| Tuesday, July 16, 2024 |
| Mississippi State veterinarians save life of endangered sea turtle named 'Toast Malone' | |
 | Veterinarians at Mississippi State University have successfully performed life-saving measures on a pair of endangered sea turtles. The first was a Kemp's ridley sea turtle, named "Toast Malone" by veterinary professionals at the university, who had its third successful visit for specialized care. According to MSU officials, the turtle recently arrived in Starkville with a fishhook lodged in its stomach. MSU Professor and College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Internist Dr. John Thomason performed an endoscopy to successfully remove the fishhook, saving Toast's life. The veterinary college has seen this specific sea turtle, performed similar procedures, and microchipped the reptile to track and monitor its recovery. The efforts are part of the university-based Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security (GCAHFS) and its Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Health Program -- a collaboration between MSU and the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport. Thomason noted that turtles have great geographic navigational skills, and they are likely to return to familiar areas, despite hazards they may encounter. Through the GCAHFS Gulf Coast Aquatic Health Program, CVM faculty, staff, and students regularly play a key role in the rehabilitation of marine animals such as sea turtles. |
| Mississippi State's CVM saves life of sea turtle | |
 | A Kemp's ridley sea turtle had its third successful visit for specialized care at Mississippi State University's (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). The turtle, also known as Toast Malone, recently arrived with a fishhook lodged in its stomach. Officials said MSU Professor and CVM Internist Dr. John Thomason performed an endoscopy to successfully remove the fishhook. According to MSU, the veterinary college has seen this specific sea turtle before, performing similar procedures and microchipping the sea turtle to track and monitor its recovery. The efforts are part of the university-based Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security (GCAHFS) and its Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Health Program. Along with Toast, a loggerhead sea turtle known as Mudpie also came to MSU with two fishhooks. Both were successfully removed by Thomason, additional CVM faculty and fourth-year veterinary students. Both turtles left the Starkville-based veterinary hospital the same day as the procedure and returned to the care of GCAHFS faculty and staff on the Mississippi coast for further rehabilitation. |
| Caterpillar, fungus affects drought-stressed trees | |
 | The consequences of last year's significant drought continue to appear in trees all throughout Mississippi. Landowners in Central Mississippi have recently reported damage from variable oakleaf caterpillars and hypoxylon canker, according to the Mississippi Forestry Commission. The combination of the caterpillars and hypoxylon canker has been observed affecting trees in towns including Raymond, Flora and Pocahontas. Variable oakleaf caterpillars favor oak trees but will also feed on other hardwood species. Hypoxylon canker is a fungus that can reduce growth and in severe cases kill trees. The fungus is always present in the environment and is spread by wind. For drought-stressed trees, the double whammy can be a serious threat, but healthy trees will be able to withstand both pests, said Brady Self, a forestry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. "In normal years, neither hypoxylon canker nor variable oakleaf caterpillar result in significant amounts of tree damage or mortality," Self said. "However, last year's drought added a stressor that both pests may exploit, and it is possible that the two may work in conjunction with one another causing a greater incidence of damage and mortality." |
| Community Profile: Old state license plate inspires art expert's pottery designs | |
 | Born in Trinidad and growing up in Barbados, Starkville High School art teacher Ashia Gandy remembers always finding ways to be creative. Now, she is still bringing that same spirit to her artwork -- pottery inspired by the Mississippi license plate. Once in Mississippi, she attended East Mississippi Community College for two years, Mississippi University for Women for a semester, and eventually, Mississippi State University. Gandy worked as a substitute teacher until she earned her teaching license. Then she taught in Noxubee County for two years before ultimately landing in the art teacher role at Starkville High School in 2010. "My favorite part of teaching is the light I see in students' eyes when they either get the concept or when they actually do something or create something that they didn't think they were capable of doing, when they start believing in themselves," Gandy said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when Gandy was stuck in her house, she started experimenting with her own art. While she had worked with pottery in the past, along with acrylics and watercolors, the time at home made Gandy find the inspiration for her Mississippi license plate-themed pieces. Gandy was cleaning out the garage one day when she discovered an expired white license plate. From there, she got the idea to incorporate the bold Mississippi emblem on her pottery, and continued to work on this design. Later, when the Mississippi flag changed, she incorporated the magnolia design into her collection as well. She makes pottery from cups to platters with Mississippi displayed on the front. She said this set of art really allows her to express her pride for the state. |
| Starkville police make arrest in robbery, assault | |
 | An Oktibbeha County man is behind bars after an early morning robbery left a victim with head and chest wounds. According to the Starkville Police Department, the altercation happened Wednesday July 10 around 2:30 a.m. near the Renasant Bank ATM at 500 Lamkin Street. The victim suffered a broken rib and minor facial and head injuries. Officials said the victim and the suspect knew each other prior to the robbery. The victim waited more than two days before reporting the crime to police late in the afternoon of Friday July 12. Three days later, police arrested Kenji Taylor, 27, of Starkville, on July 15, charging him with robbery. Taylor remains in the Oktibbeha County Jail. At the time of his arrest, Taylor was still being watched by the Mississippi Department of Corrections for a prior robbery conviction. He was indicted for the August 2016 armed robbery of the Starkville B-Quick store. He pleaded guilty in January 2018 to the lesser charge of robbery and was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. |
| Accused Starkville pickup thief charged with double murder | |
| A man who allegedly stole a pickup in Starkville last month is accused of cutting off his ankle monitor last week and killing his mother and girlfriend in Winston County. Carlos Daniels, 37, faces two first-degree murder charges after the remains of his mother, Linda Daniels, and his girlfriend, Chancie Ware, were found Thursday in a Louisville home. He was arrested in Scott County Thursday on unrelated contempt of court charges in Winston County and Starkville. Winston County Sheriff Mike Perkins said the Starkville charge was related to Daniels being charged with grand larceny of a motor vehicle after allegedly stealing a truck from the Lowe's parking lot in June. "He had an ankle bracelet on in Starkville while he was out on bond, and he had cut the ankle bracelet off," Perkins told The Dispatch. "So they also have a charge on him for contempt of court." Daniels was charged Saturday with two counts of first-degree murder. Winston County Justice Court Judge Robert Beck denied bond. Daniels is currently being held at the Winston-Choctaw County Regional Correctional Facility. |
| RV parks provide temporary housing for out-of-town workers | |
 | Using campgrounds for housing, is the route that many out-of-town workers who choose the Golden Triangle for their profession take. "In the Golden Triangle, our workforce comes from 37 counties and two states. If you live in Monroe, Oktibbeha, Clay, Lamar, or Pickens counties, you are probably getting up, going to work, and then coming home every day. As those distances get greater, it makes it impractical for those drive times," said Joe Max Higgins, Golden Triangle Link CEO. Most of the workers who depend on campgrounds are plant, construction, and steel dynamic workers who often work long hours with not much time in between. "A lot of these plants are working four days a week and 12-hour shifts. By the time you work 12 hours and then have to drive 2 hours, that gets to be a long day," said Higgins. The RV parks not only allow workers to save time, but they are also saving money. Higgins said those savings trickle down to those who call the Golden Triangle their permanent home. "Without access to the RV parks and people who use that as an option for these construction projects that would further stress our rental markets. It would likely drive the rent up even higher, and then the availability would be down," said Higgins. |
| Discover Mississippi: Experience 135 Years of Tradition at the Neshoba County Fair | |
| The countdown has begun for the 2024 Neshoba County Fair. Known as Mississippi's Giant House Party, the Neshoba County Fair boasts eight straight days of non-stop fun and excitement for all ages. But this fair is far more than your typical rides and games; it is a culture all its own. The Neshoba County Fair runs Friday, July 26 thru Friday, August 2. There will be daily events, concerts, rides, food, dancing, vendors, and the political speeches in the square that bring all of the biggest candidates to the stage. The political speeches in the square have put the Neshoba County Fair as a must-stop for political candidates state, local, and federal -- even attracting President Ronald Reagan during his 1980 campaign, and Donald Trump Jr. on behalf of President Donald Trump in 2016. There are nearly as many activities as there are cabins at The Neshoba County Fair, with something for everyone of all ages. Livestock shows and agricultural exhibits highlight the best of Mississippi's agribusiness, from animals, to food and more. This is where you'll find blue ribbon livestock and the best produce grown in the Magnolia State. Mississippi's lawmakers will be heard during the political speeches that have brought the fair nationwide notoriety on Wednesday, July 30th and Thursday, August 1st. |
| Shrimpers on the Coast struggling as season continues | |
 | Shrimpers on the Coast say this season hasn't been too good to them. Quality Seafood in Biloxi says it's hard to get fresh shrimp right now because there aren't many fishermen at the docks selling. Manager Troy Rosetti said they've had to go to Louisiana and Alabama to get most of the shrimp that they have. "Kind of a falling out, we don't have as many boats and shrimpers as we used to," Rosetti said. "We have plenty of shrimp. It's not a shortage here at our place. It just makes it a lot harder for us to get them." Chris Lyons is a dock manager in Biloxi who said this shrimp season has been worse than in 2023. "We're looking at probably 50 to 60 percent less than where we were last year," Rosetti said. Lyons said fishermen are coming in with little to no catch, and that imported seafood is making things harder. "We're having a hard time competing against the cheap prices of the shrimp they come in from India and Ecuador and places like that," he said. Statistics show over 94 percent of U.S. seafood is imported, creating a challenge for domestic fishermen in the industry. |
| Applications open next month for Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund | |
| Applications will soon be open for the third round of Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund (MOSTF) money. During this year's session, the legislature appropriated $12 million to the fund, which aims to aid projects that improve the overall wellness of Mississippi's outdoors. Applications open Aug. 1 and must be submitted by Sept. 3, 2024. Since the MOSTF was created in 2022, over $24 million has been awarded across 53 projects. "This board has successfully awarded millions of dollars to 53 quality projects that will enhance our vital nature resources, complete critical conservation efforts, and bolster outdoor recreation for all Mississippians," Gov. Tate Reeves said. Additionally, the MOSTF opened the door for outdoor projects to receive further federal and non-state matching funds. Justin Brooks, a member of the MOSTF Coalition, vouched that matching funds are vital in preserving, conserving, and improving Mississippi's outdoors scene while revamping recreational components such as walking and hiking trails. Only state agencies, municipalities, and non-government organizations are eligible to apply. Officials ask those interested in applying to read the guidelines carefully before submitting. |
| A Mississippi judge removes 1 of Brett Favre's lawyers in a civil case over misspent welfare money | |
 | A Mississippi judge has removed one of the attorneys representing retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre in a state civil lawsuit that seeks to recover welfare money that was supposed to help some of the poorest residents in the U.S. but went to projects pushed by wealthy and well-connected people. Favre is still represented by other lawyers in the case that the Mississippi Department of Human Services filed in 2022 against him and more than three dozen other people, groups and companies. Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson wrote Thursday in her removal order that one of Favre's New York-based attorneys, Daniel Koevary, had violated rules for Mississippi civil court procedures by repeatedly demanding hearings "for matters unrelated to and not within the jurisdiction of this Court to resolve." Peterson also wrote that she deemed the behavior "an attempt to manufacture discord." Mississippi Auditor Shad White said in 2020 that Favre, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member who lives in Mississippi, had improperly received $1.1 million in speaking fees from a nonprofit organization that spent welfare money with approval from the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The welfare money was to go toward a volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi. Favre agreed to lead fundraising efforts for the facility at his alma mater, where his daughter started playing on the volleyball team in 2017. |
| 'Frivolous': Former Gov. Bryant's attorney says news outlet's appeal sought to sway potential jurors as defamation case drags on | |
| Months after former Gov. Phil Bryant filed a defamation suit against a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and her employer for tying him to the largest embezzlement scandal in state history, Bryant's attorney claims the news outlet's attempt to appeal aspects of the case to the Supreme Court is "frivolous" and aims to taint potential jurors with misinformation. Attorney Billy Quin initially filed the lawsuit in late July 2023, and in the months that followed, has tried unsuccessfully to get reporter's notes and other documents through discovery to see whether key figures at Mississippi Today made claims about the former governor with actual malice, meaning the person knew the statements about Bryant were false. In May, Rankin County Circuit Court Judge Bradley Mills issued an order compelling Mississippi Today to produce a privilege log containing those communications, saying that Bryant's attorneys "must prove that defendants either lied about having a confidential source or that source or the circumstances surrounding the source's information was so unreliable that it was reckless for the defendant to rely on it." Mississippi Today refused, instead filing the petition for appeal days later in an effort to get the state's high court to decide whether reporter's privilege applies here. Quin fired back last week with a 32-page response, characterizing the petition for appeal as "frivolous" and accusing Mississippi Today of a nationwide press offensive designed to vilify the judiciary and sway potential jurors. "What Ganucheau has done is he's gone on a PR campaign, not a factual one, not even a sort of reasonably close to factual one," Quin said. "He's lying about lying, and we've had enough of it. We just want to get in court and prove what I just said. And I know in my heart of hearts, I can do it if they just be fair and honest, for once." |
| Industry makes last-ditch effort for new farm bill | |
 | Industry stakeholders are making last pushes for their farm bill priorities ahead of a volatile campaign season, but are bracing for another extension. A Sept. 30 farm bill deadline is fast approaching, and lawmakers need to decide on an extension plan before the end of the calendar year, when key programs in the 2018 farm bill expire. Congress will only be in Washington for only a few weeks between now and the November election. While lawmakers are at that impasse, industry leaders visiting the Hill have pushed for any movement on a farm bill. Some industry representatives have expressed concerns about how November election results might tilt what the final farm bill looks like, especially in light of recent campaign drama within the Democratic party. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, a vulnerable Illinois Democrat on the House Ag Committee who voted against the House GOP-led farm bill in May, said she's been meeting with ag stakeholders who are still hopeful for getting a bipartisan bill done. She told us discussions of how the election's outcome could affect the farm bill and other policy talks are "hypotheticals." "I think what we need to be doing is working with reality," she told MA last week. "I'm frustrated by Republican leadership that we've not seen any action on the floor even after that markup, no real conversations from what I understand between the House and the Senate on getting to a conference bipartisan farm bill. Those are things that can happen regardless of any election results." |
| 'Hillbilly Elegy': JD Vance's rise to vice presidential candidate began with a bestselling memoir | |
| At the heart of JD Vance's swift journey from venture capitalist to vice presidential candidate is a memoir he first thought of in law school, "Hillbilly Elegy." Vance's bestseller about his roots in rural Kentucky and blue-collar Ohio made him a national celebrity soon after its publication in the summer of 2016, and became a cultural talking point after Donald Trump's stunning victory that November. The Ohio Republican has since been elected to the U.S. Senate and, as of Monday, chosen as Trump's running mate in the former president's quest for a return to the White House. He is 39, and would be the youngest vice president since Richard Nixon, who served two terms under Dwight Eisenhower, starting in 1953. In "Hillbilly Elegy," Vance reflects on the transformation of Appalachia from reliably Democratic to reliably Republican, sharing stories about his chaotic family life and about communities that had declined and seemed to lose hope. Vance first thought of the book while studying at Yale Law School, and completed it in his early 30s, when it was eventually published by HarperCollins. "I was very bugged by this question of why there weren't more kids like me at places like Yale ... why isn't there more upward mobility in the United States?" Vance told The Associated Press in 2016. |
| In J.D. Vance, Trump is going all in on populism -- and elevating an heir apparent | |
| Donald Trump had lined up safer choices. Instead, he picked a flamethrower as a running mate. In J.D. Vance, Trump selected the most ideological, pugilistic Republican on his shortlist for vice president -- someone who could help him attract blue-collar and Rust Belt voters, but whose comments on abortion could alienate some moderate suburbanites and women. Trump placed a bet on both the appeal of their shared populism and the promise of generational change -- elevating a 39-year-old freshman senator from Ohio as the MAGA movement's heir apparent. The selection will draw a contrast not only with the 81-year-old Biden, whose age has become a major point of weakness in his campaign, but also Vice President Kamala Harris, who -- while young in Washington terms -- is a full decade older than Vance. Vance brings Trump a lot: His youth, his TV savvy and his ability to tap into a Silicon Valley donor base that has, until recently, been wary of the Republican Party. But most important, Republicans say, are the connections they believe he can make with blue-collar voters in some of the most coveted swing states. "It makes sure that the Blue Wall stays flattened," said Charlie Gerow, a Pennsylvania-based Republican strategist. "The sweep across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin is now solid." |
| Party Revolt Against Biden Quiets, but Re-Election Looks Tougher | |
 | The assassination attempt on Donald Trump is having an unusual effect on President Biden's political outlook: It is simultaneously quieting the immediate calls for him to step aside, while also potentially further weakening his prospects of winning in November. Three days after the shooting, some Democrats said the once-steady momentum toward publicly pressuring the president to withdraw following his rough debate against Trump is slowing -- at least for now -- amid calls for unity in Washington. Several Democrats who think Biden has little chance of winning in November said they worry the time is passing to remove him from the ticket, unless he exhibits serious signs of mental acuity issues in public in the coming weeks. Not a single Democratic lawmaker has publicly called on Biden to step aside since Friday, when two House Democrats appealed for him to leave the race. So far 18 House Democrats and one Democratic senator have said he should leave the race. Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers, operatives and strategists said they believe Trump's brush with death and his reaction to it---standing on stage with his first raised, blood smeared on his face -- are galvanizing Republican voters, making them more likely than ever to show up on Election Day. That has left Democrats panicked that Biden's prospects of winning a second term are slipping away. Asked by NBC News' Lester Holt on Monday whether the shooting changed the trajectory of the race, Biden said, "I don't know. And you don't know either." |
| Why Is the Oil Industry Booming? | |
 | For all of the focus on an energy transition, the American oil industry is booming, extracting more crude than ever from the shale rock that runs beneath the ground in West Texas. After years of losing money on horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, the companies that have helped the United States become the leading global oil producer have turned a financial corner and are generating robust profits. The stocks of some oil and gas companies, such as Exxon Mobil and Diamondback Energy, are at or near record levels. The industry's revival after bruising losses during the Covid-19 pandemic is due largely to market forces, though Russia's war in Ukraine has helped. U.S. oil prices have averaged around $80 a barrel since early 2021, compared with roughly $53 in the four years before that. That the price and demand for oil have been so strong suggests that the shift to renewable energy and electric vehicles will take longer and be more bumpy than some climate activists and world leaders once hoped. Oil companies' success is not just the result of higher prices. Under pressure from Wall Street to improve financial returns, the companies that survived the 2020 oil-price crash generally ditched the debt-fueled growth strategy that had propelled the American shale boom. Many pared spending and cut costs by laying off workers and automating more of their operations. In an odd twist, the financial success of American oil companies has been a political orphan, with neither President Biden nor former President Donald J. Trump celebrating the industry's recent wins. |
| USM hosts construction and design camp | |
 | This week, high schoolers are getting a closer look into what could be a future career in construction at the University of Southern Mississippi. The Southern Miss School of Construction and Design is hosting a camp of about 40 students who are learning the ins and outs of the construction business. The program's instructor says it's important to get students invested early as the industry continues to grow. "The growth in the construction industry for leadership is projected over 8%, which is higher than industry average," said Kermit Spears. "In the construction industry, people to manage, plan, and design construction is growing faster than I think folks are producing workers for those businesses." The camp wraps up on July 19. |
| USM receives $300K for Teacher Residency Program | |
| The Golden Eagle Teacher Residency Program at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has been awarded a 2024 AmeriCorps State Grant worth more than $319,000 to support educator preparation at the graduate level. "For 30 years, AmeriCorps has united volunteers to strengthen their communities. We are excited to have our USM teacher residents partnering with this wonderful organization through service that enriches both their lives and the lives of those they teach," said Andrea Krell, instructor and director of teacher residency at USM. "Funding from the AmeriCorps grant will support individuals as they make career transitions to become teachers." Starting in July 2024, up to 30 graduate teacher residents at Southern Miss will serve as AmeriCorps volunteers within elementary schools in the following partner school districts: Columbia, Forrest County, Hattiesburg, Jackson County, Jefferson Davis County, Moss Point, Pass Christian and South Pike. Teacher residents will be enrolled in USM's Master of Arts in Teaching in inclusive elementary education program which leads to a Mississippi teaching license with endorsements in both elementary education and special education. |
| Questions remain over recovery of one of Mississippi's most imperiled, and iconic, native species | |
 | The Gulf Sturgeon is perhaps best known for its sudden and acrobatic leaps above the waters it calls home, breaking the surface at will and splashing down with a loud smack after a few moments suspended in another world. Growing up to eight feet in length and weighing up to 300 pounds, with armor plating on its sides and back, that jumping behavior is almost hard to believe when it inevitably happens only yards from the port side of your boat. In historic nature journals and newspaper clippings, early European settlers along the many rivers and estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico wrote of fully grown Gulf Sturgeon launching themselves as high as nine feet from the water, and often. But as the United States began to industrialize, leaving the 19th century and entering the 20th, both their numbers and habitat began to rapidly dissipate. "What happened is a lot of unsustainable harvest," said Mike Andres, an assistant professor at USM's Estuarine and Movement Ecology Lab. "Out of the Pascagoula River in 1905 they harvested something like 24,000 pounds of Gulf Sturgeon, which is a number that I can't comprehend based on what we see of them in the Pascagoula now." "If that's what previously healthy populations looked like, we have a long time to go before we get there." Andres, joined by another researcher and two groups of technicians, conducts various research into the species throughout its range in Mississippi -- including both the Pearl and Pascagoula River systems, as well as the Mississippi Sound and some of the nearshore Gulf of Mexico. |
| Federal grant funds professional growth for Mississippi Delta STEM teachers | |
| Delta State University has launched a new program to help STEM teachers in the Delta. The Collaborative for Rural STEM Education program provides resources and professional development. Its funding comes from a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This year's program has 22 teachers from 12 districts, including Clarksdale Municipal School District and the Holmes County and Sunflower County Consolidated school districts. Each teacher receives specialized training and resources based on a needs assessment. They'll also receive support throughout the year and stipends for travel and lodging each summer. "The need for STEM teachers in the Delta is crucial due to their relevance in today's society and workforce," project director Jessica Hardy said in a statement. The program will run throughout the year until summer 2025. |
| JSU's Sonic Boom of the South receives proclamation and resolution | |
| Jackson city leaders recognized the Sonic Boom of the South in a major way. During a press conference on Monday, The Boom received a proclamation and resolution from city leaders and Jackson Mayor, Chokwe Antar Lumumba. This comes after JSU announced that the Sonic Boom of the South would perform in the Rose Bowl parade on January 1, 2025. Leaders with Jackson State say this is a huge honor not only for the Sonic Boom but for all HBCUs. "It is the summa cum laude of bands. We are so excited," Dr. Lisa Beckley-Roberts, the chair of the Department of Music at JSU said. "It is such a distinct honor to be able to perform in the Parade of Roses, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to represent JSU, the city of Jackson, the state of Mississippi, the South, and HBCUS all over the country." "We are definitely encouraging all of our alumni and fans and friends to give on [July 19] as we give our students their roses," Dr. Roderick Little, the band director said. "Let's make sure that we recognize all of the hard work that they're doing in getting them to Pasadena, California to represent on January 1, 2025." |
| U. of Tennessee responds after WUTK's Benny Smith put on leave | |
| Benny Smith, the general manager of WUTK Radio at the University of Tennessee, will retire at the end of the year, UT said in a release. "Benny Smith, who has been serving as general manager of WUTK, has shared with me his intent to retire at the end of the year and we are working cooperatively to that end," UT said. The university said on Friday that the well-known figure was on leave and that only staff and students would manage the station. Volunteers would no longer be welcome. "WUTK's volunteers have provided dedicated service for which we are grateful," UT said. "While we don't anticipate utilizing volunteers in the same way, we are working on a plan to incorporate volunteers back into WUTK." The university said thanks to Smith, WUTK won numerous awards, including "Knoxville's Best Radio Station" multiple times. According to the College of Communication and Information, Matt Keaton would oversee daily operations in an interim position reporting to Jody Hamblett. UT said WUTK will continue to focus on the student experience and help to provide resources and support. |
| U. of Missouri workers voice parking, pay concerns at union town hall | Local | columbiamissourian.com | |
 | University of Missouri custodian Cathy Persinger had to move out of Columbia, because she can no longer afford to live in the city, she said during a town hall Saturday afternoon at the Unitarian Universalist Church. "When I asked (the university) for a raise because I was stressed out, they told me about food banks and stuff on campus, which I've been going to those already," said Persinger, who makes a little over $15 an hour. "And it's not enough." Several university workers and community members echoed similar concerns. More than 150 attended the town hall, which focused on discussions surrounding MU's new proposed parking model, changes to employee benefits, wages and more. The event was organized by MU Workers United and Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 955. LiUNA representative Andrew Hutchinson said the university's reluctance to bargain over worker issues led to Saturday's town hall. MU spokesperson Christian Basi said the university has always been open to having discussions with the union. "Anytime they've asked, we have always sat down and had open conversations with them about our challenges related to those various issues, and we're happy to explain and talk about decisions, as well as get their input," Basi said. |
| Report details disturbing hazing rituals at UVa | |
| The University of Virginia has booted another fraternity from Grounds in light of a new details regarding unlawful hazing rituals at the school, rituals ranging from disturbing to dangerous. Theta Chi has had its fraternal organization agreement, or FOA, with the university terminated and the fraternity suspended from Grounds for at least four years. It joins Pi Kappa Alpha, which had its agreement terminated in April after brothers were accused of similar hazing activities. Two more fraternal orders at the school, Pi Lambda Phi and Sigma Alpha Mu, are now under investigation and will have their cases adjudicated this coming fall, according to the the procedures of the student-run University Judiciary Committee. If the committee finds the claims against the fraternities have merit, they too could see their chapters pushed off Grounds. An investigation conducted by UVa Office of Student Affairs found that new members of both Theta Chi and Pi Kappa Alpha were subjected brutal hazing during the spring semester: Pledges were verbally harassed, slapped across the face and told to consume a "mixture of heinous/unknown items and habanero peppers" causing students to vomit, lose sensation in their limbs and injure themselves. |
| Do Shocking College Tuition Prices Reflect What Students Actually Pay? | |
| It's no secret that high school students are looking at the prospect of college more skeptically, and a large part of their hesitation comes from worry about taking on thousands of dollars in student loans. Parsing education data into snack-sized servings. It's only natural that they would experience sticker shock after researching the annual cost of attendance at universities that have caught their eye -- which might be equivalent to a parent's annual salary. But should students count on having to scrape together that full amount? Not likely, based on EdSurge's number crunching. Students generally don't pay the full cost of attendance at public universities, according to federal data from College Scorecard. While the data only tracks students who receive federal financial aid -- be it grants or loans -- it shows that students typically get some level of discount even at the priciest public institutions and regardless of income level. Across 1,800 public colleges and universities, the average full-price cost of attendance clocked in about $17,300 per year. Factoring in students' grants and scholarships, it fell to a net average cost $10,200. Yet seeing the gross cost of attendance can be intimidating for college-minded high schoolers and their families, particularly for those who are low-income or who aspire to be the first in their families to graduate with an advanced degree. |
| 10 Campus Museums Shine a Spotlight on Democracy | |
| At a time when higher education leaders are facing relentless criticism over their handling of free speech and political protests, 10 university museums have planned nonpartisan shows focused on democracy, with the goal of getting students more engaged. Exhibitions involving racial justice, the climate crisis and other timely issues are nothing new, but a collaboration like this is unusual. The universities, all large and public, began discussing how to join forces several years ago, said Christina Olsen, director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor and one of the drivers of the alliance. The effort was in reaction to a variety of factors, including the country's increasing polarization, low student voter turnout and, in Michigan, the attempted kidnapping of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 by men who officials said belonged to an anti-government militia. At the Sheldon Museum of Art at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an exhibition, "(In)credible: Exploring Trust and Misperceptions," running until July 6, demonstrates how people need to look beneath the surface when presented with information. The show uses well-known artworks to investigate what's behind the obvious. For example, a painting by Norman Rockwell, "The County Agricultural Agent," appears to be an idyllic scene painted on the spot. On a closer look, it is a composition made from photographs, which Rockwell altered. One tipoff is that the figures in the paintings don't cast shadows. |
| Campus Protest Hearings Continue at the State Level | |
 | The House Committee on Education and the Workforce made headlines this spring as its members grilled three sets of university presidents and board members on their handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campus. Now, lawmakers in several states are following suit and conducting hearings of their own. Last month Minnesota legislators interrogated Jeff Ettinger, the University of Minnesota's interim president, during a Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee hearing. It came on the heels of a debacle over the proposed selection of a historian who has accused Israel of genocide to lead the university's Holocaust Center, a vandalism incident at the Hillel Jewish student center, and a controversial settlement with student protesters to end a pro-Palestine encampment in May. Led by a Democratic majority, the committee questioned Ettinger about his "leniency" in mitigating protests and his approach to maintaining a safe academic environment for Jewish learners. A similar hearing was held in Texas in May, and legislators in Pennsylvania and Virginia are planning to question university leaders in their states in late July and September, respectively. Republican lawmakers in New York have also called for hearings to assess the response of institutions -- including private ones such as Columbia and New York Universities -- to protests and encampments this spring, but so far without success. |
| J.D. Vance Called Universities 'The Enemy.' Now He's Trump's VP Pick. | |
| Donald Trump's choice for vice president has called university professors "the enemy," proposed legislation to restrict the consideration of race in admissions decisions and sought to crack down on the encampments that sprang up on college campuses this past spring. Senator J.D. Vance, a 39-year-old Republican from Ohio and staunch Trump ally, wasn't always a fierce critic of higher education or a defender of the former president. The author of the best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, published in 2016, Vance has written and talked about how education is key to opportunity and how higher education helped to lift him out of poverty. Vance, a former Marine, graduated from Ohio State University and Yale University School of Law. During his 2022 Senate campaign, his first run for office, Vance changed his tune on higher education, saying that universities are dedicated to "deceit and lies, not to the truth" in a 2021 speech at the National Conservatism Conference titled "The Universities are the Enemy." Trump, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, praised Vance's educational credentials in his Truth Social statement announcing the pick Monday afternoon, mentioning Yale three times. |
| How much I'll miss The Crystal Grill | |
| The Greenwood Commonwealth's Tim Kalich writes: Johnny Ballas' decision to close The Crystal Grill was not totally unexpected. On the occasions in the past year or two when he stopped by my table, he confided that he was hanging on but wasn't sure how much longer. Still, when word came Tuesday that the longtime and beloved downtown restaurant would not be reopening ever again after taking its traditional Fourth of July vacation, it was like hearing that a close friend had suddenly died. Out rolled the tributes, the memories and, for many like me, the sadness. I'm sad for our community, and I'm sad for myself. The feelings have been softened a little by Johnny's extremely generous offer to donate his building and the equipment in it to the Community Kitchen, the ministry that provides a meal five days a week to the needy in our town. That landmark building, once the transition occurs, will continue as a place for food and fellowship, catering to a different clientele but maybe one that needs both of those things more than those of us who were loyal patrons of The Crystal. |
| Pew data shows exception to income tax elimination argument | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford writes: Want to look at comparative data on state tax revenues and not just listen to what politicians say? How about the state's financial health? Or Medicaid spending? Or population growth? Pew Charitable Trusts' updated "Fiscal 50" web site (www.pewtrusts.org/fiscal50) lets you easily compare key data and trends among the 50 states plus provides useful analyses. "South Carolina, Florida, and Texas were the fastest-growing states in 2023 while eight states lost population," comes from one such analysis. It also shows that Mississippi was one of the eight losing population between 2008 and 2023. Related detailed data shows Mississippi losing population in the critical 0-to-4 and 5-to-19 age groups while it shows the others gaining. Hmmm. We hear about Florida and Texas all the time with regard to their lack of personal income taxes. So, does South Carolina's growth prove the argument that we need to eliminate personal income taxes to grow? "Of its tax sources, South Carolina relies the most on personal income taxes," Pew reported, "followed by general sales taxes." |
| In memoriam: Judge John J. Fraiser, a true statesman | |
 | Ken Strachan, the mayor of North Carrollton and a member of the Mississippi Municipal League board of directors, writes in The Clarion-Ledger: When the news came July 4 that Judge John J. Fraiser died at his home in Starkville, I couldn't help but think he was a true statesman in every sense of the word. He and my family had a long history, he had a connection here in Carroll County other than serving in the state senate representing neighboring Leflore County. He had a place on Spring Lake in the southern part of Carroll County and Hubert Strachan, my dad, was the caretaker of his property. ... It was an honor for me to work in his last campaign, to know him through my father, and help play a small part in helping take care of his place in rural Carrol County. Fraiser was a public servant who brought people together. He was a servant for everybody, there was no polarizing politics that is seen so much today. A native of Minter City who attended Mississippi State University and was a veteran of World War II, he served everybody, across racial lines, political lines, gender lines and county lines. He was truly a servant of the people. |
SPORTS
| Ole Miss, MSU and Southern Miss are in the game. Some of their important players aren't | |
 | Nearly 11 years to the day, a college football video game is back on the market. EA College Football 25 released on early access Monday as the first installment of amateur sports in video game form since NCAA 14 was released in July, 2013. A decade-plus is a long time and the landscape of college athletics have shifted dramatically. Perhaps the biggest change is the athlete's ability to earn money from their own name, image and likeness. Because of NIL, college football players will have their full likeness' featured in a video game for the first time. EA spent three years in development since announcing the game's return in 2021 and built out stadiums, traditions and player models from the ground up. This means fans of Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Mississippi State will be able to play with their favorite players inside of Vaught-Hemingway, Davis Wade or M.M. Roberts Stadium. If you're not a Bulldog fan, you may not enjoy playing in Starkville. The cowbells are ringing throughout the game, creating a raucous atmosphere on the playing field. Speaking of the field, the script logo that debuted at midfield in 2023 is accurately reflected in the game. It is also the first time MSU's $75 million, north end zone-enclosing expansion in 2014 will be seen in a college football game. |
| SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey: 'Time to update your expectations for what college athletics can be' | |
| Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey unofficially opened the league's first football season as 16-team league Monday in a massive hotel ballroom in North Texas, a new setting for SEC Media Days at a time when everything about college sports seems to be in flux. "It's time to update your expectations for what college athletics can be," Sankey said, kicking off the four-day event. The powerhouse SEC, which boasts 13 college football national champions since 2006, now includes Texas and Oklahoma. It's one of many changes going into effect this year in college football, with plenty more to come. "We as leaders are responsible for navigating what really are for us in college sports uncharted waters of change," Sankey said. The 59-year-old commissioner stressed that college sports must find solutions from within while also recognizing external pressures from lawsuits and politicians that complicate the situation. "But the reality is there is no easy button we can just go push to resolve the issues we face. There's no magic pill. Anytime you go through a reset, it is difficult," Sankey said. "We know who we are, and the Southeastern Conference, we're the one conference at this level where the name still means something, the southeastern part of the United States, where when we expanded, we actually restored historic rivalries while adding only 100 miles to the longest campus-to-campus trip our student-athletes will experience," Sankey said. |
| Commissioner Greg Sankey says SEC not recruiting other schools | |
| SEC commissioner Greg Sankey reiterated Monday that the league is focused on its 16 members and he is not recruiting any others, in his remarks to open SEC media days. In the first media days with Texas and Oklahoma as SEC members, Sankey was asked multiple times about the future of the league, and how much he pays attention to the current lawsuits between Florida State, Clemson and the ACC. Judges in Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina are currently hearing arguments in those cases. Florida State and Clemson have sued challenging the grant of rights; the ACC has sued those schools to defend the conference. There has been rampant speculation that the SEC could be a landing spot for Florida State and Clemson if both schools leave the ACC. Sankey said he is aware of what is happening in the ACC, but "We're focused on our 16." "I'm not a recruiter. My job is to make sure we meet the standard of excellence that we have for ourselves on a daily basis," Sankey said. "That attracts interest. It's done that with the two universities that we have added this year. They're not the only phone calls I've ever had, but I'm not involved in recruitment." |
| SEC, Sonic Drive-In reach sponsorship agreement as league's 'official quick service restaurant' | |
| SEC Media Days is already stirring the pot with some gigantic news, but the latest announcement from the conference has nothing to do with the play we'll see on the field. Instead, it has more to do with what you'll order while entering the drive-thru. On Tuesday, the SEC and SONIC Drive-In announced a sponsorship agreement, and the restaurant chain will now be dubbed the "Official Quick Service Restaurant of the SEC." The deal, which officially kicked off July 1, will primarily focus on SEC football programming and productions across SEC Network, ABC and ESPN. The announcement is a sizable one for the SEC, as college conferences continue to explore unique ways to involve sponsors and integrate them with their brand. Of course, it's not like we'll be calling the SEC the SONIC Conference moving forward, but the restaurant brand couldn't be happier to join the team. "SONIC has been connected to college and professional sports throughout our 70-year history, and we couldn't be prouder to once again join our fans on the field as the Official Quick Service Restaurant partner of the SEC," said Ryan Dickerson, Chief Marketing Officer of SONIC via the press release. "With its expended footprint, the SEC is now even closer to so many of our amazing guests and team members across the Southeast, and we look forward to bringing more fun to them and to college football this season. |
| ACC, SEC to use iPads on sidelines, booths for in-game video | |
| The Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference announced Monday that it will collaborate with Apple to bring iPad technology to sidelines and coaching booths for the upcoming football season. The ACC said in a statement that all 17 football members -- a group that now includes California, SMU and Stanford -- will have access to league-provided iPad Pro and iPad Air models for video playback. The change comes after the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the use of in-game video in April. In the statement, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said the conference has an "unparalleled prioritization of technology," going back to its design of a new game-day operations center. It will assist in football replays as part of the headquarters move to Charlotte last year. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey announced the partnership during his opening remarks at SEC Kickoff on Monday, confirming that all 16 SEC teams (including new additions Texas and Oklahoma) will use the technology. The ACC's first game this season is Aug. 24 in Dublin, featuring Florida State and Georgia Tech. SEC play begins Sept. 7 between South Carolina and Kentucky. |
| Report: Big Ten, SEC 'unlikely' to add Florida State if it leaves ACC: 'They've been a disruptive partner' | |
| The Big Ten and SEC are unlikely to add Florida State should the team leave the ACC and the conference survives, according to Action Network's Brett McMurphy. "Big Ten, SEC unlikely to add Florida State if it leaves ACC & ACC survives, sources told Action Network," McMurphy wrote on Twitter. "Big Ten & SEC don't want FSU because adding FSU doesn't make financial sense, no desire to expand & 'they've been a disruptive partner,' sources said." It's the latest drama in Florida State vs. the ACC and whether or not the school will finally leave. "Three SEC presidents recently told Action Network they had 'no interest' in adding Florida State," McMurphy wrote. "It takes 12 of the 16 SEC presidents to favor adding another school. The Big Ten also is not interested in the Seminoles, sources said." However, according to McMurphy, there is a path for Florida State to get to the Big Ten if the ACC totally goes away at that point. "There is no appetite among the presidents unless there is some catastrophic development with the ACC and it forces [the Big Ten] into a decision," the source said. If the SEC and Big Ten aren't options, Florida State, as well as Clemson, could wind up options for the Big 12. However, McMurphy reported the two schools are currently enamored with the conference. |
| Nick Saban, darling of SEC media days, was initially denied entry after forgetting his credential | |
| In a freshly pressed gray suit and pink tie, a mic protruding from behind his left ear and a thin layer of makeup on his forehead and cheeks, the 72-year-old man glares into a television camera as four stage lights illuminate his features. Meet the newest member of the college football media contingent making his SEC media days debut: Nick Saban. He kicked things off by forgetting his credential in his hotel room. "It's a little different," Saban said on air Monday. "I've never worn a credential in my life and was always for 17 years able to get into SEC media day without a credential. I had to go back to the room today and get my credential to get in." What commenced then was a very unusual day here: Nick Saban, the analyst not coach, parading across media day not as the interviewee but as the interviewer. He spent nearly four hours, not at the main room podium answering questions from hundreds of journalists, but toward the back of the room, from an elevated SEC Network stage, offering opinions and analysis and even giving a prediction (Gasp!). His 22nd media day appearance was, perhaps, his most entertaining showing yet. But this new media member isn't all sizzle. He's got substance, too, capable of speaking intelligently about each SEC team, position by position, their strengths and weaknesses. He watched replays of all 16 spring games. He's got notebooks and film of everyone, spending his summer months studying all 16 teams while at his lake or beach home. |
| The Mystery New Pitch That's Driving MLB Hitters Crazy | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has emerged as the best young pitcher in years thanks to a blazing fastball that hits triple digits on the radar gun, Jedi-like command and uncanny composure on the mound. But one of the biggest reasons why batters have found him close to unhittable is a mysterious new pitch that's so nasty it somehow defies classification in a game that has everything from slurves to screwballs. It comes in at 94 mph, but is it a fastball? It has an off-speed grip, but is it a splitter? It drops like a rock, but is it a sinker? Nope, it's a "splinker." "I call it a sinker, everybody else calls it a splinker," Skenes said Monday, before becoming the first rookie to start the All-Star Game since 1995. "That's how I view it -- having a different fastball, different shape, and [it] forces hitters to choose between one or the other." One of the oddest things about the filthiest pitch in Skenes repertoire is that he discovered it entirely by chance. Last summer, not long after he was drafted No. 1 overall out of LSU, Skenes was working to develop a pitch that had rightward movement to pair with his primary fastball. During one throwing session, his grip slipped, causing the ball to come off his middle finger instead of his index finger, decreasing the spin of the pitch while maintaining its velocity. Just like that, Skenes's splinker was born. One year on, it's become his primary strikeout pitch. The history of the splinker really starts not with Skenes or any other MLB pitcher but with a mechanical engineer named Barton Smith, who published a scientific paper four years ago that presented a compelling theory on the movement of a baseball. By then, pitchers had been throwing two-seam fastballs for decades. But finally, for the first time, there was an explanation of how and why it worked. |
| Morgan Wallen announces Neyland Stadium concert | |
| East Tennessee native Morgan Wallen is set to perform at Neyland Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. "I'm coming home," Wallen wrote in an announcement on X, formally known as Twitter. The post featured video clips from his current One Night at a Time Tour and snippets of Neyland Stadium. Being from Sneedville, Tennessee, the musician has been a longtime supporter of the Vols by including songs in his discography that pay homage to Knoxville and UT. Songs like '865,' 'Tennessee Fan' and 'Had Me By Halftime' feature clues about the city to display the love he has for his hometown. Wallen graduated from Gibbs High School. Wallen showed his support for the Vols during the College World Series where he cheered on the team alongside former quarterback and professor of practice, Peyton Manning, and head basketball coach Rick Barnes. After the series win, Wallen teased a video online congratulating the team on their win in Omaha and hinted at the hometown show in celebration of the event. The One Night at a Time Tour kicked off in April in Indianapolis and Wallen has since added 10 shows, including the Knoxville stop. Supporting acts of the tour Hardy and ERNEST will join Wallen. |
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