| Monday, April 15, 2024 |
| Bost parking lot construction to cause temporary closure through August | |
 | Construction of a new parking lot north of Bost Extension Center is scheduled to begin April 15. The project also includes demolition of the existing parking lot. Traffic and pedestrian detours along portions of Bost Drive and Barr Avenue are expected through August. Drivers and pedestrians should use caution while traveling through the area. Contact the Facilities Management Service Desk at 662-325-2005 with questions. |
| International Fiesta makes its way back to MSU | |
 | The International Fiesta is back at Mississippi State. Saturday's annual event was held on the campus Drill Field. The International Fiesta is a day of showcasing many cultures that are on the campus of Mississippi State University. People had the opportunity to express themselves in many ways with displays of art, music, and, homemade dishes. International student, Nishat Shermin, says it is important for her to participate in these types of events. "We love to be a student here so we love to present ourselves, our culture, our friendship, our community, everything," Shermin said. "We love to be here to present to everyone." Senior, Naoufel Ghannami, says being a student at MSU has been a great experience so far. "The campus is very welcoming, I didn't have many difficulties when it came to integrating with the other community and of course, Mississippi State is a university that is such a good institution," Ghannami said. "It offers a lot of opportunities for both international students and local students so it has been a rewarding 4 years already." The Holmes Cultural Diversity Center at MSU hosted this event for the 32nd time. |
| Business incubator at Mississippi State University celebrates expansion | |
| A center at Mississippi State University that helps students get a leg-up on the business world is celebrating a major expansion. The Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach held the grand opening for its E-Center expansion Friday on the MSU Campus. The facility gives students the tools, support, and access to mentorship to develop their ideas into products and services, and get them to the marketplace. The CEO also helps existing businesses grow their footprint. The center's director, Eric Hill says one of the main goals is to keep homegrown businesses close to home. "I mean, I think at the end of the day, when you go around the country you see people where they start great businesses, and we hope that Mississippi State students learn the ability to do that here, and that they don't have to leave to start a great business. They can do it in Mississippi. They can be successful in Mississippi. So, that's a huge takeaway for me that I hope they get." |
| Barefoot Wine founders urge young entrepreneurs to be 'multifaceted' | |
 | If there's one word Barefoot Wine co-founders Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey want you to know, it's "multifaceted." "People ask us what the one thing is that made Barefoot so successful," Harvey said. "It's being multifaceted." Houlihan and Harvey were keynote speakers Friday afternoon at the ribbon-cutting for the Mississippi State University Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach's expansion. They have made Barefoot one of the top-selling brands in the country. "The Barefoot style is an approach that weaves its way through every decision that we made," Houlihan said. "It's how you deal with people, and it's also being resourceful and looking at your assets and hidden resources." Harvey said she and Houlihan ended up with an interest in a winery after its owners went bankrupt. They decided to take on the winery -- and its debt -- and turn it into a going concern, in spite of their inexperience in the field. Barefoot went on to become one of the nation's best selling wines, and Houlihan and Harvey sold it to E&J Gallo in 2005. They now work as entrepreneurship coaches. |
| Formosan termite swarms threaten large part of Mississippi | |
 | Invasive Formosan subterranean termites are expected to swarm soon and threaten unprotected structures in about one-third of Mississippi's counties. Santos Portugal, Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service urban entomologist, said Formosan termites typically swarm in the millions from early May to early June. They have the ability to infest and significantly damage structures much more quickly than native subterranean termites. "Swarming Formosan termites are reproductive, winged alates that go out on mating flights from established colonies," Portugal said. "They pair off, mate, detach their wings and look to establish a new colony." Like the native Eastern subterranean termites, they typically infest structures from the ground, but Formosan infestations also can occasionally arise from a mated pair of swarmers finding moist wood on a roof or above ground. Formosan termites were first discovered in Mississippi in Lauderdale County in 1984. Portugal said they are considered established in at least part of 26 primarily southern counties, but they potentially can be encountered anywhere in the state. "There have been Formosans collected from or near Starkville, Columbus, Louisville, Olive Branch, Tupelo and Oxford within the last decade, but these appeared to be isolated cases, and it is not known if Formosans are truly established that far north," he said. |
| There's 5 times as many bull sharks off Alabama now -- but don't worry about shark bites | |
 | Baby bull sharks are showing up way more often in the waters off Alabama, researchers found. In a study published March 14 in Scientific Reports, researchers found that the number of bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) caught per hour increased five-fold between 2003 and 2020. All the bull sharks captured and released were juveniles, likely because the baby sharks use these sheltered waters to grow and feed. While bull sharks are among the most aggressive of shark species, beachgoers don't need to worry that the increasing presence of these stout-bodied fish will lead to more shark bites, lead author Lindsay Mullins, a fisheries scientist at Mississippi State University, told Live Science. Despite the misconception that sharks hunt humans, "they're really not interested in you." However, they may prey on some of the animals that get caught in fishing gear, so fishers may notice more of these juvenile bull sharks feeding on their catch, Mullins said. |
| Annual King Cotton's Crawfish Boil held at the Hub Plaza | |
| Starkville held its annual King Cotton Crawfish Boil. There was unlimited crawfish tasting and live music. This is an annual fundraiser that the Main Street Association holds for the community. The annual Crawfish Boil started in 2016. This is the first year to have the event at the newly renovated Hub Plaza. The Starkville Main Street Director, Paige Watson, talked about how the preparation was for the event. "Well, we were scared earlier in the year with knowing about the crawfish crop and the supply and demand," Watson said. "But, we were able to get everything good to go and I think this is going to be one of the best fundraising years for us." "So everybody was excited to come out and we had a great committee working on this event. Like I said we had a great turnout." Watson said they were able to raise around 20 thousand dollars from the event. |
| Dr. Watress Harris named new Starkville High School Principal | |
 | Dr. Watress Harris has recently been named the new Starkville High School (SHS) Principal. A SHS graduate, Harris earned his bachelor's degree, master's degree, and a PhD in Education from Mississippi State University. He has served as principal of the district's alternative school, The Learning Center, for seven years now and will begin at SHS on July 1, 2024. In a recent press release, Starkville Oktibbeha School District Superintendent Dr. Tony McGee commented on the decision to hire Harris and the expectation from the school district for Harris based on his previous performance. "As I've gotten to know Dr. Harris over the last two years, I have come to respect and admire his heart for shepherding students as they grow into their best selves and supporting teachers as they deliver excellence in the classroom," McGee said. "His commitment to the Starkville and Oktibbeha County community has been evident each day as I've watched him work to provide not only learning opportunities, but a path to redemption for some of our district's most troubled students. I believe his servant's heart and track record of discipline and high expectations will serve Starkville High School and our community very well." When asked what his immediate plans for the school are, Harris told the Starkville Daily News that gathering information and relationship building would come first. In addition, including staff, parents, and students in meetings to address concerns would be among his first plans. |
| Starkville's Jennifer Jeffries advances to 'American Idol' top 20 | |
| Starkville teenager Jennifer Jeffries advanced to the top 20 of American Idol on Sunday night, but will her latest performance be enough to launch her into the top 14? That will be up to fans of the hit TV show to decide. After finding out she had advanced in the competition, Jeffries took the stage with a rendition of Matt Maeson's "Grave Digger." Even though we've reached the point in the competition where the judges don't vote on who goes to the next round, they still review each performance in real time, and it was clear they weren't pleased with Jeffries' latest. Lionel Richie, first to provide his feedback, asked Jeffries to stay true to herself and stage confidence would come naturally. "If I could give you a big bucket of confidence and just pour it all over you, I would," Richie said. "You have a crack in your voice, you have a growl in your voice, and I'm here to hear your style. So, embrace it." Luke Bryan, who previously said Jeffries has "an amazingly unique voice" never before seen on Idol, echoed Richie's sentiments and asked Jeffries to bring back the Indie "gravel and texture" that brought her this far in the competition. |
| Simulating a solution: ERDC works to help reopen port following Baltimore bridge collapse | |
| As crews continue working to clear the wreckage beneath the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, strategies for how to best undergo the mission to reopen the port are taking place in Vicksburg. Dr. Keith Martin, a research physicist with The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), said simulations have been underway at ERDC this week with boat captains from the Baltimore area. The overall goal, he said, is to find the best possible way to navigate around the ship itself, which has been stranded in the water since the March 26 collision and is blocking the port's main shipping channel. Martin said, in order to accomplish that goal, ERDC has set up bays with nearly 360-degree simulations of the Patapsco River, where the accident occurred. Martin said ERDC's part in that process includes helping reopen that port in an attempt to avoid economic repercussions that could affect the U.S. as a whole. "Baltimore is the largest roll-on, roll-off cargo port in the nation," he said. "That means cars, trucks, bulldozers. For those vehicles you drive on the highway or that you see on a construction site, a lot of that comes in through Baltimore. It's a big deal. The other thing that is there, is it is also a major coal-exporting terminal. So, the coal keeps coming into the ports and it's just turning into this mountain of coal on the side of the harbor." The Vicksburg District was tapped for the project, he said, because of its focus on engineering. |
| Magnolia State tourists spent $7.5B in 2023 | |
 | The Mississippi Tourism Association hosted its annual Tourism Day at the Capitol on March 6, unveiling a 9.9% increase in visitor spending over 2022, translating to $7.5 billion spent in the state's fourth-largest industry. MTA Executive Director Danielle Morgan attributed the boost in part to the Legislature's swift and strategic investment in tourism recovery funding and the success of Visit Mississippi's marketing efforts. As a result, Mississippi outpaced the region and ranked 11th nationally in year-over-year spending growth in 2023. Importantly, Mississippi saw a 10.7% increase in air passengers visiting the state, with an upsurge in out-of-state travelers. Last year's visitor activity contributed $744 million in state and local taxes, a 10.2% increase, the equivalent of $663 in tax savings per household. Final visitation numbers will be available this summer, after the state transitions to a new data analytics program. The Mississippi Business Journal chatted with Morgan to dig a little deeper into the 2023 tourism picture. |
| Mushrooming construction costs delay Eola project | |
 | Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson said that while he still thinks a renovated Eola Hotel will reopen in Natchez, he shares the community's frustration that the project has taken so long. "It should come as no surprise to anyone that getting the Eola done has not only been a top priority but also one of my top frustrations during the entire time I've been mayor thus far," Gibson said. The development team, which consists of Randy Roth of Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based, Endeavour Corp. and Eola Hotel owner Robert Lubin, remains committed to the project, Gibson said. Estimated construction costs for the Eola project have mushroomed to more than $30 million since the project was announced in August 2021. In February 2023, the Board of Aldermen took the beginning steps in the process to create TIF funding of about $4 million for use with the hotel project. Those funds will come from a Mississippi Development Authority tourism rebate program, which Gibson called a souped-up TIF program. "For projects that have a tourism component, it allows more of the sales tax dollars to go to the retirement of the debt than a traditional TIF allows," he said. Some have criticized the use of taxpayer funding for the Eola project. Gibson said his inspiration for making the Eola project a reality comes from Gary Rhoads, mayor of Flowood. "He single handedly took charge of the development of a new hotel in Flowood called the Sheraton. He told me if I sit back and wait for everybody else to do it, it's not going to get done. As mayor, you've got to wear them out," he said. |
| Revival of historic Mississippi church gets help from 'The Help' movie director | |
 | It couldn't be more picturesque; a small 1800s church atop a terraced hill in the center of a community outside Natchez. It's a sight that will make almost anyone pause and take in. The church is in need of repair, but Christ Episcopal Church in Church Hill is now getting new life and undergoing restoration with the help of the community including the director and the producer of the movie The Help. "I was driving down (highway) 553 and came around the bend and saw the store and saw the church," said Tate Taylor, a Jackson native and director of the 2011 movie The Help, which was filmed in Mississippi. "I had a spiritual wash come over me. "It has that effect on people. It's the oldest (Episcopal) congregation in the state. I really took to the church. I've been asked if it was real or just a movie set." And real it is. The congregation formed in 1820, just three years after Mississippi became a state. The church building, which is its third house of worship, was built in 1857. At that time, it served a small community of plantations. "It's a gothic revival-style building," said Carter Burns, executive director of Historic Natchez Foundation which has an advisory and consulting role in the project. "That was a popular style for churches in the mid-19th century. It's a very well-preserved example. Chapel of the Cross in Annandale is from about that same period and is that same style. The style really lends itself to churches." |
| Houses of worship open their doors for Spring Pilgrimage | |
| While the Columbus Spring Pilgrimage often revolves around antebellum homes and historical houses, a few of the city's houses of worship opened their doors for this year's season. On Sunday, the Preservation Society of Columbus hosted its Progressive Church Tour, bringing visitors to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Annunciation Catholic Church, Main Street Presbyterian Church, the building that formerly hosted First Baptist Church and Temple B'nai Israel. While Pilgrimage used to include some church tours, society founder Gaines Gaskin said this was the group's second year putting together a progressive version of the tour including multiple locations. "We just wanted to share all of the historical churches, and there are so many," Gaskin said. "We were just so excited to be able to do it." At St. Paul's Episcopal Church, docent Steve Pieschel told The Dispatch he has been a member for more than 40 years. He has given tours of the church as a part of Pilgrimage for about 20 of those years. "I like to teach people about the church and its history," Pieschel said. "The history is very interesting to me. Its connection to the town, the area, to the change from antebellum politics to post-bellum politics." Pieschel told the group the episcopal church was originally built on the north side of town. After a false start in 1837, a new version was constructed next to the Stephen D. Lee Home in 1838. After disagreements with Lee, Pieschel said, the church relocated once more to its current location on College Street in 1860. |
| Mississippi's secretary of state takes tidelands war to radio; foes accuse him of 'false statement' | |
 | Secretary of State Michael Watson is more determined than ever to see the state Legislature pass a law that gives his office sole control over Coastal tidelands along the Mississippi Sound and its bays, and further limits potential casino sites. Watson said earlier this week on SuperTalk Mississippi, a favored venue for state politicians, that the proposed legislation is even more essential going forward because of a recent Supreme Court decision that his office lost. The legislation is expected to be hashed out by a conference committee of Senate and House members shortly before the session is scheduled to end May 5. "As you well know that's been a big issue on the Coast," Watson, who is from Pascagoula, told SuperTalk host Gerard Gibert. Watson said the Supreme Court decision in a Biloxi case "effectually gutted" the current tidelands law. The recent case, involving an acre on the Mississippi Sound in East Biloxi known as the Aldrich property, was decided in favor of the landowner and local governments. It's the fourth tidelands case the secretary of state has lost in recent years. The Supreme Court found the Aldrich property is outside the state tideland's boundary. Investors who want to lease the Aldrich property as part of a potential casino site said Friday that Watson made a "false statement" on SuperTalk by claiming the court decision gutted the current Tidelands Act. |
| Director appointed to oversee internal affairs at Dept. of Public Safety | |
| Commissioner Sean Tindell has appointed a candidate to oversee operations within the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Patrick Beasley has been dubbed the director of the newly created MSDPS Internal Affairs, Standards, and Professionalism division. The unit will consist of representatives from each sworn division that is under the umbrella of the department of public safety. Beasley has spent years in various professional settings spanning from law enforcement, legal practice, and military service. Before joining MSDPS, Beasley served as an assistant district attorney in multiple districts throughout the state, director of the consumer protection division within the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, a narcotics officer for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and a military police officer for the United States Army, serving as both a commissioned and non-commissioned officer. "Since I have been commissioner, transparency has been a top priority. Creating this Internal Affairs Division will further strengthen our commitment to holding our officers accountable and strengthening integrity within our organization," Tindell said. "Patrick Beasley brings a wealth of experience, integrity, and a commitment to upholding the highest standards of accountability and transparency to his role as Director of Internal Affairs." |
| Mississippi Congressional delegation urges Air Force to select Meridian's Key Field for KC-46 home | |
| Mississippi's full Congressional delegation is actively advocating for Key Field in Meridian to be the future home of the new KC-46 aircraft, a military refueling and strategic transport plane. In a letter to Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall dated April 9th, both U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) along with Congressmen Trent Kelly (R-MS 1), Bennie Thompson (D-MS 2), Michael Guest (R-MS 3) and Mike Ezell (R-MS 4) outline why Key Field in Meridian should be selected. "Key Field's existing infrastructure, including runways and maintenance facilities, is well-equipped to accommodate the KC-46, reducing the need for significant additional investment during these times of constrained resources," the delegation states. "Additionally, Meridian's favorable weather conditions and access to ample airspace make it an optimal environment for conducting large-scale exercises and mission-focused training encompassing multiple operational plans to demonstrate and rehearse for complex, large-scale military operations -- a main requirement to generate readiness which addresses the current force and the Department of the Air Force's ability to stay competitive. Selecting Meridian as the location for the new KC-46 would enhance the Air Force's operational capabilities." Key Field is already home to KC-135 planes, which are air refueling tankers that provide rapid global mobility and combat support to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The 186th Air Refueling Wing, which hosts over 1,200 officers and airmen, operates these planes out of Meridian. |
| Voters think the nation is going off rails -- just not in their state | |
 | Voters are not shy about saying how bad they perceive things are. Ask if the nation is heading in the right direction, and barely a quarter of voters will say yes. Ask them whether the national economy is good, and more than 65 percent will say no. Yet beneath those dire ratings, voters are much more upbeat about how things are where they live. A majority view their state's economy as doing well, and many are likely to view the state -- but not necessarily the nation -- as being on the right track. It's a strange predicament that has puzzled some economists and has politicians in both parties searching for explanations. That chasm between the state of the states and the state of the nation could determine whether President Biden wins a second term and who will control Congress next year. All this could translate very differently when it comes to how voters size up candidates to represent them on the state, local and national level. "They're saying our economy is good but the national economy stinks," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Thursday. Some of this is a new normal, resembling a prior generation's axiom that voters hated Congress but loved their own congressman. |
| Donald Trump Backs Speaker Mike Johnson, Looking to Quell Leadership Challenge | |
 | Donald Trump threw his support behind House Speaker Mike Johnson as he sought to halt an attempt from within their own party to oust the Republican leader, who appeared with the former president here in a show of solidarity ahead of the presidential election. During a roughly 30-minute press conference Friday designed to back the embattled speaker, Trump also said he would testify in his coming criminal trial involving a porn star, appeared open to some form of aid to Ukraine, said he opposes a national abortion ban and criticized one of the nation's most powerful and controversial surveillance programs. "It's not an easy situation for any speaker. I think he's doing a very good job, he's doing about as good as you're going to do," Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said at his Mar-a-Lago resort here. Trump's remarks came days before the start of jury selection in New York on Monday over criminal charges related to payments he made to his lawyer-turned-fixer to suppress allegations of sex scandals against him during his 2016 campaign. Asked if he would agree to take the stand in his defense, Trump said: "I would testify. It's a scam." The Trump and Johnson political operations are close, and people on both sides have explored other ways to work together, including on cutting taxes and regulation, increasing domestic energy production and securing the border, according to people familiar with the discussions. |
| Donald Trump to Face Deep Blue Jury Pool as Hush-Money Case Begins | |
| Donald Trump's hush-money trial begins Monday in one of the bluest parts of the country, where a jury full of Democrats could decide the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's fate. Jury selection in the case, involving the alleged coverup of a payment to buy a porn star's silence, could take a week or more. The presiding judge, as well as prosecutors and Trump's lawyers, are expected to question hundreds of prospective jurors to weed out anyone who can't set aside their views of a former president whose tenure sparked deep divisions. Picking an impartial jury on Democratic turf, where President Biden won 87% of the vote in the 2020 election, will be challenging, say trial consultants. "I can't think of another place where he is more loathed than his hometown of New York City," litigation consultant Alan Tuerkheimer said of Trump. Manhattan prosecutors charged Trump last year with 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a payment to X-rated film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. It was the first of four criminal cases brought against Trump in state and federal courts, and may be the only case that wraps up ahead of the November election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, of charging him out of political spite. |
| How Israel Fended Off Iran's Drone and Missile Attack | |
 | On Saturday, Iran launched more than 300 drones and cruise missiles at Israel, a response to a strike earlier this month against Iran's embassy in Syria. As the drones made their way across the Middle East en route to their target, Israel has invoked a number of defense systems to impede their progress. None was more important than the Iron Dome. The Iron Dome, operational for well over a decade, comprises at least 10 missile-defense batteries strategically distributed around the country. When radar detects incoming objects, it sends that information back to a command-and-control center, which will track the threat to assess whether it's a false alarm, and where it might hit if it's not. The system then fires interceptor missiles at the incoming rockets that seem most likely to hit an inhabited area. "All of that process was designed for defense against low-flying, fast-moving missiles," says Iain Boyd, director of the Center for National Security Initiatives at the University of Colorado. Which also makes it extremely well-prepared for an onslaught of drones. "A drone is going to be flying probably slower than these rockets," Boyd says, "so in some ways it's an easier threat to address." The question now is whether the tensions will escalate from here, and how Israel's air defense resources hold up after October 7 and months of sustained attacks on Gaza. "I think that's probably part of the strategy on the part of Iran, is that the last six months has probably depleted the number of interceptors available to the Iron Dome systems," says Boyd. "They saw for themselves the effectiveness of the Hamas attack. I think they're trying to use the same approach." |
| Opera scenes to be performed at MUW | |
| Mississippi University for Women's Department of Music will present an evening of selections from opera and musical theatre April 19-20 in Kossen Auditorium in Poindexter Hall at 7:30 p.m. Stage direction is by associate professor of voice Susan Hurley, who created the Opera/Musical Theatre class. "I'm extremely proud of our W students for their dedication and passion in preparing for this performance. They've studied the characters and historical context behind each scene from each opera and musical, and they've brought their own strong, informed dramatic choices into each rehearsal. I'm truly excited for audiences to see and hear their artistic work on the stage," Hurley said. The performances feature ensembles from Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro," "The Magic Flute," as well as scenes from Loesser's "Guys and Dolls,"alongside other selections from music drama. The performance is free and open to the public. The performances will also be available via livestream at the MUW Music Department website, muw.edu/music. |
| MSMS Alumni reconnected on the school's campus this weekend | |
| Every year, former students of Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science gather on MUW's campus for the school's alumni weekend. The MSMS Foundation hosts the event allowing alumni to come together and keep up with the school. This year's milestones classes were 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. Sheila Kinder is the manager of the MSMS Foundation. She said it also allows alumni to connect with current students as well. "MSMS is such a very close-knit community and family. so the students who come through MSMS have such a unique experience that it really bonds them together. and having our alumni come back and interact with our current students so that they can see what's going on today and our current students can see where our alumni have gone after they left MSMS," Kinder said. Five-year alumni Dev Jaiswal is a Princeton graduate. He said MSMS is a special place that helped prepare him for college. "The thing that I like about MSMS is that it's a really good place to start. you know, you're not thrust out into the world just like you know you get a little place to start developing those skills you're going to need during college, during your first job or second job, um you get that preparation a little bit earlier," Jaiswal said. |
| UM undergraduate's air quality initiative at Central wins award | |
| Dylan Barker, an undergraduate researcher at the University of Mississippi, has been awarded the prestigious Stamps Impact Prize for his innovative initiative aimed at enhancing air quality in educational environments. The Stamps Impact Prize, funded by the Strive Foundation, supports undergraduate-initiated research projects, creative achievements and community service endeavors. Barker's project, which was developed in collaboration with the Pharmacy Administration Department, seeks to address the critical issue of indoor air quality in classrooms. Through an after-school program at the Boys and Girls Club, Barker and his team introduced students to STEM projects and taught them research methods. One of the key projects undertaken is the development of the Corsi-Rosenthal box, designed to demonstrate the impact of environmental factors on health and strategies to mitigate them. "The Corsi-Rosenthal box is a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration," said Barker. "It's affordable, accessible and has the potential to significantly improve air quality in classrooms, ultimately enhancing the learning environment for students." |
| FestivalSouth returns this year, featuring USM performers | |
 | FestivalSouth is returning this year to the Hattiesburg area, from May 28 through June 22, featuring many University of Southern Mississippi faculty, alumni, students and staff members. Events are planned around the weekends, Thursday through Sunday, with Artie Events for Families earlier in the week. "The shared investment of our community, including the City of Hattiesburg, Forrest County, The University of Southern Mississippi, the City of Hattiesburg, Lamar County and a vast network of business and individual sponsors and donors represent an ongoing mission to enrich the area with the arts," said Artistic Director Dr. Mike Lopinto. "Every year, their support and our incredible community provides well-produced, top-quality events that are designed to entertain and educate a wide variety of people." A significant cultural and economic driver for the Pine Belt, FestivalSouth calls on the community to join them by participating and supporting the arts of this and other organizations by their visible attendance at events. "The arts are vitally important to us as a community," said Amanda Powell, chairwoman of the Hattiesburg Concert Association, parent organization of FestivalSouth. "Our mission to showcase the area's arts and artists is no more apparent than in this epic summer showcase. " |
| Crowds fill Biloxi Beach for Black Spring Break despite denied permit, many frustrated | |
| Spring breakers still showed up in crowds for the annual Black Spring Break in Biloxi, despite a denied special events permit and a canceled concert. On Saturday, crowds relaxed and danced on Biloxi Beach, which is a public beach open to anyone, but many attendees voiced concerns over the lack of parking and new measures put in place on the event. "It's a slow start and I think the city of Biloxi is doing the best to try to keep their community safe, but once you get a bunch of young people in the sun for some fun its a force to be reckoned with, you can't stop people coming together," Yunni Bun, a spring breaker from Atlanta, Georgia, said as she sat by the beach with her friends. A special events permit filed by organizers of Black Spring Break was denied by Biloxi City Council earlier this month after the city raised concerns about an empty lot north of U.S. 90 that was listed on the application to be used for vendors and parking. The city says it was concerned about parking and vendors being on one side of the busy Highway 90 and the beach, where the event is happening, on the other. Black Spring Break previously hosted vendors and parking on the empty lot in past years, but the city says holding the event there violates new ordinances on special events enacted by the city over safety concerns after a shooting at Black Spring Break in 2023. "I'm not ever coming back," John Lewis of Lake Charles, Louisiana, said. Lewis, who traveled with his two teenage sons to Biloxi for the weekend said he was bothered by the lack of access to parking and the large police presence. |
| Pickleball grows in Auburn along with court wait times | |
| Pickleball, a sport much like a mix of tennis and ping pong, has experienced an unprecedented rise in popularity and has become one of America's favorite pastimes. In Auburn, this burgeoning interest has led to the creation of a pickleball club and a large and expanding community on the hardtop. However, pickleball's popularity has created growing pains, such as significant wait times. Due to persistent high demand, there is usually a large group of students waiting for a pickleball court at both of Auburn's locations at any given time. Both locations, one on Samford Avenue and one near the resident overflow (RO) parking by the Village, offer no way to reserve a court aside from the Pickleball Club's allotted times. When asked about the length of court wait times, Hannah Black, Auburn graduate student and frequent pickleball player, said that she would come more often if wait times were shorter. "I always have to wait at RO, sometimes up to an hour," Black said. Recreation and Wellness Director of Facilities and Operations Scott Harper said, "Recreation and Wellness is aware of the desire for additional [pickleball] courts and is always looking ahead to meet the future needs of our students. |
| Selective admission process suggested for U. of Florida's PK Yonge Developmental Research School | |
 | Some big potential changes to the University of Florida's PK Yonge Developmental Research School were suggested by a UF official at a recent Board of Trustees meeting. On March 8, Penny Schwinn, vice president of PK-12 and pre-bachelor programs, outlined her goals and recommendations to make PK Yonge (specifically the high school) a top 10 school in the state. The school serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade with a mission to "design, test, and disseminate innovations in education through serving a diverse K-12 community." The school's current student population is representative of Florida's racial and income demographics -- something it prides itself on as a research and innovation school for Florida. However, this could change after Schwinn's proposal for a selective admission system at the high school. PK Yonge's high school is currently #38 in Florida, Schwinn presented, and she voiced a goal to bump this into the top 10. She said 35 of the 37 schools ranked above PK Yonge have selective admission (minus two traditional public schools in high-income areas), meaning they don't reflect the state. Additionally, most of these schools are in large urban areas, meaning they are pulling students into those school communities from a significantly larger population. "If we are thinking about PK Yonge being a top 10 high school in the state of Florida, it would require selective admissions," Schwinn said. |
| Sen. Eric Schmitt talks DEI policies in Cato Institute panel | |
 | Sen. Eric Schmitt, the junior senator from Missouri, participated in a panel discussing the effects of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, or DEI, that have become a hot-button issue across the nation. The panel was hosted by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank founded in part by Charles Koch, and included Schmitt and Erec Smith, a research fellow at the Cato Institute and Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. In Missouri, lawmakers have targeted DEI policies by proposing legislation last year that would prohibit government entities from engaging in business with companies that included diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in their policies. The bill ultimately failed after Missouri lawmakers in the Senate saw that it was effectively cripple government operations, as even the electric companies that powered the state capitol building included DEI as part of their business policies. During his time as Missouri attorney general, Schmitt led multiple crusades against Missouri school districts, including Springfield Public Schools, which he sued over Sunshine Law requests related to diversity, equity and inclusion policies allegedly used in faculty training. "Diversity and inclusion, of course people want to be accepting of those things," Schmitt said. "But ultimately, that's not what this is about. It's about an ideology that separates people by race, principally, and it's really disruptive." |
| Matt Gaetz, far-right leaders, challenge Clemson after incident with students canvassing | |
 | Congressman Matt Gaetz, a national far right figure, has jumped into the frenzy over a viral video from Clemson College Republican students who were told they couldn't canvas outside a football game, by challenging the president of Clemson to answer eight questions. The viral video surfaced on X, formerly known as Twitter, and South Carolina Republicans expressed concern with how the students were treated by university officials outside the Orange and White spring football game. The video, which spans around six minutes, features the interaction April 6 between Clemson University students and officials. As the football game is heard in the background, the College Republican students are outside the stadium canvassing for S.C. state Rep. Stewart Jones, R-Laurens, who is running for the third congressional district. The students were told they could not be outside the stadium campaigning. On April 11, Gaetz wrote a letter to Clemson University's president, asking him to respond to eight questions about the incident including who the university officials and officer were, if they would face disciplinary action and what the university will do to ensure it doesn't happen again. "No student, indeed no citizen on the grounds of a public institution should have to go through this kind of ordeal," Gaetz, a Congressman from Florida wrote. |
| Crime on campus has rebounded. Experts say it's no problem, but some parents still worry | |
 | The number of crimes reported by college campuses rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, government data shows. Crime reported from nearly 6,000 institutions rose about 8% from 2019, even though enrollments dipped during that timeframe. The jump in offenses between 2019 and 2022 coincided with students' post-pandemic return en masse to campuses. Compared with year-over-year changes before 2019, the recent spike represents the largest increase since post-secondary institutions that receive federal funding began reporting campus safety statistics. Experts see little reason to worry and say the numbers are largely consistent with what colleges have been experiencing since 2013, according to S. Daniel Carter, president of the consulting firm Safety Advisors for Educational Campuses. Following a steady decline starting around 2006, the number of crimes reported by colleges and universities remained pretty stagnant over the last decade, according to government data. Yet when foot traffic on and around campuses diminished due to online classes during the pandemic, crime dropped precipitously in 2020. In the years since it has inched up again. The recent increase was mostly driven by a surge in reported motor vehicle theft, which more than doubled from 2019 and accounted for more than a quarter of offenses in 2022. Carter was skeptical of that spike, saying it could be traced to schools changing their reporting requirements to comply with federal law. "There has been some work done to increase awareness that scooters and golf carts are motor vehicles -- that could be a factor," he said. |
| Far fewer young Americans now want to study in China. Both countries are trying to fix that | |
 | Stephen Garrett, a 27-year-old graduate student, always thought he would study in China, but the country's restrictive COVID-19 policies made it nearly impossible and now he sees interest among fellow scholars wane even after China reopened. Common concerns, he said, include restrictions on academic freedom and the risk of being stranded in China. These days, only about 700 American students are studying at Chinese universities, down from a peak of close to 25,000 a decade ago, while there are nearly 300,000 Chinese students at U.S. schools. Some young Americans are discouraged from investing their time in China by what they see as diminishing economic opportunities and strained relations between Washington and Beijing. Whatever the reason for the imbalance, U.S. officials and scholars bemoan the lost opportunities for young people to experience life in China and gain insight into a formidable American adversary. And officials from both countries agree that more should be done to encourage the student exchanges, at a time when Beijing and Washington can hardly agree on anything else. "I do not believe the environment is as hospitable for educational exchange as it was in the past, and I think both sides are going to need to take steps," said Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. |
| Punishments Rise as Student Protests Escalate | |
 | Six months after the Israel-Hamas war set off a new wave of campus activism in the United States, students are still protesting in full force. And at some institutions administrators are responding to student demonstrators -- especially supporters of Palestinians -- with increasingly harsh discipline. In late March, Vanderbilt University police arrested four students and a local journalist after protesters took over the chancellor's office, demanding the administration restore an Israeli divestment-related amendment removed from the student government ballot. Three students were subsequently expelled and others received suspensions or disciplinary probation. Less than two weeks later in California, 20 students were arrested at Pomona College -- and some have since been suspended -- after masked protesters from the Pomona Divest from Apartheid coalition stormed the president's office and allegedly hurled a racial slur at an administrator. And on Saturday, the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at Rutgers University at New Brunswick said in a statement that it was cancelling a walkout "in solidarity and remembrance of the people of Gaza who no longer have any universities left," planned for Monday, after administrators reportedly warned them of possible suspension or even expulsion if the protest went forward. In some ways, the actions of the students and the college administrators resemble campus climates during the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War and the apartheid era in South Africa, among other eras of social upheaval. What has changed, however, is the pressure politicians and donors now exert on college leaders to support a particular viewpoint. |
| 'The Antisemitism Is Absolutely Disproportionate' | |
 | The fractious, sometimes violent debate over the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses has not cooled, even as the conflict enters its sixth month. College administrators have struggled to figure out the right balance between some students' rights to free speech and others' rights to be protected from discrimination and harassment. That debate erupted at UC Berkeley this week when a dinner for graduating students held at the home of law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky devolved into a heated confrontation when a Muslim student disrupted the event to make a pro-Palestinian speech and was physically confronted by Chemerinsky's wife, Catherine Fisk. A fierce fight about freedom of speech -- and accusations of anti-Muslim and anti-Jewish bias -- quickly followed. The debate at Berkeley is particularly notable since the campus was the birthplace of the student Free Speech Movement in the 1960s. The crown jewel of the University of California system is now under investigation by both the federal Department of Education and House Republicans about its on-campus antisemitism. One of the administrators navigating this crisis is John A. Pérez, who sits on the Board of Regents for the University of California, the governing body of the sprawling 10 campus public university system that has nearly 300,000 students. Pérez, who attended Berkeley as an undergraduate, is used to the political spotlight, having served for four years as the state's Assembly speaker. In an interview, Pérez told POLITICO that the student protest at Chemerinsky's home crossed a line and described how campus leaders can do more to push back on what he sees as a dangerous surge in campus antisemitism. |
| Republicans Find a Scapegoat for the FAFSA Mess | |
| After months of decrying the Biden administration's disastrous handling of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) and pledging to hold someone accountable, Republicans in Congress have begun to focus their ire on one man: Richard Cordray, who leads the agency that oversees the application. "It's time for Cordray to go and for the department to wake up and realize that blindly following Biden's agenda is irreparably damaging student success," Representative Virginia Foxx, the North Carolina Republican who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, said in a statement to Inside Higher Ed on Friday. Frustration and fury over the slow and glitchy FAFSA rollout, which has created havoc for many students and colleges alike, is bipartisan. But Cordray, the man in charge, is a familiar foe for conservatives on Capitol Hill, and so far only they have called for his dismissal. The former Ohio attorney general, an ally of Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, took over the Office of Federal Student Aid in May 2021. The agency, which is under the Education Department, has an expansive portfolio that includes running the student loan system and FAFSA. Cordray's appointment was decried by Foxx and other conservatives. Cordray previously tussled with Republicans when he was the founding director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau -- an agency loathed by conservatives -- from 2012 to 2017. |
| Legislature on track for record education funding, but House leaders could derail effort if they don't get their way | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: The Mississippi House's proud proclamation earlier this session that they had voted to spend the most money in the history of the state on public education is no longer true. Now the state Senate can make that boast -- by a smidgen. The Kindergarten through 12th grade appropriations bill approved last week by the Senate provides about $6 million more for local schools than the House proposed earlier this session. The Senate is proposing about $256 million more than the $3.08 billion being spent in state funds for the current year. In the coming weeks, the House and Senate will have to reach an agreement on a budget for public education for the upcoming fiscal year that begins on July 1. The escalation in spending on public education is being spurred, at least in part, by the ongoing dispute between the two chambers on whether to rewrite the long-standing Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which provides state funds for the basic operation of schools. House leaders, some of whom historically have opposed MAEP because they said it provided too much money for public education, are trying desperately this session to replace it. |
| Senate votes for dog to catch runaway car | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: The dog is awfully close to catching the runaway car -- the dog being the Legislature and the car being PERS. The Senate voted overwhelmingly last week to move authority for increasing employer contribution rates from the PERS board to the Legislature. Should the House concur, well, how does the dog fare anytime it catches the car? Legislators have long loved having the power to give out retirement benefits (retirees tend to vote). They set the benefit amount PERS participants accrue for each quarter year of eligible employment. They established the generous options for determining each participant's "high four" -- the four years used to calculate retirement pay. They created the three percent COLA compounded annually that generates those ever-growing 13th checks. In contrast, legislators have assiduously avoided taking responsibility for the payment of those benefits. Instead, they delegated limited authority to the PERS board. PERS gets to set and collect "contributions" from both employers and employees. PERS gets to invest those revenues to generate funds to pay for benefits. But PERS cannot reduce or change any benefits. ... Since 2011 when the PERS Study Commission appointed by former Gov. Haley Barbour recommended that the Legislature make big changes, legislators (in cahoots with top state leaders) have done basically nothing to address the growing PERS deficit. |
SPORTS
| Julia Lopez Ramirez Wins Second Consecutive SEC Golf Championship | |
| Julia Lopez Ramirez captured her second consecutive SEC Individual Championship on Sunday behind an impressive 10-under par performance. With her second-straight SEC Championship, Lopez Ramirez becomes the fourth golfer in SEC history to win back-to-back championships, and the first since Arkansas' Maria Fassi did it in 2018 and 2019. She is also the only golfer in program history with multiple SEC titles. Lopez Ramirez excelled in the three-day tournament, dominating from start to finish. The junior, ranked as the No. 4 amateur in the world according to the World Golf Amateur Rankings, never finished a round lower than second and earned her best three-round score of the season (-10, 203). During stroke play of the SEC Championship, she carded three straight rounds in the 60's, highlighted by her third-round score of 5-under par 65, her best round of the championship. The Bulldogs finished fourth as a team with a three-round total of 8-over par. With their fourth-place finish, State advances to the match play portion of the tournament to determine the team champion. Match play of the SEC Championship will begin on Monday, with teams squaring off in head-to-head competition. Mississippi State will be matched up against Kentucky in the quarterfinals. The two teams are set to tee off at 7 a.m. CT with the winner advancing to the semifinals later in the day. The semifinals of match play will be broadcast live on SEC Network beginning at 3 p.m. CT. Tuesday's championship broadcast will begin at 9 a.m. CT. |
| Bulldogs Set To Host Mossy Oak Collegiate | |
| The No. 26 Mississippi State men's golf team is slated to close out the regular season by hosting the two-day Mossy Oak Collegiate on April 15-16. This is the third consecutive year that the tournament has been played as the Bulldogs' home event at the Mossy Oak Golf Club in West Point. MSU will host a field of 13 other schools that includes No. 2 Auburn and in state rivals No. 5 Ole Miss and Southern Miss. "We are excited to host this week," head coach Dusty Smith said. "I know the team loves playing at home in front of the home crowd." The Bulldogs' starting lineup will consist of Hunter Logan, Garrett Endicott, Josep Serra, Harrison Davis and Drew Wilson. David Beard, Alejandro Pedryc, Bo Blanchard, Ben Loveard, Alejandro Fierro, Pedro Cruz Silva, and Loic Ettlin, who is making his season debut, will compete individually alongside the starting five. "What a great opportunity in front of us this week," Smith added. "We need to be excited to compete this week and make sure we keep our mind focused on what we can control." The first and second rounds of the Mossy Oak Collegiate will feature a shotgun start at 8 a.m. CT. Round 2 will be played continuously after the completion of Round 1. Round 3 will follow on Tuesday morning beginning at 8 a.m. CT from the No. 1 and No. 10 tees. |
| Mississippi State women's basketball promotes assistant Gabe Lazo to associate head coach | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball is promoting assistant Gabe Lazo to associate head coach, the program announced Friday. Lazo, who was hired in 2022 as part of coach Sam Purcell's first staff, is entering his third season with the Bulldogs. He helped lead MSU to a second-round appearance in the 2023 NCAA Tournament before reaching the quarterfinals of the WBIT this year. "Lazo has deservedly earned the reputation as one of the top assistants in the nation and is an invaluable piece of our program," Purcell said in a school release. "His work ethic is unmatched, and he possesses an elite talent as a relentless recruiter, motivator, mentor and player developer. From his ability to identify talent and build relationships to his expertise in teaching our defensive system, his contributions are second to none. He is undoubtedly a future leader of a program." The promotion comes amid changes to the team's staff for the first time in Purcell's tenure. Assistant Murriel Page and the program have parted ways, as reported by the Clarion Ledger last week. Former Eastern Michigan coach Fred Castro is expected to replace Page. The Bulldogs also saw assistant Corry Irvin get hired as the coach of Chicago State. |
| Gabe Lazo promoted to associate head coach | |
| Mississippi State announced the promotion of women's basketball assistant Gabe Lazo to associate head coach on Friday, retaining a valued member of head coach Sam Purcell's staff. "Gabe Lazo has deservedly earned the reputation as one of the top assistants in the nation and is an invaluable piece of our program," Purcell said. "His work ethic is unmatched, and he possesses an elite talent as a relentless recruiter, motivator, mentor and player developer. From his ability to identify talent and build relationships to his expertise in teaching our defensive system, his contributions are second to none. He is undoubtedly a future leader of a program." Lazo was one of the first arrivals alongside Purcell in 2022, helping the program steady itself over two seasons with the Bulldogs advancing to the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament and the quarterfinals of the 2024 WBIT. "I'm incredibly thankful and humble for the opportunity to advance my career at Mississippi State," Lazo said of the promotion. "I appreciate the trust that our student-athletes, administration and Coach Purcell have placed in me. We have achieved a lot of these last two seasons, and there is a clear vision for this program that I can't wait to help accomplish. I promise that we will continue to work tirelessly to build on the rich tradition of this program and I couldn't be more excited about the future here." |
| No. 12 Dawgs Down Hogs To Finish Third In SEC | |
| Matt Roberts' 'Road Dawgs' struck again on Sunday as No. 12 Mississippi State wrapped up its regular season with a 4-2 victory over 34th-ranked Arkansas. It was the fifth consecutive match the Bulldogs have won on the road against a ranked opponent and their 10th ranked triumph of the spring overall. MSU (17-6, 9-3 SEC) finished the regular season in third place in the Southeastern Conference standings. The Bulldogs receive a double-bye and will take on either sixth-seeded Alabama or No. 11 seed South Carolina in the third round of the SEC Championships on Friday at 2 p.m. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "Today was another great team effort by all of our guys," Roberts said. "It can be difficult playing at Arkansas in between both sides of the crowd if you let it get to you. But our guys didn't let anything get to them in this match. It started with doubles with Pete and Bento as well as Carles and Dusan and Pete serving it out the way he did. Singles was a grind and Dusan was so mentally tough in his third-set tiebreaker. I'm proud of the boys and ready to get to work for the SEC Tournament." |
| MSU Wraps Regular Season With SEC Win | |
| Mississippi State closed out the regular season on a winning note Sunday. First-year head coach Chris Hooshyar claimed his first SEC victory as his Bulldogs beat Missouri 4-1 and snapped a 25-match conference skid during the regular season that dated back April 17, 2022. "I'm proud of them for not turning it in," Hooshyar said. "I think a lot of teams would've turned it in much sooner in the season. One of the things we wanted to do was continue to build. I feel like our practice court environment has improved a lot and our workout habits have improved. We've still got a heck of a long way to go on self-belief when we step onto the court, but you're also in a league where you have to earn everything. I couldn't be more proud of them." MSU (11-15, 1-12 SEC) will be the No. 13 seed in the SEC Championships and meet 12th-seeded Kentucky on Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT in Athens, Georgia. |
| Sherrill thanks his players, coaches during TSHOF induction | |
 | Former Texas A&M head football coach Jackie Sherrill had a highly successful, colorful career that included a seven-year stint with the Aggies, winning three straight Southwest Conference championships. That accomplishment helped earn the 80-year-old Sherrill induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Sherrill was part of the 2024 induction class, which was honored at Saturday night's banquet at the BASE at Extraco Events Center. "You know it is a great honor to be here and it's also a great honor to understand what this means," Sherrill said. "There are so many great athletes in the state of Texas and there's so many that are not in this sports hall of fame and eventually they will get here." Sherrill saw action at fullback and linebacker at Alabama for legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant, playing on two national championship teams. Sherrill started his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Bryant. He coached at Pitt for five years and 13 years at Mississippi State. The other inductees were Waco native Andy Cooper (deceased), Negro League all-star pitcher and manager who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame; Judge Roy Hofheinz (deceased) who helped bring major league baseball to Houston; former Prairie View A&M track & field coach Barbara Jacket (deceased); Texas Tech men's track & field coach Bubba Thornton; former University of Texas softball All-America pitcher Christa Williams; and former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. Sherrill said it was an honor to go with Leach, a close friend, who died in December 2022. Leach, who coached at Mississippi State from 2020 until his death. |
| In One of Higher Ed's Hottest Fights, These Documents Have Become Exhibit A | |
 | If you were on the University of Colorado at Boulder men's golf team last year, you were told you "must do something nice for someone EVERY DAY." If you played baseball for the University of Texas at Austin in 2022, you could only wear one chain during practice or games. And if you were on the Texas A&M University at College Station volleyball team recently, you were expected to sit in the first three rows of every class. Those rules are spelled out in athletes' handbooks, documents that many teams and colleges ask their players to sign and adhere to. The handbooks have been featured as high-profile evidence in two recent cases before the National Labor Relations Board challenging colleges' classification of athletes as amateurs, rather than employees. In a case that is still ongoing, the NLRB heavily quoted from the University of Southern California's handbook for athletes in a complaint alleging that such players should be reclassified as employees. A February decision in a similar NLRB case cited Dartmouth College's handbook as part of the rationale for granting the men's basketball team the right to unionize. "The student-athlete handbook in many ways functions as an employee handbook," a regional NLRB director wrote in the Dartmouth decision, "detailing the tasks athletes must complete and the regulations they may not break." All students must follow campus rules. But college athletes have an additional set of rules that govern how they spend much of their time, what they say publicly, and how they should look and act. |
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