 55-page filing in Mecklenburg County marks the latest in the procedural jockeying between the ACC and Florida State over that school's challenge to the league's grant of rights. The ACC had initially filed a claim on Dec. 21 to protect the league's grant of rights, which runs through 2036. FSU filed the next day in Leon County (Florida), claiming that the ACC restrained trade and breached the contract and citing years of mismanagement in the league. It began what promises to be a prolonged legal battle to test the legality of the ACC's grant of rights agreement. The ACC filing on Tuesday includes six claims, including FSU breaching its contract with the ACC, breaching confidentiality in the media rights agreement and breaching fiduciary obligations and obligations of good faith. The complaint includes a new claim for potentially "substantial" damages from alleged contract breaches: "The Conference have and recover of Florida State damages for its breach of the ACC Constitution and Bylaws in an amount to be proven at trial but which the Conference believes will be substantial." |
| Michigan's Jim Harbaugh says college athletes should unionize. What would that look like? | |
 | University of Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh after his team's championship win last week said college athletes should be able to unionize, one of the biggest endorsements the idea has received in years. Discussions on college sports unions are not new, but with the rise of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals and revenue-sharing for athletes, some think it is only a matter of time before at least some student-athletes organize. "I think the cultural winds are shifting here with a lot of administrative stakeholders and coaches are going to be moving in the direction of coach Harbaugh," said Jason Stahl, founder and executive director of the College Football Players Association, pointing out the Wolverines leader is the first head coach to come out in support of unions. The basic idea of student-athletes sharing in the sometimes tremendous revenue they bring in has broad support, but how organized labor would work in university locker rooms is unclear. Some experts say the changes would have to start with the top. "I think it would have to be smaller groups if you tried to do it. You know, with every college athlete or with every Division 1 college athlete --- that's too big, too unwieldy. ... I think it needs to be much smaller," said Mit Winter, a sports attorney with the law firm Kennyhertz Perry. Others say that it's important all college athletes can unionize if they want, regardless of what sport or division they are in. Stahl, however, says different unions would have to have different demands depending on the school and what type of revenue is brought in from their team. |
| Will Congress Block College Athletes from Becoming Employees? | |
| Attorney Michael McCann writes for Sportico: The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing Thursday that will weigh draft legislation declaring college athletes are not employees of their school, conference or the NCAA. The hearing, "NIL Playbook: Proposal to Protect Student Athletes' Dealmaking Rights," will center on a federal approach to name, image and likeness and feature NCAA president Charlie Baker as a witness. The draft legislation reflects discussions by a bipartisan group including Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.). The draft envisions schools having the capacity to prohibit NIL deals for gambling, tobacco, alcohol and certain other products. It also proposes the creation of a nonprofit entity, the United States Intercollegiate Athletics Committee, that would oversee NIL and direct transparency-promoting measures regarding agents, collectives and NIL parties. The draft would also bar colleges from signing NIL deals with athletes. These ideas, or similar ones, have appeared in prior drafts, some of which became bills, triggered Congressional hearings and generated media coverage. Not one NIL bill has made it out of committee for a vote. This year is an unlikely time for passage of NIL legislation. As the federal election on Nov. 5 nears, members will travel to their districts to campaign and fundraise. Some will go elsewhere to promote candidates for other offices, including president. Tucked at the very end of the draft legislation is arguably its most consequential provision: a statement that, notwithstanding other provisions in state or federal laws, college athletes "may not be considered" employees of their school, conference or the NCAA. There are three active legal matters that could lead to the recognition of college athletes as employees of the schools and, through joint employment, possibly their conference and the NCAA as well. |
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