| Thursday, July 18, 2024 |
| Leaving a digital footprint: What you post can impact your real life | |
 | It's a common phrase heard when people receive attention for the wrong reasons on social media. Social media has become a daily part of life and some people have become too comfortable with what they post. A good rule of thumb... would you say to others in person what you feel comfortable posting? "Stressful events, popular events, people want to comment on but I would always caution would you say that to your mom, would you say that to the people that are around you, and how do you think that would be seen from strangers," Broadus said. Mississippi State University Chief Marketing Officer Thomas Broadus said even private posts can quickly go public. "Everything that we post we feel is private sometimes but it is very public and in some cases is it global even if you are in a small chat, small group, or only have a few followers all it takes is one to capture that and put it out into a larger audience and then you have to deal with all the repercussions from it," Broadus said. Broadus encouraged people to pause and not take to social media when upset. "In today's temperature on social media, be aware of what you are posting, don't compromise yourself for a brief moment of stress you are feeling and that you want to put out there," Broadus said. "Maybe that is when you call one of your friends to share those thoughts and feelings because if it goes on social media it is going to be public." |
| Townhome development shot down as adjacent HOA protests | |
 | When Mayor Lynn Spruill asked who was with the Highland Estates homeowners association at Tuesday night's board of alderman meeting, two dozen hands went up. The HOA brought a petition with 58 signatures, 17 emails and themselves to oppose a request for a special exception to build townhouses in a new development at the southeast corner of the intersection of Mockingbird Road and Highway 182. The area, which backs up to the Highlands Estates subdivision, is zoned for single-family residential development. The request had already passed through the city's planning and zoning commission on a 3-2 vote. Clint Markham with Pritchard Engineering appeared before the board on behalf of developer Charles Morgan to ask for an exception to put townhouses on the western 15 acres of the 50-acre project. Amanda Jacobs, one of the HOA's two spokespeople, said she had concerns about raised population density, flooding being exacerbated in the area -- displaying a video of rainwater flowing behind her home during a storm -- and keeping the area's housing harmonious. Following the townhouses decision, aldermen also voted unanimously to accept the low bid of about $38.3 million from Burns Dirt Construction for work on the Highway 182 revitalization project. |
| Mary Means Business: Home Store Furnishings to permanently close in Starkville | |
| Home Store Furnishings, 311 Hwy. 12, in Starkville is slated to close. Store owner George Keenan opened the local furniture and mattress shop about a decade ago but has decided to shutter and have a final liquidation sale this month. "It has been an honor to serve this wonderful community and I am profoundly grateful for their support throughout the years," Keenan said in a press release. "I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to our dedicated staff, whose hard work, passion and commitment have been the backbone of our store." Throughout the sale, you can find up to 50% off inventory including accessories, wall art, rugs and more. You can check out the last bit of inventory with extended hours Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. With all our hot days lately, I'm starting to forget what cold weather even feels like. If you're pining for winter days like me, check out The Guest Room on Main Street. The downtown speakeasy has a pop up bar, "Santa's Surf Shack" now through Aug. 24. Check out the Christmas in July decor with a Christmas themed cocktail and food menu and you can almost feel the colder days to come. |
| Starkville teachers and students prepare for late-July start of school | |
 | Video: Starkville students and teachers are preparing for the start of a new school year. The Starkville Oktibbeha School District is different from most school districts in Mississippi. It's on a modified academic calendar, which provides teachers and students with more breaks throughout the school year. This is the school district's third year under the new format. WTVA reporter Chris Nalls spoke with a principal and teacher about their expectations and goals for the school year. Students' first day of school is tiered. Students with last names that begin with letters A-M begin on July 23. Seniors will also report on this day. Those with last names that begin with letters N-Z begin on July 24. |
| Commissioner Andy Gipson announces organic certification cost-share program | |
 | Commissioner Andy Gipson has announced that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce is offering a cost-share program for certified Mississippi organic producers and handlers. To be eligible for the program, organic producers and handlers must be receiving certification or continuing their certification through the United States Department of Agriculture. Funding is available for those who received the certification between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024. Individual organic operators are eligible for reimbursement of 75 percent of their certification costs up to a maximum of $750 per certification scope. The National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program currently recognizes the following certification scopes eligible for reimbursement: crops, wild crops, livestock, and handling, such as processing. Applicants must submit proof of valid certification issued by a USDA-accredited certifying agent, a reimbursement application form, an itemized receipt that identifies allowable costs paid within the qualification period and an IRS W-9 form. Applicants must also be Mississippi organic producers and handlers located within the state. |
| Mississippi Agriculture and Livestock Theft Bureau seeing rising cases in 2024 | |
 | The Mississippi Agriculture and Livestock Theft Bureau is seeing an uptick in stolen property cases this year. In January, 3 On Your Side investigated the broader scope of ag theft across the state and discovered how widespread of an issue it truly is. In that report, it was revealed that MALTB investigated 193 reported cases in 2023. That's an average of around 16 per month. So far in 2024, MALTB reports that they have investigated 136 reported cases. That's an average of over 19 cases per month. The most recent case is being investigated down in Copiah County, where a hay baler and hay cutter were recovered. Barnard says the equipment was stolen from Lincoln County on June 22, and that the bureau made a successful recovery five days later on June 27. Multiple suspects have been identified in the case, but no arrests have been made so far. "We will be moving forward with rounding them up, and then they'll be charged with grand larceny," said Barnard. This year, he says MALTB has recovered $622,500 in stolen property. As mentioned in previous reports, he says security cameras played a huge part in identifying the suspects and recovering the victim's property. "We preach a lot about security cameras, so we was able to catch some of the theft on camera and that led us to some suspects," he said. |
| Thousands of Dollar General stores now sell fresh produce. Could it improve rural food access? | |
 | Rural shoppers love dollar stores as the rare, and often only, place in town to buy necessities -- ranging from allergy medicine to motor oil. Now, you can add fresh vegetables to that list. More than 5,400 Dollar General stores sell fruit and vegetables outside the frozen aisle: onions, apples, lemons, organic salad kits and more line the section's 16 feet of wall space. The addition of produce to these stores could transform nutritious food access across the United States, especially in small towns. Most have no other options, and rural grocery stores -- with their tight profit margins, especially on produce -- have long struggled to stay open in towns with few customers. But grocery store advocates have long accused dollar stores of worsening food access in rural America, arguing the discount chains' relentless low-cost prices and business model shutter mom-and-pop grocers. They worry the extra competition could lead to more rural stores closing shop. When a Dollar General near a Cahoy's General Store, a full-service grocery in South Dakota, temporarily shut down due to a flooded parking lot, sales at Cahoy's went up 30%. The store's owner, Dan Cahoy, now expects his produce sales to take a hit with Dollar General offering its own. He also believes that in some places, this could lead to food access growing worse. "Especially for other small towns that their grocery store might be struggling," Cahoy said. "It could end up closing some stores down." Grocers at Kansas State University's Rural Grocery Summit said they give more back to their community than corporations like Dollar General -- from sponsoring little league teams to recirculating more money in the local economy while hiring more workers. |
| Legislature-led mental health task force begins meeting in Jackson | |
| A new task force aimed at addressing mental health in Mississippi schools began meeting at the state capitol in Jackson on Wednesday. The K-12 and Postsecondary Mental Health Task Force, comprised of 24 members across government, education, and healthcare, will gather through Thursday and begin cataloging public resources available for mental health. Co-chairs Rep. Rob Roberson and Sen. David Parker have also opened the task force up to public testimonies and suggestions. "It's just very scary. It's just a matter of trying to find the resources that are available out there to get these children the help they need as quickly as we can," Roberson said during an appearance on MidDays with Gerard Gibert. Roberson, a Republican who represents a portion of Oktibbeha County, added that time is of the essence when it comes to finding resources for students struggling with mental health. According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mississippi ranks 13th in the U.S. with 10.4 deaths by suicide per 100,000 residents ages 15-19. "There's a time crunch there. You really need to be hitting this fast," Roberson said. "This is not something that can wait 48 hours or a week. We need help as soon as possible." |
| Mental health app launched in Mississippi | |
| The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) has launched a new app aimed at helping Mississippians with mental health needs. DMH says the Mental Health Mississippi mobile app is an innovative, user-friendly tool designed to provide immediate access to mental health resources and support. "This mobile app is a continuing step in DMH's commitment to enhancing access to mental health services and improving wellness throughout the state," the agency said. Wendy Bailey, executive director of DMH, said the app will make these and more resources readily available to all Mississippians in need. "The Mental Health Mississippi mobile app represents a significant advancement in our effort to support mental health and wellness in our state," Bailey said. "By providing easy access to essential resources and support, we hope to empower individuals to take control of their mental health and seek the help they need." The new app is available for free download on both Apple and Android devices. |
| Political groups, donors give $231K to state judicial candidates in June | |
 | The 10 candidates running in this year's Mississippi Supreme Court and the Mississippi Court of Appeals races raised about $231,000 in contributions in June, about $30,000 more than in May ($204,090). However, combined campaign spending for all 10 candidates floated near the $100,000 mark for the second month in a row. During the last reporting period, the candidates had collected a combined $598,852 year to date since Jan. 1. Now that figure sits at $829,973 so far this year. Judges on Mississippi's supreme and appeals courts do not run statewide. Voters from their respective districts elect them. The nine members of the Mississippi Supreme Court are elected from three districts: northern, central and southern. The 10 judges on the Court of Appeals are elected from five districts throughout the state. Judicial races are considered nonpartisan, meaning that candidates did not participate in any primaries. However, several Political Action groups, or PACs, have donated to several candidates' campaigns. |
| Special interest groups endorse, donate to Mississippi judicial candidates | |
| Special interest groups have donated at least $117,000 to candidates running in contested elections for the Mississippi Supreme Court and the Mississippi Court of Appeals so far this year, and that figure is almost certain to increase before the November election. Judicial elections in Mississippi are typically low-interest races where law firms, individual lawyers and trade associations make up the lion's share of political contributions. Endorsements from special interest groups often give candidates an edge in the race and their donations often give candidates a needed boost in campaigning. The candidate who has racked up the most money from trade associations and other interest groups, according to campaign finance documents Mississippi Today reviewed, is Republican state Sen. Jennifer Branning of Philadelphia who is challenging incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens for his central district Supreme Court seat. Branning has received at least $84,500 from interest groups, including $5,000 from the Mississippi Realtors PAC, $5,000 from the Mississippi Bankers Association and $5,000 from the Mississippi Road Builders PAC. |
| Chief Ben elected to Mississippi Department of Archives and History board | |
| Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben, the fifth democratically elected chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, has been elected to the board of trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). The action took place at the regular meeting of the MDAH Board of Trustees on Friday, July 12. His nomination will be submitted to the Mississippi State Senate for confirmation. Chief Ben will be the first Native American and member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians elected to the MDAH Board of Trustees. "Chief Ben brings an excellent background of public service and leadership experience," said Spence Flatgard, MDAH Board of Trustees president. "MDAH will benefit greatly from his expertise and dedication. We are thrilled to have him on our Board." A lifelong resident of the Pearl River community, Chief Ben has a 15-year record of public service and leadership to the Choctaw Tribal government, including eight years as the Tribal Council representative for the Pearl River community. He was elected as Tribal Chief in July 2019 and re-elected in 2023. He also served on the Mississippi State Flag Commission, which oversaw the selection of the new state flag that includes a symbol of native territory before statehood. Chief Ben holds a bachelor's degree from Mississippi College and an associate's degree from East Central Community College. |
| Top Ag Republican offers bleak prognosis for farm bill | |
| Congress might be better off leaving an already overdue five-year farm bill unfinished in 2024, Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman said Tuesday. At a forum sponsored by POLITICO at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Boozman -- the top Republican on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee -- said extending the 2018 farm bill for the second year in a row would be preferable to passing a bill without significant changes in policy. "We simply have to reset the safety net," Boozman said in a discussion with House Agriculture Chair Glenn "G.T." Thompson (R-Pa.), citing the effects of inflation and other economic stresses in farm country since the 2018 legislation. Farmers, Boozman said, "realize that we need substantial changes or we're better off where we are." Boozman said he hasn't given up on completing a farm bill this year and that he and other lawmakers are "going to work really hard" to do so. But neither Boozman nor Thompson signaled significant progress toward moving a farm bill in both chambers. Senate Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) has released a framework but not a bill, and Republican leaders in the House haven't indicated when it might take up the bill the Agriculture Committee passed in May. Farm bill programs are operating on a one-year extension that expires at the end of September. |
| Mississippi Congressmen to participate in Homeland Security hearing on attempted assassination of Trump | |
| Three of Mississippi's four Congressmen will hear from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, and Secret Service (USSS) Director Kimberly Cheatle when the House Committee on Homeland Security convenes for a hearing next Tuesday, July 23. The Committee's chairman, Mark Green (R-TN), called the oversight hearing to examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday. In a statement announcing the hearing, Committee Chairman Green said the American people want answers on what happened in Pennsylvania. "Secretary Mayorkas and Director Cheatle are responsible for the department and the agency charged with securing our homeland and protecting our nation's chief executives and candidates, while Director Wray leads the agency with the vital responsibility of investigating this attempted assassination," Chairman Green said. "It is imperative that we partner to understand what went wrong, and how Congress can work with the departments and agencies to ensure this never happens again." Mississippi's 3rd and 4th District Republican Congressmen Michael Guest and Mike Ezell, respectively, serve on the Homeland Security Committee, as does the state's lone Democrat Congressman Bennie Thompson of the 2nd District. Thompson is his party's ranking member and previously chaired the Committee. Guest, a former District Attorney, told Magnolia Tribune on Wednesday that he is committed to finding answers. |
| Biden tests positive for covid, cancels events amid mild symptoms | |
 | President Biden has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms, including a cough, runny nose and "general malaise," the White House said Wednesday. Biden has canceled his planned events in Las Vegas and has departed en route to Delaware. He plans to isolate there while continuing to work, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time," she said. "The White House will provide regular updates on the President's status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation." Relaying a statement from Biden's doctor, the White House said that the president's symptoms began Wednesday afternoon. "He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus," the statement said, adding that Biden's vitals appeared normal. Biden has taken his first dose of Paxlovid, the doctor said. Biden had been scheduled to speak Wednesday at a conference for UnidosUS, a leading Hispanic civil rights group. The CDC now advises people with covid to isolate until their overall symptoms have improved and they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. The agency also advises precautions such as wearing masks and improving air circulation for an additional five days. |
| Top Democrats Close In on Biden as Plan to Sew Up Nomination Falters | |
 | The Democratic coalition backing President Biden showed new signs of cracking Wednesday as top congressional leaders successfully pushed to delay a procedural vote on his nomination and Rep. Adam Schiff of California called for Biden to bow out of the race in the midst of growing party fears of steep down-ballot losses. The new developments showed that the efforts to oust Biden, while quieter in the immediate aftermath of an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, haven't stopped. They reveal how the president's grip on his party has slipped, with fundraising anemic and his top lieutenants bending after a threatened revolt over the campaign's effort to speed his nomination. The Democratic maneuvering comes as the Republican Party is unifying around Trump at its convention in Milwaukee. The former president, already popular with the GOP base, has garnered near-mythic status among supporters after shots were fired at him during a rally in Butler, Pa., on Saturday. Some convention-goers are wearing white rectangle-shaped bandages over their right ears to show solidarity with Trump, who was nicked by a bullet. It presents a jarring contrast. An energized and unified Republican Party is eager to anoint its chosen candidate. The Democratic Party is considering an end run around its normal process to install an 81-year-old leader who has an exceedingly narrow path to victory, threatens to be a drag on down-ballot races, and has done little to reassure key Democrats about his ability to effectively campaign over the next several months. |
| Why won't George W. Bush talk publicly about Trump? It's simple. | |
 | Many Republican convention delegates like to salute the heritage of their party, but few of them these days talk about the next-to-last GOP president, George W. Bush. And that suits Bush just fine. For while Bush still keeps up with politics -- including the resurgence of Republican successor and fervent critic Donald Trump -- he doesn't like to talk about it publicly. In paid private speeches, the long-retired 43rd president has been known to joke that both Trump and President Joe Biden are too old for the demands of the office. "I'm younger than both of the candidates, and I'm too old," Bush has said in at least one speech, according to a witness who requested anonymity. Just don't expect Bush, who turned 78 earlier this month, to say this kind of thing out loud - not even about Trump, the volatile businessman who built his political career in part by trashing the legacy of the Bush dynasty. While people often call on Bush to speak out against Trump and the Republican Party he has remade in his own image, friends and associates said he is standing by his pledge not to critique other presidents and political leaders. "The job of the president is very hard to begin with," Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary for Bush, told USA TODAY. "He doesn't want to make it harder for anyone, friend or foe." "It's very old school," Fleischer added. "It's very gracious. It's very Bush." |
| Mississippi governor on Vance, Medicaid expansion | |
 | The Mississippi delegation is offering strong support to the Trump-Vance ticket. Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) said the vice presidential pick, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), could help former President Trump get over the finish line in November. The governor said Vance will be helpful in the rural areas of the swing states. "As you look at Senator Vance, I think he also helps politically. If you look at how he did and how he performed in the senate race in Ohio, he did phenomenally well in the rural areas of Ohio. And what you find in this election is, I think, there are a lot of people in rural Ohio who are similar to folks in rural Wisconsin and rural Michigan and rural Pennsylvania and, quite frankly, in rural Mississippi," said Reeves. There is speculation that the governor is on a list for a cabinet position if Trump is reelected. "I think anyone certainly appreciates the speculation for what the potential next job might be. And I think anyone in their right mind would consider whatever is put out there. But the reality is, I really do have the best job in America. Being governor is a good job. It's hard. It's a lot of work, a lot of effort, but it's good job," he said. |
| Before going MAGA, Vance made big money in San Francisco's tech world | |
 | The new Republican vice presidential nominee hangs his proverbial hat on hailing from Middletown, Ohio -- a steel mill town in the heart of working-class America. But for a few years, J.D. Vance joined the world of coastal elites, building a robust venture capitalist career and hobnobbing with some of the wealthiest tech leaders in the Bay Area. Miles away from his Appalachian upbringing and long before he became former President Trump's running mate, he was quietly building a Silicon Valley venture capital career and a life in San Francisco. The man who would later write the bestselling "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis" -- and become a darling of the MAGA right -- was in his late 20s when he moved to San Francisco likely around 2013, coinciding with a major boom for Big Tech companies such as Facebook, Google and Twitter. Venture capital firms were also "rolling in money," said Peter Leyden, founder of Reinvent Futures and host of the AI Age Begins discussion series. Vance "was here in the absolute boom time of an incredible ride," Leyden said. "Everybody was gaga about tech." What remains to be seen is how much Vance's tech background will influence administration policy. When asked at the February conference about how a future Republican administration would affect tech companies, Vance responded prophetically: "As you know, personnel is policy, and a lot of what will determine Trump administration antitrust policy is who ultimately takes the reins the senior roles in the Trump administration, because they're going to be the ones who are executing all this stuff." |
| Trump assassination attempt lays bare deep religious divisions in the U.S. | |
 | After avoiding an attempted assassination on Saturday, former president Donald Trump was quick to credit divine assistance. In a posting on social media following the July 13 shooting, in which one man died and two others were wounded, Trump said: "It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening. We will fear not, but instead remain resilient in our faith and defiant in the face of wickedness." Emily Crews, who leads the University of Chicago Divinity School's Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion, finds that language telling. "How often have we heard Trump give credit or agency to God or really to anyone other than himself?" she says. "Very rarely." Crews says that language might suggest a change in Trump himself. It's also language that resonates with his base. "That term wickedness is unusual," she says. "It has a biblical, conservative Protestant quality to it that we don't hear him use often, but that his conservative Christian followers do use and will recognize." Shortly after Saturday's attempted assassination, Trump's supporters also began using religious language to describe it. This language of intervention and blessing troubles theologian Kaitlyn Schiess, author of the books The Liturgy of Politics and The Ballot and the Bible. She says rhetoric like this "usurps the position of what Christians believe: Jesus Christ as the Messiah." Schiess also said she worries that those who say Trump was chosen by God are confused by what it means in Scripture to be chosen by God. |
| At Aspen conference, worries about what comes after attack on Trump | |
 | Politicians and national security professionals at an annual conference in the Rockies found themselves grappling with questions about political violence in the U.S. following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. In between the more typical concerns about cybersecurity and the rise of China, attendees at the Aspen Security Forum expressed worries about security lapses that allowed the shooting, the potential for further political instability and whether the reelection of the former president would drive him to adopt more hardline positions in response to Saturday's attack. Some speculated that a second-term Trump could use the assassination attempt as an excuse to impose security crackdowns on groups such as Muslims and immigrants on hyped grounds that they posed a threat. If Trump were to take such actions, "the security and civil liberties consequences could be severe," said a Democratic lawmaker who, like others, was granted anonymity to speak candidly. Foreign officials at the Aspen Security Forum and in Washington expressed similar concerns about how Trump could react. "If you've been shot at, it gives you a different perspective. But we have yet to see what that perspective might be," said Mark Esper, who served as Defense secretary under Trump until he was fired. The former president, he said, is "inclined to go to the military for tough problems -- protests in the street, building a wall, Covid vaccine. I could go on and on." There were attendees who downplayed concerns about Trump's possible reaction to the attempted assassination. "If you go back and look at what Trump said versus what he did as president, his bark was always far nastier than what he did," said John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center. |
| Inside the Strange New World of Tucker Carlson | |
| The road to Tucker Carlson's rural home meanders among the pristine lakes and ancestral forests of western Maine. Moose and black bears sometimes descend on the nearby village of Bryant Pond, looking for food. The landscape, dotted with clapboard houses and birch-white churches, feels familiar from the works of another famous Maine resident, Stephen King. Carlson's remote home in the woods feels like a world away from this week's Republican National Convention, but he has been in the spotlight in Milwaukee, attesting to his resurgent role in the conservative movement. Carlson appeared alongside a bandaged Donald Trump earlier this week at the convention, and he is scheduled to speak Thursday night, ahead of the former president's acceptance speech. Carlson is also close to Ohio Sen. JD Vance, whom he actively boosted for the V.P. spot on the ticket. I interviewed Carlson in late May in Maine. It took me a long way from my day job as a Berlin-based Wall Street Journal correspondent covering European politics, but I had interviewed Carlson for a piece after his controversial interview with Vladimir Putin last February. I wanted to know what the Russian strongman had told him about my colleague Evan Gershkovich, who has now been held in Russia for more than a year on false accusations of espionage and is facing a sham trial. Carlson concluded our conversation by inviting me to visit him at his home. |
| John Deere ends support of 'social or cultural awareness' events, distances from inclusion efforts | |
 | Farm equipment maker John Deere says it will no longer sponsor "social or cultural awareness" events, becoming the latest major U.S. company to distance itself from diversity and inclusion measures after being targeted by conservative backlash. In a statement posted Tuesday to social media platform X, John Deere also said it would audit all training materials "to ensure the absence of socially-motivated messages" in compliance with federal and local laws. It did not specify what those messages would include. Moline, Illinois-based John Deere added "the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy." But it noted that it would still continue to "track and advance" the diversity of the company, without providing further details. The move from the company known on Wall Street as Deere & Co. arrives just weeks after rural retailer Tractor Supply ended an array of its corporate diversity and climate efforts. Both announcements came after backlash piled up online from conservative activists opposed to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, sponsorship of LGBTQ+ Pride events and climate advocacy. The ensuing changes to policy and corporate commitments aren’t just coming from company boardrooms. Leading HR organization Society for Human Resource Management last week announced that the 340,000-member lobbying and advocacy group will drop “equity” from its diversity and inclusion approach, although it said it remains committed to advancing it. |
| Governments at all levels are hiring, and that's boosting the job market | |
| The U.S. has been adding jobs at a healthy clip for a couple of years now, and gains in the public sector have been an important factor in that growth. Over 200,000 jobs were added in June alone, for instance, according to the Commerce Department, and 70,000 of them were in federal, state and local governments. Governments at all levels have been on a hiring spree because they're still bouncing back from the labor market shocks caused by the pandemic. And while the public sector has made up a lot of lost ground, there are challenges ahead. But even with government hiring up, the process of filling those jobs hasn't been easy. "We're seeing that people are looking at the jobs, but we're not seeing that they're necessarily applying for the jobs," said Reid Walsh with Neogov, a company that provides software for public-sector HR departments. According to Neogov data, she said, government job postings are drawing fewer applicants than before the pandemic. Part of the problem, Walsh said, is that government job listings can be filled with jargon. Governments are also facing an aging workforce. Gerald Young, a researcher with the MissionSquare Research Institute, which focuses on state and local governments, said HR managers who MissionSquare surveyed expect retirements to surge again soon. "More than half are saying that they're expecting the largest wave of retirees to happen in the next few years," he said. |
| First-generation students from MUW, EMCC to get a 'leg up' | |
| A first-generation college student is on their way to class when their tire goes flat. Now, the student doesn't know how to get to class, or who to call about their next steps. Scott Alsobrooks, president for East Mississippi Community College, said first-generation students don't always have the luxury of knowing who to turn to in these kinds of situations. Or, when they need to drop or add a class to their schedule. "We just really want to extend a good arm to them to help them stay in school." Alsobrooks told The Dispatch. "It's just helping them overcome what some of us might consider little bitty obstacles. To them, they're major landmines." On Wednesday, Alsobrooks, Mississippi University for Women President Nora Miller and Lauren Barker, past president for Rotary Club of Columbus, gathered at MUW's Cochran Hall to sign a memorandum of understanding, establishing a program to help first-generation college students at both schools. All three are first-generation college graduates themselves. First-generation college students graduate at a 29% lower rate than their peers nationally, Clear Moore, director of MUW's Student Success Center, said in a press release. Miller said she hopes the group provides first-generation students the opportunity to build friendships and make connections that could be integral to their success in college and beyond. |
| The W, EMCC, Rotary Club establish partnership to advance first-gen students | |
 | Mississippi University for Women, East Mississippi Community College and the Rotary Club of Columbus signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement to encourage first-generation college students. "I am pleased to partner with the Rotary Club of Columbus and EMCC for the Lowndes Fyrst program -- as President of The W, as a Rotarian and as a first-generation college graduate. Partnering with EMCC and Rotary will have an impact on these students and their families," said W President Nora Miller. According to Clear Moore, director of The W's Student Success Center, first generation students are pioneers in their families but graduate at a 29% lower rate than their peers nationally. "We hope to help Lowndes County first-gen students to meet their goals of completion by leveraging their strengths and giving them effective support," said Moore. Miller added, "This program is a great tie-in to our Community Read, 'First Gen' by Alejandra Campoverdi. The novel is described as, "Part memoir, part manifesto, 'First Gen' is a story of generational inheritance, aspiration and the true meaning of belonging -- a gripping journey to 'reclaim the parts of ourselves we sacrificed in order to survive.'" Each year, the Community Read seeks to bring The W and the Columbus community together for a shared learning experience. |
| Ole Miss hosts annual STEM camp for middle schoolers | |
| The University of Mississippi is running a "Discover Engineering" camp -- featuring turbine-building and a nanoparticle lab -- for middle schoolers the week of Monday, July 15. Ole Miss has been hosting a middle school STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) camp each summer for about 10 years. This year, the focus is on engineering. "The goal for us is really helping students understand there are many, many disciplines within engineering, many different ways to use different kinds of science in engineering, and kind of get them excited about all those different opportunities," said Wendy Pfrenger, Ole Miss's director of pre-college programs. While the camp and its activities change every year, there are some yearly staples. There's a concrete lab with an Ole Miss professor who's researching new concrete formulae that could, for example, be used on Mars. There's also typically a trip to a blast lab -- "kids love anything with explosions," Pfrenger said. Campers are also doing a lab on nanoparticles, as well as visiting the National Center for Physical Acoustics to learn about the research being done there. At the center, they get to step into an anechoic chamber to experience the absence of sound. |
| UMMC ambulatory clinic coming to Colony Park | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center is leasing brand-new medical office space directly across from the future ambulatory surgical center on Colony Park Boulevard in Ridgeland. The surgical center will make up UMMC Colony Park North, while this installment will establish UMMC Colony Park South. This move aims to enhance the patient experience by providing a more accessible and convenient location for many of its ambulatory clinics. "Patients expect to see their primary care physicians in free-standing, community-based clinics like this," said Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for health affairs. "Our main campus, while comprehensive, can be challenging to navigate. This new clinic space is designed to streamline the patient experience, offering easier access and more accessible parking. Our goal is for patients to enjoy a seamless visit, with minimal disruption to their daily schedules." UMMC will occupy approximately 65,000 square feet of the medical office space, sharing the three-story building with Jackson Heart. The new facility will house several UMMC ambulatory clinics, including orthopaedics, internal medicine, neurology, and physical and occupational therapies. The relocation of the Medical Center’s clinics to this new site is scheduled for January 2025, when they will begin welcoming patients. |
| UMMC invites high school students to explore health care careers | |
| Officials with the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) invited high school juniors and seniors interested in health care careers to visit the campus. The event will be held on Saturday, August 24 for Exploring Health Care Pathways. The one-day enrichment event, which is free, will run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the UMMC School of Medicine. Check-in will start at 8:00 a.m. It offers 11th and 12th graders across Mississippi the opportunity to learn more about health care professions from faculty, staff, and students representing UMMC's various health science schools. They will discuss information about admission requirements, educational background for each program and opportunities for scholarships. "We are eager to welcome students to this valuable program and to foster their interest in a future serving our rural communities' primary health care needs," said Dr. Dan Coleman, director of outreach in the UMMC School of Medicine. |
| Mayor, City Council issue support for JSU Sonic Boom. Band fundraising for Rose Bowl parade | |
 | The Sonic Boom of the South is getting a bump from city leaders as they prepare to perform at the 136th Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2025, in Pasadena, California. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba as well as Jackson City Council issued a proclamation and resolutions in support of the band, announcing Jackson State University's fundraising campaign to "give the boom their roses" and send them to Pasadena, California. "Whether you went to Jackson State or not, it feels like our professional team. It feels like our institution, and so we are excited for the sonic boom," Lumumba said. Councilman Brian Grizzell, a JSU alum, held framed copies of the two resolutions and presented them to JSU music department chair, Lisa Beckley-Roberts and Sonic Boom of the South director, Robert Little. "We look forward to being able to represent JSU, the city of Jackson, the state of Mississippi, the south and HBCU culture all over the country," Beckley-Roberts said, adding that sending the band to California will take "this entire village." |
| Jackson State University AI Agency helps small businesses leverage artificial intelligence | |
| Jackson State University students are teaching small Mississippi businesses and nonprofits statewide to use artificial intelligence through its new Mississippi AI Agency. The AI Agency is an initiative of the Mississippi AI Collaborative, which was created in June 2023 to help people across Mississippi learn about and how to use artificial intelligence, particularly following generative AI's wider introduction to the public over the past two years. Generative AI is artificial intelligence that produces content -- whether text, images, video, or some combination thereof. ChatGPT is a well-known example. The AI Agency first got up and running in the spring semester of 2024, with an inaugural cohort of 10 Jackson State University student apprentices. At the moment, the Agency has so many clients that it is not accepting new ones; one goal that the AI Collaborative has is to expand the AI Agency across Mississippi's institutions of higher learning, creating greater bandwidth for taking on more clients. The AI Agency student apprentices are paid with a stipend at the end of each semester of work. The AI Agency isn't just a job, and it's not just a way to serve the community, said Ka'Pri Burden, the project manager for the AI Agency. As one of the student apprentices, she's had constant opportunities for professional development and upskilling in the AI field. |
| UGA study: When parents are overwhelmed it may affect their kids' relationship with food | |
 | Most parents have been there. It's the end of a long workday, which also included managing your children's schedules and after-school activities. You're exhausted, and the kids just won't eat their broccoli. You ask nicely. Cajole. Outright beg. Finally, you've had it and resort to threats, warning that misbehavior is going to cost the kids dessert if they don't eat their broccoli. You're not proud, but it works. New research from the University of Georgia suggests this type of interaction at the dinner table becomes more likely as parents grow increasingly overwhelmed and stressed. Difficult jobs, too much to do and financial worries are daily stressors on family life. Those stressors add up and may result in parents engaging in less than ideal behaviors at the dinner table. While one mealtime incident of pressuring may not affect a child's relationship with food, multiple negative experiences related to meals add up. "Minimizing overwhelm is important to help parents create positive experiences that reinforce healthy eating behaviors in kids when they're young so that they have habits that they can fall back on," said Allan Tate, lead author of the study and an assistant professor in UGA's College of Public Health. |
| 'No mention of any activities for whites' Ky. Lawmakers rehash DEI initiatives | |
| After failing to pass legislation at the beginning of the year, lawmakers in Frankfort are restarting discussions on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Kentucky's public colleges. There were multiple attempts to restrict or rein in DEI programs on state colleges during the legislative session, but after what appeared to be disagreement between the two chambers, neither succeeded before the clock ran out. But some Republican lawmakers still appear to have an appetite for legislating DEI in education. They probed the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and two college presidents on their diversity programs in a Tuesday interim hearing. Republican Rep. Emily Callaway from Louisville -- who voted in favor of eliminating DEI programs at public colleges this year -- asked the president of Northern Kentucky University why there are specific clubs for Black students and not white ones. "I see Black student unions. I don't see 'white' anything. No mention ... My son, what would he relate to on your campus? And how is this inclusive?" Callaway asked. "There's no mention of any activities for whites. I'm having a problem understanding what the justification is, when we use the term 'diversity' to exclude, very specifically, my son." Northern Kentucky University's president Cady Short-Thompson replied that NKU's programming and clubs are open to all students, and that there is an activity available for every student's interest. She also noted that very few dollars comparatively are spent specifically on DEI programs. |
| Ron DeSantis says 'reforming' universities could help GOP press voter registration gains | |
| Gov. Ron DeSantis, addressing the Republican Party of Florida during a breakfast meeting at Milwaukee's Republican National Convention, heralded registration trends that are going the GOP's way in once purple Florida, where Republicans have a 963,000 voter advantage over Democrats. And he suggested that one outlier could somehow be resolved through executive policy. "Really the only places that we haven't really outpaced them are the places that have universities in them. Orange (County, home of) UCF, Gainesville (the home of the University of Florida, and) Tallahassee (the home of Florida State University)," DeSantis said. "But I will tell you no one is doing more on reforming universities than we are." DeSantis, of course, has made moves to reorient universities in a more conservative direction, in efforts to create a higher education system in the state that is the "Harvard for the unwoke." Other moves have included banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which he calls "discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination." Beyond those college towns, DeSantis is bullish on progress elsewhere, saying "pretty much everywhere has moved in our direction." |
| Big changes announced for the ACT college admissions test. What's different? | |
| The length of the ACT college admissions test will be slashed for some test-takers as soon as next year, the exam company announced this week. The test will ask fewer questions and last up to an hour less than the typical three-hour length. In a departure from past years, reading passages will be shorter and the science-related section of the exam will be optional. The changes to one of the country's preeminent college admissions exams represent another big shift in the standardized testing landscape, which was battered by the pandemic. They come a few months after the SAT, ACT's main competitor, underwent a separate overhaul. The College Board, which owns the SAT, also shortened its exam to two hours and swapped out the traditional pen-and-paper format for a completely online one. Though the vast majority of universities in the U.S. remain test-optional, the modifications to the ACT indicate that many students who still choose to take a college admissions exam in the future will be doing so in a shorter period of time with more abbreviated material. "These enhancements are just the beginning," said Janet Godwin, the CEO of ACT, in a statement this week. The bulk of the test will stay the same, Godwin said, and students can still opt to take it online or in person (unlike with the SAT, which is mostly digital now). |
| Orientation Is the First Step to Finding Belonging in College. It Is Changing Post-Pandemic. | |
| Colleges are adjusting to a lingering impact of COVID-19 shutdowns that kept kids out of physical schools at key points in their social development: It's harder than it used to be to teach students to adjust to college life when so many are coming to campuses nervous about making social connections. As a result, many colleges and universities are rethinking their freshman orientation programs, adding new options and doing more to help students forge relationships. At the University of Colorado at Boulder this summer, for instance, administrators are offering incoming students three orientation options to choose from. One effort lets new students meet classmates in breakout Zoom calls. Another program brings students and families to campus for a day to learn about university traditions and how to get involved on campus. And those looking for an immersive experience can attend 'Camp Chip' -- they'll spend two nights on campus connecting with other students, getting to know the campus and seeing what life will be like in college. Colleges have another reason to try to get orientation right: It's the first step to building belonging and, hopefully, convincing students to stay. That's especially important for first-generation students and those transferring from other colleges. "It is truly the kickoff to retention," says Katie Murray, director of new student and family programs at Towson University. "If a student has a bad experience that starts at orientation and it continues through their first semester, we are less likely to retain that student." |
| Higher Ed Groups Slam New DHS Cyber Proposal | |
 | More than a dozen higher education–focused organizations are hitting back against a federal proposal that would require the country's 5,000-plus colleges and universities to report cybersecurity attacks. Educause, a nonprofit focused on education and technology, sent a letter July 1 to express concerns about a proposal from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which falls under the Department of Homeland Security. The proposal, filed May 6, expands on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022. That measure was born out of a larger effort to mitigate cyberattacks, which have increasingly seeped into the higher education sector in the last few years, namely following a mass breach by ransomware group Cl0p in 2023. It impacted thousands of higher education institutions and adjacent institutions, with some going as far as paying the group a ransom. The 2022 legislation requires entities in "critical infrastructure sectors" -- including manufacturing, government, health care and transportation systems -- to report a cyber breach within 72 hours. The higher education sector was not included. The new proposal would change that, requiring all institutions -- small, large, public, private, two-year, four-year -- that receive Title IV federal student aid funding to adhere to the reporting procedure. |
| Black Colleges Are Owed $12 Billion, the Feds Say. Their States Aren't So Sure. | |
 | The U.S. Department of Education's bombshell allegation last year that historically Black land-grant institutions are owed billions of dollars by states is being met with widespread skepticism by legislators, higher-education leaders, and circuit-court judges. In September of last year, the Biden administration released data suggesting that numerous states have underfunded their land-grant HBCUs by more than $12 billion since 1987, violating the Second Morrill Act of 1890. That's resulted in widespread disparities between majority-white and historically Black public colleges. Out of 106 land-grant colleges in the United States, for example, a third are R1 institutions. No HBCU holds that title. The data spurred legislation, aggressive statehouse lobbying, and a series of lawsuits by HBCU students, alumni, and administrators to redress funding disparities. But the department's summation is thin, oversimplistic, and in some instances, flawed, a growing list of opponents say. Lawyers and advocates say they're having to adjust their strategies. In January, a federal judge in Florida dismissed a lawsuit from Florida A&M University students that accused the state of using a discriminatory formula that gave up to $4,000 more per student to the state's white institutions. Judge Robert L. Hinkle of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida ruled that the students' allegations weren't derived from state-mandated segregation, and disputed claims of unnecessary duplicate programming at white institutions in Florida. He dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought back to court. |
| New Rules for Accreditors, Textbook Pricing Delayed Until 2025 | |
| The Biden administration is delaying a batch of regulations that sought to provide students with new consumer protections and ensure that accreditors and states are doing their part to hold colleges accountable. The proposed rules were expected this fall, but the Education Department said Wednesday that the regulations will now be published next year, so the fate of the changes will likely hinge on who wins the presidential election. This round of rule making, which began in January, was likely the Biden administration's last chance to leave its mark on federal higher education policy before the election. During rule-making sessions this spring, the department proposed giving states greater authority over online programs, requiring accreditors to set benchmarks for student achievement and prohibiting colleges from automatically billing students for course materials. Institutional representatives on the advisory committee tasked to review and negotiate those proposals opposed all three changes, while those representing students and consumer protection groups mostly supported the department's plans. The department is also planning to go through the rule-making process to change the regulations that govern third-party servicers -- entities that colleges and universities contract with to administer or manage financial aid and other programs. The department issued guidance in early 2023 expanding the definition of outside companies that would be subject to the department's oversight but delayed the changes following pushback. |
| GOP education platform big on parents' rights, short on details | |
 | Republicans are looking to take a big swing at education if former President Trump returns to the White House. Rep. Byron Donalds (Fla.) helped kick off the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee this week by singing the praises of school choice, saying the Biden administration is "in the pocket of the far-left teachers unions, they trap poor kids like me in failing schools with no way out." The official GOP platform emphasizes cutting funding to schools teaching about critical race theory, keeping transgender girls out of women's sports and deporting "pro-Hamas radicals" from college campuses, among other conservative priorities. "The platform itself this year is very different from previous platforms. The previous platforms were much longer, much more detailed when it came to policy, and, so, even on some of the other education areas it has language that is pointing in the right direction, but without a lot of details," said Jason Bedrick, a research fellow at the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation. "So, it's pointing towards things like parental rights, but what exactly does that mean? How exactly is the party going to implement them? This document is not particularly clear." |
| How a Second Trump Term Could Turn Up the Heat on Higher Ed | |
| For America's colleges and universities and the students they serve, the four years of Donald Trump's first term as president were fraught, defined by threats to international students, allegations of "radical left indoctrination," free speech controversies and far-reaching attacks on fundamental institutional values such as diversity. Since Trump left office in 2021, universities have continued to grapple with the legacy of his term and the movement it spawned. His four years in office helped to pave the way for the Supreme Court's decision last summer banning race-conscious admissions. A controversial executive order spurred a cascade of state laws banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies. Meanwhile, the rise of MAGA Republicanism spawned supercharged culture wars, entangling campuses and prompting some state officials to get increasingly involved in how public universities are run and what's taught in classrooms. Now, Trump is back and seeking another four years in the White House, and higher education could be in for greater scrutiny and heightened pressure if he wins. Higher education wasn't high on Trump's priority list the first time around, but an increasing anti–higher education sentiment among Republicans and sectors of the public has shifted the political winds. That could open the door to more radical policy options. |
| How Yale Propelled J.D. Vance's Career | |
 | When J.D. Vance applied to law school, he viewed it as a pathway out of his chaotic upbringing in working-class Middletown, Ohio. Then he won a spot at his dream school. Yale Law not only accepted him for the fall of 2010, but also offered a nearly full ride. Over the next three years, Yale dramatically influenced the trajectory of his life, leading to important connections, a job in venture capital and marriage to a classmate. Even his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," was partly the outgrowth of a paper he wrote in a Yale class. And he leveraged the story, which chronicles his childhood and the alienation of the working class, into a best seller, a movie deal and a political career -- winning election to the U.S. Senate in 2022, at age 38. Despite Yale's transformative role in his life, Mr. Vance's relationship with the school could be summed up as conflicted. Many students and professors remember Mr. Vance as warm, personable and even charismatic. But several also said they were perplexed by what they saw as Mr. Vance's profound ideological shift. They understood that he was conservative politically, but they viewed him as a Republican in the mold of John McCain or Mitt Romney. In his memoir, Mr. Vance describes arriving at Yale, feeling like an "awe-struck tourist." "Yale Law, with its prestige and privilege, was a culture shock unlike anything I had ever experienced," he wrote. But he developed a cadre of confidants in a class of about 15 students assigned to remain together through the first semester. In his book, Mr. Vance describes his closest friends in that group as "misfit toys." |
| Church attendance in huge decline | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: In my humble opinion, the following are the ingredients to a successful nation: 1) A religious foundation. 2) Free markets and capitalism. 3) Constitutionally enshrined individual rights and liberties. 4) Democracy. 5) Both centralized and decentralized representative government. 6) Social welfare and fair taxation. 7) Sensible regulations. 8) An honest civil and criminal justice system with effective law enforcement. The most important of these is the one I listed first: A religious foundation. As a Christian, I've got many rational reasons to believe and a huge load of God-given faith. But I'm not making a preaching point at the moment. My point is that a functioning society, culture and government needs a citizenry that believes in a higher calling and ultimate accountability to their maker. Such a sense of ultimate accountability serves as a huge check on selfish nihilism, material atheism and unchecked pursuit of individual interests to the detriment of society as a whole. ... Church going has dropped dramatically in the United States over the last two decades. A book titled "The Great Dechurching," by Jim Davis defines this as people who used to go to church at least once a month and now go less than once per year. ... The book warns that the dechurched will give rise to the unchurched – those who never attended church to begin with. ... In church, you don't simply see your reflection in your bathroom mirror. You see the world, all walks of life, young and old, healthy and frail, beautiful and plain, rich and poor, contented and struggling. In church, you see the breadth of God's creation and you're just one small part of it. |
SPORTS
| Blake Shapen ready for an 'opportunity of a lifetime' at Mississippi State | |
| Blake Shapen knew as soon as he put his name into the transfer portal that if he received a call from new Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby, the former Baylor quarterback would listen closely. Shapen did not have to wait long. Lebby gave him a call the same day he entered the portal, and four days later, Shapen was officially a Bulldog. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime," Shapen said Wednesday at Southeastern Conference Media Days. "Starkville is a great community (with) great people. I've loved every minute of it so far. I've dreamed of playing in the SEC my whole entire life." At Baylor, Shapen played in a pro-style offense, spending roughly an equal number of snaps under center and in the shotgun. After redshirting as a freshman, he played in 27 games over the last three years, throwing for 2,188 yards in just eight games last season with 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Lebby's version of the "veer and shoot" offense seems to cater perfectly to Shapen's skill set. In Shapen's estimate, MSU will be in the shotgun "95 percent of the time," giving him a better chance to move around in the pocket and find a receiver deep downfield, check the ball down to a running back or tight end, or tuck it and run. "We're going to have fun. You're going to see a lot of guys celebrating, having a good time, enjoying the game of football," Shapen said. "This is a game that we grew up loving to play, and it's been a blessing for all of us to be able to get to this point." |
| Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby on QB Blake Shapen: 'We got the right guy' | |
| Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby is very excited for quarterback Blake Shapen to take over under center in 2024. The Bulldogs welcomed the senior transfer in to command the offense and Lebby said they got the right guy. For a first-year head coach, it's a big sigh of relief to have the QB position figured out. He explained what Shapen brought to the table during SEC Media Days. "Yeah, I think when you look at it, the biggest piece is for us to get off the ground the right way," Lebby said on SEC Network. "We needed to go get a quarterback that can get it done. I've talked about that nonstop today. We got the right guy. That's a guy that's going to have the opportunity to engineer an offense that's going to be to the standard that we want it to be at. And without that piece, I think things look a little bit differently." Lebby acknowledged just because Shapen is in doesn't mean the offense is completely fixed. The Bulldogs still have work to do ahead of the fall. The upcoming camp next month will tell a lot about what Mississippi State can do. "I mean, we've got a ton of work to do," Lebby said. "But again it's going to start at the quarterback position." |
| How Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby is fixing one of SEC's worst offenses with Blake Shapen, more fun | |
| First-year Mississippi State football coach and offensive guru Jeff Lebby inherited one of the SEC's worst offenses. No SEC team recorded fewer points or first downs than the Bulldogs in 2023. Mississippi State finished 13th out of 14 programs in passing yards per game, ninth in rushing yards and 12th in total offense. He brought in 19 total transfers, including 11 on the offensive side of the ball, headlined by veteran Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen. "I think the confidence comes in the preparation and the guys that we have from the standpoint of having Blake being our QB," Lebby said at SEC Media Days on Wednesday. "A guy that has great experience, he's a Big 12 champion. He knows what it's supposed to look like. So that piece of the puzzle was huge for me and for us being in Year 1. That gives us the chance to get off the ground the way we want to." Not long ago, a coach bringing in an experienced quarterback like Shapen for the first year of his tenure would have marked a truly rare occurrence. The transfer portal changed that. Now, Lebby can turn to a player who threw for 5,574 yards and 36 touchdowns in 27 games at Baylor right from the jump. |
| Mississippi State's Jeff Lebby talks about when Nick Saban tried to hire him as Alabama OC | |
 | Jeff Lebby returned to the SEC this year as head coach at Mississippi State, but he had an opportunity to do so as an assistant in 2023. Lebby was reportedly on the short list to be Alabama's offensive coordinator prior to last season, a fact former Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban confirmed on the SEC Network set in Dallas on Wednesday. Lebby -- Oklahoma's offensive coordinator at the time -- was later asked about his candidacy for a job at Alabama during his session with reporters at SEC Media Days, but admits he declined the opportunity. "Coach Saban, it was just an honor to have conversations with him as we went through some things," Lebby said. "I could not be more thankful for the opportunity. At the time, it was something where I felt like I needed to be exactly where my feet were. And he (Saban) did pretty good." Saban ultimately hired as his offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who helped Alabama win the SEC championship in 2023 and play in the Rose Bowl. Rees, who was not retained by new Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer, is now tight ends coach with the NFL's Cleveland Browns. The 40-year-old Lebby has long been considered one of the top offensive minds in college football. |
| Mississippi State's John Lewis slams Ole Miss for Come to the 'Sip: 'It's overrated. This is our state' | |
| Ole Miss football's "Come to the 'Sip" slogan has become well-known as coach Lane Kiffin's Rebels have elevated their recruiting efforts in the transfer portal and high school ranks. But Mississippi State linebacker John Lewis expressed a sour taste for Ole Miss' use of the phrase at SEC Media Days Wednesday in Dallas. "It's overrated. This is our state," Lewis said, according to a post on X by ESPN's Chris Low. "Everybody knows that. We run the 'Sip because we run Mississippi. We've been saying it. They're just following us, so it's OK. They literally want to be us." It was one of a few comments made Wednesday from Mississippi State's side toward Ole Miss. First-year coach Jeff Lebby, who served as Ole Miss' offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021, was asked about Kiffin's social media posts that have thrown shade at him since he was hired in November. Lebby called it a "little childish" but also noted the respect he has for Kiffin. Lewis, a junior from Canton, made three starts last season and notched a career-high 20 tackles in 12 games. He mainly played on the line of scrimmage but will move back to the second level of the defense for the 2024 season. |
| Egg Bowl rivalry heats up with preseason jabs at SEC Media Days | |
| Nothing gets Ole Miss and Mississippi State fans more riled up than a controversy surrounding the Egg Bowl. The flames engulfing the bitter rivalry were stoked on Wednesday when Mississippi State linebacker John Lewis took a shot at his in-state counterpart's "Come to the Sip" slogan at SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and company coined the catchphrase as part of their efforts to lure out-of-state players from both the transfer portal and high school ranks to make Oxford their home. Lewis, who claimed that Mississippi State championed the motto first, also contended that the Bulldogs are superior to the Rebels. While Lewis took a shot at the rivaling in-state school, his head coach called out the program's frontman, calling Kiffin's usage of social media "a little childish," while simultaneously reiterating that he respects his former boss. The scuttlebutt driven by comments made by Lewis and Lebby on Wednesday paired with Kiffin's prior antics online have rekindled a myriad of debates between the Mississippi State and Ole Miss fanbases, highlighting why the rivalry between the two programs is often categorized as one of the most bitter feuds in college football. While all of these remarks have been made off the field, both programs will have a lot to prove on the gridiron when the annual matchup rolls around. For Mississippi State, it is an opportunity to turn the pendulum in the other direction as Ole Miss has won three of the last four battles. On Ole Miss' side, the Rebels could stamp what is anticipated to be one of the best seasons in program history with a victory and begin to separate from the Bulldogs on a national stage. |
| Jeff Lebby takes playful jab at Lane Kiffin at SEC Media Days: 'He doesn't text, he just tweets' | |
| Jeff Lebby became the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs this offseason, representing the first head coaching job of his career as he now stands among other SEC head men that he's plenty familiar with. From Tennessee's Josh Heupel and Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, to even SEC newcomer Brent Venables who will lead Oklahoma to their first season in the conference, Lebby has worked closely on staff with several head coaches in the SEC. And at media days on Wednesday, he was asked how often he interacts with his new conference peers who also serve as former coworkers. "The interaction is not often, in all reality," Lebby admitted. "There's so much trust and appreciation from my standpoint, the chair I'm sitting in, for all three of those guys creating an opportunity for me." Lebby most recently worked alongside Venables as his offensive coordinator at Oklahoma in the past two seasons. Also a part of Heupel's staff as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator during his first two seasons as the head coach at UCF. But the former colleague of Lebby's that everyone wanted to know about during SEC Media Days on Wednesday was Kiffin. Spending the 2020 and 2021 seasons as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Ole Miss with him as the two now represent the head coaches of one of the SEC's biggest rivalries. |
| SEC Media Days: Lebby has the summer birds singing | |
| Parrish Alford writes for the Magnolia Tribune: Hope is what makes the birds sing for college football fans in mid-summer. Almost every team has it. It's a terrible feeling for those don't believe they do. An entire off-season has been devoted to trying to right the wrongs of the previous season, to get better, whatever that means for a given team's rung on the ladder. There were a lot of rungs ahead of Mississippi State at the end of last season, but the Bulldogs have hope. They're placing that hope in a career assistant who's never been a head coach. Nothing is a sure thing, but the track record says Jeff Lebby is a good reason for hope. ... in the Transfer Portal age magic can happen in a flash, and the Bulldogs may have the secret sauce to make that happen with two key Big 12 ingredients: Lebby's success at Oklahoma and Baylor transfer quarterback Blake Shapen. ... Shapen, a Shreveport, Louisiana native, stands 6-foot-1. There are two points that could help him find consistency quicker in Starkville than Dart did in Oxford. First, is his experience. Twenty-seven games means a lot of college football experience at a high level. The second point is more important, and Lebby just hit on this. He got his guy. As he embarks on his first head coaching job Shapen is who he wanted, not who he was handed. |
| It's In the Game: Mississippi State and CFB 2025 | |
| Across the country, gamers are logging on for the first college football video game release in 11 years. Electronic Arts' College Football 2025 is the result of three years of research, development and fine-tuning to create an in-depth college football experience that features actual student-athletes for the first time in history. And Mississippi State is in the game. The general gameplay itself is fun and immersive, and part of the reason why is the attention to detail with the stadium environments. The game has all the details for Davis Wade Stadium down, from the massive video boards, music and fight song, the expanded stadium seating and, of course, the cowbells. The only detail incorrect at launch is the location of the home and away sidelines, with MSU situated on the East side in the game. The team is all set up for the player to take control, though there is some work to be done to improve the roster. Overall, MSU has a fun offensive scheme with a roster that has room to grow in dynasty mode, a game mode where players can recruit and develop prospects themselves as a head coach, offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator with a program. The game has been available for pre-order and early access for a few days, but the official launch takes place Friday. Mississippi State is hosting a celebratory "We're In the Game!" event on July 18 where 32 players will compete for the chance to take on current and former Bulldogs. Notable former players in attendance include NFL players Emmanuel Forbes, Johnathan Abram, JT Gray and Bookie Watson. The event begins at 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children and can be purchased online. |
| Mississippi State finishes with 11 MLB Draft selections, most of any school | |
| With 11 selections, Mississippi State had more players taken in this year's MLB Draft than any other college team. That group includes eight pitchers, a testament to the work pitching coach Justin Parker put in during his first season with the Bulldogs. Those drafted in the top 10 rounds are almost certain to sign and begin their professional careers, while players drafted later have until Aug. 1 to decide whether to sign with the teams that selected them or return to school. Shortstop David Mershon had to wait until the 18th round to hear his name called before the Los Angeles Angels selected the sophomore. Mershon batted .347 this past spring with more walks than strikeouts as well as 27 stolen bases while playing excellent defense. With only two college seasons under his belt, Mershon could opt to come back to MSU for his junior year, depending on how much money the Angels offer him. Notably absent from the list of draftees is first baseman Hunter Hines, whose offensive numbers dipped somewhat from his 2023 season but was still one of the SEC's most feared power hitters. Hines was a top-200 draft prospect according to MLB Pipeline, but after going undrafted, he will be returning to Starkville for his final collegiate campaign in 2025. |
| Men's Golf Releases 2024-25 Schedule | |
| Mississippi State head men's golf coach Dusty Smith released the Bulldogs' 2024-25 schedule on Wednesday. State will host two events for the second straight season. In the fall, MSU will again partner with Southern Miss and Ole Miss to host the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational in Biloxi, Mississippi. That event will tee off on Oct. 19 from the Fallen Oak Golf Course at Beau Rivage Resort. In the spring, State's home course will once again welcome the Bulldogs for the Mossy Oak Collegiate at Mossy Oak Golf Club in West Point. That will close the regular season for MSU on April 14-15. "We have put together a great schedule that will test us and challenge us with the main goal being to prepare us for postseason play," Smith said. "We look forward to the upcoming season." The Bulldogs open the season on Sept. 6-8 at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate in Loudon, Tennessee. That is the same event where they opened the 2023-24 campaign and saw Hunter Logan claim individual medalist honors. Later that month, State will make its first appearance at the Valero Texas Collegiate in San Antonio, Texas. Played on the same course at TPC San Antonio as the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open, the event offers the individual champion an invitation into the spring's PGA Tour event. |
| CFP leaders happy to see season unfold, then weigh changes | |
| Leaders of the College Football Playoff won't make any decisions about what the sport's postseason format will look like in 2026 and beyond until after a national champion has been crowned in the inaugural season of a 12-team field, executive director Rich Clark told ESPN on Wednesday. The playoff will expand from four to 12 teams for each of the next two seasons, with the five highest-ranked conference champions joining the next seven highest-ranked teams in the field. The current, 12-year CFP contract expires following the 2025 season. In March, the CFP and ESPN agreed to a new six-year, $7.8 billion contract that ensures the network will remain the sole media rights holder of the playoff through the 2031-32 season. The playoff format for that new contract, though, is uncertain beyond the guarantee it will continue to be at least a 12-team field. "We're going to wait until after the season, after the playoff, the champ game in fact," said Clark, who was at SEC media days after replacing retired executive director Bill Hancock in June. Clark, who retired from his post as the superintendent of the Air Force Academy on May 31, said the CFP is willing to make adjustments if needed after watching the new format unfold this fall. |
| Nick Saban is back at SEC Media Days, six months after retiring and asking the questions now | |
| Nick Saban is at SEC Media Days again, six months after retiring as Alabama coach. This time he's asking the questions as part of ESPN's SEC Network coverage of the four-day event. "I'm still a coach at heart. So I want to ask the coaches questions so that they can actually talk about things that they want to talk about, and maybe things that they want to be able to get out there," Saban said Wednesday, a short time before his successor, Kalen DeBoer, made his SEC Media days debut as Tide coach. "So I'm not trying to put anybody on the defensive," Saban added. "I'm trying to help them express what they'd like to express about their team, or about a particular player, or about a position on their team." He said he doesn't plan to be critical as a broadcaster. "I want to be objective. But I don't want to be controversial," Saban said. "You could take any decision in any situation that anybody makes and make it controversial. Like, if we go for it on fourth-and-3, we would have 100,000 people in Alabama say, 'I'm glad he's going for it.' And we would have 100,000 people say, 'He's a dumbass for going for it.'" Saban has already made a headline, picking Georgia and Texas, not the Crimson Tide, to play for the SEC championship. |
| 'SEC Nation' theme song finally getting a refresh to include Oklahoma and Texas | |
 | ESPN's "SEC Nation" has announced that country musician Brooke Eden will refresh the theme song for the network's weekly show. The traveling pre-game show that previews college football games from the Southeastern Conference is celebrating its 10th anniversary, as well as the additions of Oklahoma and Texas. The show debuted in September 2014, with a unique SEC version of their theme song "Take The Party" by Robert Randolph and The Family Band. 10 years ago, Randolph and the network producers wrote customized lyrics for "Party Wherever We Go," a tune that brings the SEC into the song's lyrics. The theme song's current lyrics go: "Down in Tuscaloosa, yeah it's Roll Tide / Over in South Carolina, Gamecocks they ready to fight / How 'bout them dogs in Georgia? / Kentucky Wildcats bite." Now, Eden has revamped the lyrics, adding the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns into the song's verses. The Florida-born artist is known for songs "Act Like You Don't," "Outlaw Love" and "Left You For Me." Early in her career, Eden auditioned for two seasons of "American Idol" -- seasons seven and ten. After graduating from the University of Florida, Eden moved to Nashville. The theme song will premiere at 9 a.m. CDT on Saturday, Aug. 31 as the show heads to Gainesville, Florida to cover the Florida Gators game against the Miami Hurricanes. |
| A $250M price tag: How SEC coaches will pay their football players | |
| Within the third-floor convention space of the Omni Hotel, SEC banners cover the walls during the conference's annual media days. Plastered on one is the league's iconic pinwheel of school logos. On another is a reminder of the SEC membership count: "Now, 16 strong," it says. And on a third surface, the largest and most elaborate wallpaper stretches from floor to ceiling displaying the league's trademark slogan. It just means more. While the catchphrase is mostly rooted in the conference's passionate fan bases, in the impending era of athlete revenue sharing, it holds a most fitting significance: It means more money, a lot more. In fact, according to estimates from many of the conference's head football coaches, SEC schools are expected to spend as much as one-quarter of a billion dollars annually as a league on their football players, or about $15 million per school a year. "Do the math," Florida coach Billy Napier told Yahoo Sports. "We're talking $20 million (in allotted revenue sharing). In most athletic departments, football is 70-75% of the revenue. That's $12.5-15 million. That's the number we anticipate." LSU coach Brian Kelly describes his expected football roster budget: "I'd say between $14-17 million." Can every school afford such a price tag? "Everybody in the SEC," he said with a smile. |
| 'Heretic' Lawyer Behind Houston Christian's House v. NCAA Fight | |
| Since the defendants and plaintiffs in House v. NCAA reached a tentative $2.8 million settlement agreement in May, there have been no shortage of complaints from non-Power 5 schools and conferences, arguing that they are being made to suffer financially for matters over which they had no control. But so far only one institution, Houston Christian University, has taken the formal -- if legally debatable -- next step in attempting to halt the case's impending resolution. In a seven-page motion filed June 20, the school of 2,300 undergraduate students asked a federal court to allow it to intervene in the case, arguing that it had "significantly protectable" interests which no side had taken "any step to protect." Its prayer (for relief) comes 16 years after the school, formerly known as Houston Baptist, settled a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA over the wait period for schools applying for Division I membership. Helping to lead Houston Christian's case then, as now, is its anomalous outside counsel, James Sears Bryant, whose resumé includes professional sports agent, Democratic state representative (from a Republican district in Oklahoma), minor league basketball team owner, consumer advocate and Hollywood producer. When it comes to religion, Bryant describes himself as "probably a heretic," and when it comes to college sports, he's probably a paradox: a longtime player advocate and NCAA adversary who is also a full-throated defender of amateurism. |
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