| Wednesday, September 11, 2024 |
| HARDY concert at MSU postponed to Friday | |
 | HARDY is coming to Mississippi State this week -- but with a one day delay due to Tropical Storm Francine's anticipated inclement weather. The storm is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane, with landfall along the central Louisiana coast impacting the MSU/Starkville community with rainy and potentially stormy conditions Thursday. "Fans have been so excited to see HARDY on campus for this brand new concert experience at Dudy Noble, and we made the decision, along with HARDY and his team, to postpone the show one day to ensure a great time for everyone when we expect nicer weather," said event organizer Jackie Mullen, assistant vice president for Student Affairs. Tickets are still available at HailState.com/Hardy, along with more concert information. Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday, with opening acts beginning at 6:15 p.m., featuring Randy Houser and Travis Denning. HARDY is a native of Philadelphia in Neshoba County who last year soared to the top of the charts with his country and rock hits. The five-time Academy of Country Music award winner also has two Country Music Association awards and three CMA Triple Play awards. He was the 2022 BMI Country Songwriter of the Year and is a three-time AIMP Songwriter of the Year. He has written 15 No. 1 singles, including "One Beer" featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson, as well as the Dierks Bentley and BRELAND collaboration "Beers On Me." |
| HARDY concert at Mississippi State postponed by storm until Friday | |
 | Fans got excited when Mississippi State University announced in April that HARDY would be performing, but they are going to have to wait a little longer to see the country rock artist. The university announced Tuesday afternoon that Thursday's show is postponed because of Tropical Storm Francine, which is expected to make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane in central Louisiana and move northward across Louisiana and Mississippi. The storm could bring heavy rain and flash flooding in some areas and has the potential for spinoff tornadoes as it makes its way through the state. The new concert date will be Friday -- one day later -- at Dudy Noble Field. Ticketholders do not need to do anything ahead of the concert. Full refunds will be given to those who are unable to attend Friday. Alternatively, those who cannot attend the HARDY concert can opt to donate their ticket to a member of the military at Columbus Air Force Base. To get a ticket refund or donate a ticket, visit by 11:59 p.m. Thursday at HailState.com/Hardy. "Fans have been so excited to see HARDY on campus for this brand new concert experience at Dudy Noble, and we made the decision, along with HARDY and his team, to postpone the show one day to ensure a great time for everyone when we expect nicer weather," event organizer Jackie Mullen said in a news release. |
| MSU-Meridian holds regular schedule, monitors weather | |
 | Mississippi State University's Meridian campuses will operate under a normal schedule as the university monitors the weather ahead of Hurricane Francine. In a news release, MSU said both its Starkville and Meridian campuses will be open Wednesday and Thursday under the current conditions. The MSU Engineering satellite, which is based at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, will follow MGCCC's guidance and be closed Wednesday. MSU officials said they are continuing to monitor the weather and will announce any further scheduling changes if needed. Students are encouraged to monitor the university's website at msstate.edu or sign up for alerts through the maroon alert system for more information. |
| Mississippi secretary of state encourages voting among college students | |
 | "I think, even if you live in a state that has been primarily one color or the other your entire life, it's still important to go out there and vote -- just to express your opinion and give your feedback to the government, because that's the way the system was intended to work," sophomore mechanical engineering major CJ Jordan said. While some students find participating in elections to be a vital civic duty, others hold an opposite opinion, which is why Mississippi State University received a brief but intentional visit from Mississippi's secretary of state last Tuesday afternoon. With less than two months before Americans cast their votes for the 2024 presidential election, the MSU Stennis Montgomery Association invited Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson to speak on campus and explain the importance of voting to skeptical college students. After explaining his position and duties as Mississippi's secretary of state, Watson immediately explained why he came to talk to Mississippi State students. "I think it's important for all of us, especially at the age you are now, to understand the significance of the role that you play when you go vote," Watson said. "You are holding me accountable. You're holding elected officials accountable, and that is the bedrock of what this country was formed from -- the consent of the governed." |
| Rise in youth crimes around the area | |
 | There has been an uptick in crimes committed by youth. From a violent incident in Starkville September 6 to multiple car burglaries in the area, we have seen several incidents of youth committing crime in the last several days. Judge Lydia Quarles presides over youth court in Noxubee County. Quarles said in some instances, the juvenile may be charged as an adult. "If it's that kind of crime, the police or the sheriff are going to immediately say 'this kid's an adult. It's an adult crime' and so that means the kid doesn't have any protection anymore, like his name and face can be all over," said Quarles. Judge Quarles said the common theme she sees in the youth, who commit these crimes, is a lack of parental involvement. Macon Police Chief Divine Beck also believed parental involvement is a factor. "The solution is to start at home with the parents. The parents cannot be their kids' friends. You got to respect your parent on a level that they're your parents. They're not your friend," said Beck. |
| With Strong Memories of Katrina, Mississippi Braces for Francine | |
 | As Hurricane Francine pushed northeast through the Gulf of Mexico, preparations were underway in Mississippi, a state with only a short coastline -- but one that has been repeatedly battered by hurricanes in the past. Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency. School districts announced closures on Wednesday and Thursday. People flocked to grocery stores for snacks and drinking water, and one liquor store employee said the rush of customers matched Thanksgiving. Outside of the Emergency Operations Center in Hancock County, on the border with Louisiana, inmates at the county jail shoveled sand from a pile almost as high as their chests on Tuesday afternoon. They poured the sand into white bags, tied them up and loaded them onto pickup trucks for residents to take home. Danie Ladner, 56, and her husband, Gregory, 67, took 11, planning to set them up around the front door of their house in nearby Dedeaux. They rode out Hurricane Katrina there in 2005, but said they wouldn't stay if another storm of that strength threatened the area. Vic Johnson, the county's roads manager, said that he was preparing for Mississippi to bear more of Francine's impacts than people had expected when the storm first appeared far to the south. But he wasn't too concerned. |
| Mississippi agencies and utilities prepare for Francine | |
| Governor Tate Reeves has declared a State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Francine. All 16 of the state's emergency support functions that include various agencies are now activated and prepared to respond. Some of the preps are obvious like the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency sending out more than 100,000 sandbags to South Mississippi. "I think it's more so we are bringing in more manpower from not only our places, like our folks, but we're also putting everyone on standby," said Chief Communications Officer Malary White. "So, we are on standby, ready to help." Still, White noted that some elements depend on what happens with the storm. "We are sitting back and waiting," she said. "And I know that can be the hard part, but we've got to see what the need and the impact is." Utility companies are doing pre-storm work like cutting down dead pine trees that could easily fall onto lines. They're also bringing in extra manpower. More than 400 people have already been brought in to help Entergy. "In some instances, a storm can result in a track that's fairly concentrated, and we may concentrate our resources," described Shawn Corkran, Entergy Mississippi Vice President of Reliability. "In this case, it seems to want to go up I-55, and so we'll be staging crews all throughout the path of the expected storm." |
| Robert St. John to close one of his popular Jackson-area restaurants | |
 | Noted restaurateur, Emmy-award winner and general renaissance man Robert St. John announced via social media Tuesday that Enzo Osteria in Ridgeland will be closing. St. John came along and saved that location in 2022 when Biaggi's announced it was leaving that location in the Renassaince shopping area. "Unfortunately, we are going to have to close our doors at Enzo," St. John said on X (formerly known as Twitter). "We didn't want to be one of these companies that just puts a sign on the door that says the doors are locked and we are closed." He said that Enzo will stay open until Sept. 21. While St. John did not give specifics as to why the restaurant is closing, he said that he is taking full responsibility. "We love Ridgeland. We love the people here," he said. "The landlord (Andrew Mattiace) here at Renaissance has been great with us. We have nothing but great memories of this place and we appreciated all of our guests from the past two years and all of the team members who have stuck with us through really hard times. It's been rough." St. John also said that Mattiace already has a new tenant for the building but would not say who that would be. "There are brighter days ahead," St. John said. |
| Aerospace company to create 31 jobs with $11.75 million investment in Mississippi Delta | |
| Greenville Kearns Aerospace Maintenance (GKAM) is investing in its aircraft maintenance operations in the Mississippi Delta. The aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul company looks to create 31 new jobs with an $11.75 million corporate investment. GKAM also specializes in avionics/structure modifications, manufacturing, inspection, and kitting for military and civilian aircraft. Since 2022, the company has leased a hangar at Mid Delta Regional Airport, where it previously committed to creating 250 jobs. With this newest investment, GKAM plans to retrofit two existing aircraft hangars to be used for aircraft painting, paint striping, hazmat capture, and hazmat storage and containment. The 31 new jobs will bring the total number of jobs committed to by GKAM to 281. "Greenville Kearns Aerospace Maintenance has been part of the Delta's economic landscape for more than a decade, and I am grateful this veteran-owned company is once again investing in its operations and in our state," Governor Tate Reeves said. |
| Crumbling roads and bridges in state need more revenue now, leaders say. Costly problem looms | |
| If Mississippi doesn't invest more state revenue in the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the state's already crumbling roads and bridges could get even worse, creating an even more costly problem in the future. At the same time, state lawmakers are trying to find a way to eliminate the state's personal income tax, which Select Tax Reform Committee Chairman Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, said can be done while finding ways to funnel more money to MDOT. On Sept. 4 during a committee hearing at the Mississippi State Capitol, Paula Dowell, a consultant with Howard, Needles, Tammen and Bergendoff, an American infrastructure design firm, told lawmakers there are several paths they could drive down to improve roads, bridges and the funding necessary to do the work. Those ideas could, according to a HNTB study, lead to $4.7 billion in revenues and savings from new business, more travel and more private investment, leading to thousands of more jobs and more gross product to fuel the state economy. Dowell recommended several ideas to create what she ultimately described as a diversified plan, including raising the state's motor fuel tax from 18 cents per gallon to the national average, closer to about 30 cents per gallon. In 2023, the state's fuel tax provided about 22% of MDOTs funding. If it were raised to the national average, it would generate $373 million in additional revenue. Gas prices in Mississippi are typically among the lowest in the nation. That could change if fuel taxes are increased. |
| Inflation drops to lowest level since Feb. 2021 as Fed plans rate cut | |
 | Inflation eased again in August, dropping to the lowest level in more than three years and locking in expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next week for the first time since the pandemic's early days. Data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed prices climbed 2.5 percent in the 12 months ending in August. That was a noticeable improvement over the 2.9 percent notched in July, in part because of falling gas prices. Prices also climbed 0.2 percent over the previous month. Housing costs accounted for more than 70 percent of the overall year-over-year increase. However, policymakers are skeptical that the measures reflected in the consumer price index offer an up-to-date snapshot of that market. Other real-time indicators have shown rents easing considerably, or even falling, in major cities for much of the year. But the Fed will be hard-pressed to wrestle inflation down to normal levels until official statistics fall in line. According to the BLS, two key rent gauges are showing little relief compared to previous months. Inflation has fallen steadily since peaking at an annual rate of 9.1 percent two years ago. But the long stretch of sharp increases has left prices much higher than before the pandemic, leaving scores of households and businesses with the feeling that the economy isn't working for them. |
| Will Congress negotiate a new farm bill this fall? Farmers hope so | |
| Congress came back from recess this week to a letter from more than 300 agricultural trade and advocacy groups saying the time to negotiate a new farm bill is now. Congress' extended deadline to refresh that massive spending package is creeping up at the end of the month. Crop insurance and other agriculture safety net programs will make up just a small portion of that spending. But farmers say they need a new bill by the end of the year because a downturn in the agriculture economy is causing some pain. Commodity farmers across the country are getting ready to harvest their fall crop. And in many cases, sell it at a loss. "The prices are ... not so great," said Krista Swanson, lead economist at the National Corn Growers Association. She said demand for agricultural commodities has been steady. Problem is, there's too much. High yields for that crop, plus soybeans and wheat, are driving down prices. Swanson said that makes passing a new farm bill even more urgent: "It provides a risk management safety net for farmers," she said. A safety net that hasn't gotten an update since 2018. |
| GOP leaders to roll the dice on doomed stopgap funds bill | |
 | The House on Tuesday voted to take up a partisan six-month stopgap spending bill featuring controversial voting restriction legislation as soon as Wednesday, adopting the rule for floor debate on the continuing resolution and several unrelated bills on a narrow party-line vote. The rule vote was 209-206, with two Republicans opposed: Montana's Matt Rosendale and Arizona's Andy Biggs. No Democrats supported it. Despite growing GOP opposition to the stopgap bill and no clear path to passage, Speaker Mike Johnson earlier in the day vowed to put the CR on the floor Wednesday both in private comments at a Tuesday morning conference meeting and later publicly to reporters. "I told the conference this morning and I'll say it here again: I am resolved on this and I don't know what more I can say to show that conviction," Johnson said at a post-meeting press conference. House Democrats are expected to remain united against the bill, due to the inclusion of the legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and the six-month time period they feel is far too long. With the current version of the bill appearing destined for defeat -- or being pulled prior to the vote -- it's not yet clear what House Republicans' next move will be. |
| Harris Baits Trump in Fiery Presidential Debate | |
 | Vice President Kamala Harris put former President Donald Trump on the defensive in their first presidential debate, provoking him over crowd sizes at his rallies and his felony convictions -- a sign of how the race has been upended with her ascent to the top of the ticket. The debate Tuesday, which was hosted by ABC News at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, came after weeks of bickering over debate rules, which were set before Harris became the nominee. The prior debate, in late June, resulted in President Biden's exit from the race after his halting debate performance against Trump. Harris, 59, the first woman of color to lead a presidential ticket, presented a starker contrast on the debate stage with Trump, 78, than the octogenarian Biden did. Trump attacked Harris for the Biden administration's record on immigration and the economy, and she was also pressed by the moderators on the many issues she has reversed positions on since her unsuccessful campaign for the 2020 Democratic nomination. Unlike the Biden-Trump debate, this one began on a civilized note, with the vice president initiating a handshake with the former president. Their exchanges grew progressively more combative, with the candidates shaking their heads at each other's answers. |
| Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris after debate with Trump ends | |
 | Taylor Swift, one of the music industry's biggest stars, endorsed Kamala Harris for president shortly after the presidential debate ended. "I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos," Swift wrote late Tuesday in an Instagram post, which included a link to a voter registration website. Swift has a dedicated following among young women, a key demographic in the November election, and her latest tour has generated more than $1 billion in ticket sales. In a half hour, the post received more than 2.3 million likes. She included a picture of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button, and she signed the message "Childless Cat Lady." The remark is a reference to three-year-old comments made by JD Vance, Donald Trump's running mate, about women without children not having an equal stake in the country's future. Swift wrote that her endorsement was partially prompted by Trump's decision to post artificial intelligence-generated pictures suggesting that she had endorsed him. One showed Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, and the text said "Taylor wants YOU to VOTE for DONALD TRUMP." Trump's posts "brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter," Swift wrote. She added that "I've done my research, and I've made my choice." |
| How Memphis became a battleground over Elon Musk's xAI supercomputer | |
 | Down a long, flat road in the industrial zone of South Memphis, a newly occupied factory is humming with activity. It's a low-level white building that spans the length of several football fields. Workers in florescent green vests excavate the surrounding land, and a parade of construction trucks comes and goes. More than a dozen generators steadily burn methane gas. This part of Memphis, Tenn., is known for its factories and smokestacks. Nearby are a handful of historically Black neighborhoods, where poor air quality has given residents elevated asthma rates and lower life expectancy. Now, they have a new neighbor: Elon Musk. He took over the massive factory just a few months ago with the goal of building the "world's largest supercomputer." It's named "Colossus," sharing the title with both a mutant Russian comic book character and a sci-fi movie about a supercomputer that becomes sentient and goes rogue. The name originally comes from the mythical Greek statue "Colossus of Rhodes." This data center will supply the compute power for Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI. It could be a test case of this technology's groundbreaking advances, and also its unintended consequences. AI requires more electricity to complete even simple tasks compared to typical search queries. In the U.S., about 60% of that electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, which is the primary driver of climate change. When the supercomputer gets to full capacity, the local utility says it's going to need a million gallons of water per day and 150 megawatts of electricity -- enough to power 100,000 homes per year. |
| 2024 Mississippi Book Festival set for September 14 | |
| Representatives and supporters of the Mississippi Book Festival gathered at the State Capitol earlier this year to kick off the 10th anniversary celebration of the state's largest "literary lawn party." With the hopes of cooler temperatures, the festival was moved from August into September, with this year's festival on the grounds of the historic Capitol building. Plenty of indoor panels (50+) will be featured both inside the Capitol building as well as in surrounding facilities, including Galloway Methodist Church. Since the festival began in 2015 it has welcomed over 1,000 authors, hosted nearly 50,000 day-of attendees, and reached more than 44,000 students across the state of Mississippi. The festival is dedicated to contributing to Mississippi's literacy legacy by transforming the Mississippi State Capitol for one day a year into a literary hub that unites authors and readers. "We want to express our immense gratitude to our State leaders and community partners for all of your support over the last 10 years," said Ellen Daniels, Executive Director of the Mississippi Book Festival. Festival goers this Fall will be able to attend panels with authors like Kate DiCamillo with The Puppets of Spelhorst and Angie Thomas with Nic Blake and the Remarkables, their latest books for young readers. Erik Larson will also return to Jackson with his forthcoming book, The Demon of Unrest, and Sebastian Junger will present his most personal work, In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife. |
| Ole Miss vice chancellor indicted on animal cruelty charges. Ten dogs found dead | |
| Charlotte Fant-Pegues, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Mississippi, has been indicted on animal cruelty charges one month following her husband's arrest for the same crime. The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office said Fant-Pegues was served an indictment last week by a grand jury for 10 counts of animal cruelty. Authorities said Fant-Pegues turned herself into the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office on Monday morning and later released on a $75,000 bond. This news comes after her husband, Terry Pegues, was arrested in August and charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty. Deputies said they found dead and malnourished dogs on the property owned by the couple. In a statement sent to the Clarion Ledger Tuesday afternoon, Fant-Pegues' attorney Graham Carner said that his client was "not guilty." "Dr. Charlotte Pegues has dedicated her life to service to her community and the University of Mississippi. She has served with integrity and character, which are now unfairly called into question by a rushed indictment. Dr. Pegues is not guilty, and we will aggressively defend against these charges. In order not to be a distraction to the University she loves and that has loved her, Dr. Pegues will be taking a period of personal leave. She asks for privacy as she works to preserve her good name." |
| Aspiring entrepreneurs can win $1,000 in funding at Auburn Ideas Jam competition | |
 | Auburn University will be hosting a competition on Tuesday, Oct. 1 for aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators and visionaries from across East Alabama to secure $1,000 in funding to take their ideas to the next level. Set for 5 p.m. in the BEST room at Horton-Hardgrave Hall, the Auburn Ideas Jam competition supports early-stage business ideas and startups by offering a platform for growth without the need for a business plan or side deck. "Our goal is to create an inclusive and accessible environment where anyone with a solid idea can step forward, share their vision, and receive support," said Joshua Sahib, managing director of the Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship at Auburn University. "By eliminating traditional barriers like business plans or slide decks, we're opening the door for a wider range of participants and hoping to spur the winning entrepreneurs to quickly move from ideas into action." The competition encourages participation from both college students and community members in East Alabama who are still in the idea phase or have early-stage businesses with minimal revenue. |
| Iranian-born scientist who sued U. of Alabama at Birmingham for harassment is awarded $3.8M in damages | |
 | An Iranian-born research scientist who filed a federal discrimination lawsuit alleging a co-worker at the University of Alabama at Birmingham harassed her for nine years because of her ethnicity was awarded more than $3.8 million in damages Tuesday. Fariba Moeinpour, 62, said she was thrilled with the jury verdict, which was handed down in the Northern District of Alabama, and ready to restart her life. "Day and night, I was looking for a job, any job, but nobody would hire me because my name was tarnished," Moeinpour told NBC News. "Now, my good name has been restored." UAB, according to the jury verdict, was ordered to pay Moeinpour $3 million in damages. Mary Jo Cagle, a former UAB data analyst who was identified in the lawsuit as the person who harassed Moeinpour, was ordered to pay her $500,000 in compensatory damages and $325,000 more in punitive damages. Cagle, according to the lawsuit, began harassing Moeinpour almost from the moment she started working for Grubbs at the UAB School of Medicine. "Our country does not need your kind," Cagle said, according to the lawsuit. |
| Anti-DEI Bills Failed in Kentucky. Universities Are Restricting It Anyway. | |
 | Earlier this year, Kentucky's Republican-led General Assembly considered multiple bills targeting public universities' diversity, equity and inclusion programs, but managed to pass none of them. By April, as their session neared its end, GOP lawmakers had run out of days to join other states that have cracked down on DEI---and still leave time to override Democratic governor Andy Beshear's likely veto. But Republicans didn't forget the issue. In July, the Interim Joint Committee on Education, meeting between legislative sessions, held a hearing on DEI. During that meeting, as Louisville Public Media reported, Republican representative Emily Callaway said her son was exploring colleges, and she told Northern Kentucky University president Cady Short-Thompson that she was confused by something regarding NKU. "I see Black student unions. I don't see white anything," Callaway said, according to a video from the General Assembly. "No mention. I see Black male/female events. My son, what would he relate to on your campus? And how is this inclusive? And how is it promoting unity while you segregate Black, white---well, we're assuming there's some whites that go there; we don't know because there's no mention of any activities for whites." |
| Civil rights complaint against UGA stems from arrests of pro Palestinian students | |
 | A civil rights complaint was lodged against the University of Georgia on behalf of several UGA students and the Students for Justice in Palestine, according to an announcement released this week by attorneys handling the complaint. The complaint was filed under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. The complaint ask for an investigation into "UGA's extreme differential treatment of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim students, students perceived to be Palestinian, and students associated with or advocating for Palestinians." The complaint cites the arrests of nine students in April by the UGA Police Department as the students were protesting what was happening in the Gaza strip. The students arrested were locked out of campus housing, terminated from campus employment, prohibited from taking exams and some were barred from graduations, according to the release. UGA officials responded with a statement that it vigorously protects the security of the campus and students. "While we are dedicated to fostering a climate of free speech, we must also enforce our policies and hold accountable those who choose to blatantly ignore these rules or disrupt our learning environment," the statement reads. |
| U. of Florida takes a tumble in Wall Street Journal's 2025 list of best colleges | |
 | The University of Florida tumbled 33 spots in the Wall Street Journal's latest ranking of the top public universities in the United States. UF, which the Wall Street Journal in 2024 ranked No. 1 among public universities, plummeted to No. 34 in its 2025 ranking published last week. Among all universities, UF ranked No. 83 this year, down 68 spots from No. 15. The Journal's 2025 ranking included 500 public and private universities from across the country, up from 400 institutions ranked the previous year. UF trumpeted its 2024 ranking in a September 2023 press release, with board of trustees Chair Mori Hosseini saying, "The University of Florida dared to be audacious, and we've succeeded -- for our students and for our state." No such release has been issued this year. UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan in a text message on Tuesday issued this statement to The Sun: "Recently, Forbes ranked the University of Florida the No. 4 public university in the nation. The formulas for rankings change from year to year, but this is constant: The University of Florida is committed to excellence for our students, for our faculty, and for our state." |
| U. of Tennessee celebrates 230th anniversary | |
| The University of Tennessee celebrated its 230th anniversary Tuesday, Sept. 10, with a Tacos and Traditions event, placing signage with interesting UT history facts around campus. Founded in 1794, UT was originally named Blount College after Tennessee's first governor William Blount. Since then, the university has gone by several names, including East Tennessee College and East Tennessee University. In 1879, the institution officially became the University of Tennessee. The campus faced difficulties during the Civil War, suspending activity until 1865. Post Civil War, the school was chosen as one of Tennessee's land-grant institutions. The same year UT became a land-grant institution, the Pride of the Southland Marching Band was founded as part of the school's military department. UT's first football team was established in 1891, but the team would not be called "the Volunteers" until 1902. The name was given to honor and recognize the 1,500 Tennessean troops that volunteered to fight in the War of 1812. In 1899, J.A. Pierce became the football team's first head coach, but he remained only for one season. This year, Chancellor Donde Plowman posted on X in response to UT's "Happy birthday, UT!" post. "Five years ago just before Covid we celebrated our 225th birthday," Plowman wrote. "These last five years have flown by yet when I think about all that we have accomplished, it must be more than 5 years. Let's go! #everythingschool." |
| Most graduates from Oklahoma's higher education system are retained in state workforce | |
| A majority of graduates from Oklahoma's public universities and colleges stay and enter the state's workforce, contributing to its economy. According to the 2023 Employment Outcomes Report from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, 87% of graduates were working and living in Oklahoma one year after graduation. Five years after graduation, 75% still remained in the state. In 2018, the Regents reported that 74% of graduates were employed in Oklahoma, and 65% remained after five years. The 2023 report shows an increase of at least 10% from 2018 in retaining graduates both one year and five years after graduation. The report, which is based on the 2023 tax year, shows that nonresidents stay in Oklahoma at a lower rate than residents of the state, but about 61% still stay in Oklahoma for the first year after graduation. "Year after year, data show that the vast majority of resident graduates from our public institutions -- and over half of non-resident graduates -- decide to make a living and build a life right here in Oklahoma," Higher Education Chancellor Allison Garrett said in a statement. "Even five years after graduation, these individuals are helping us meet our workforce needs in healthcare, engineering, computer science, education, business, and numerous other key fields." Graduates who were part of Oklahoma Promise, a scholarship program offering qualified Oklahoma students an opportunity to earn a scholarship for college tuition, have one of the highest retention and employment rates. |
| College Students’ Mental Health Takes a Turn -- For the Better | |
| Student mental health -- long a top concern of higher education leaders -- now appears to be improving, according to the latest edition of the annual Healthy Minds study. It found that 38 percent of undergraduates surveyed in the 2023–24 academic year experienced moderate or severe depression symptoms---down from the peak of 44 percent two years prior. To be sure, the decrease is relatively slight, and the share of college students experiencing depression still hovers slightly above pre-pandemic rates: In fall 2019, 36 percent of students reported depressive symptoms. But it's the second year that the number has dropped, signaling that the downward movement might be a trend rather than an anomaly. The data comes from latest iteration of the Healthy Minds study, the largest study of college student mental well-being in the country. With principal investigators at four different universities, Healthy Minds surveyed more than 100,000 undergraduates on mental health struggles, stigma and treatments. The results show that it's not only depression that has declined; rates of eating disorders dropped one percentage point over the past two years, nonsuicidal self-harm dropped three percentage points and suicidal ideation dropped two percentage points. |
| Senators Urge Education Department to Extend Gainful Reporting Deadline | |
| A bipartisan group of 20 senators has asked the Education Department to give colleges more time to report program-level information that's currently due at the end of the month. The reporting requirements, which include data on the total cost of attendance and the amount of private education loans disbursed to students, are part of the department's new gainful-employment rule aimed at providing prospective students with more information about whether college programs pay off. The information was initially due July 31, but the department pushed back that deadline after colleges asked for more time, citing delays and issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The botched launch of the application, colleges said, made it more difficult to comply with the gainful reporting requirements. While the two-month reprieve was welcomed, colleges have since pushed for a longer extension and urged Congress to get involved. Led by Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, and Senator Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, the group of lawmakers said in a letter sent Tuesday that the department should push the deadline back to July 2025 because of the FAFSA woes. Without an extension, they wrote, "It is going to be very difficult, if not impossible, for schools to submit high-quality data by the Oct. 1 deadline given the tight timeline and additional issues financial aid offices are facing." |
| Republicans Seek to Revive China Initiative | |
| Gang Chen, a mechanical engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said he is no longer the same person he was before he was arrested early one morning in January 2021. In part of a controversial series of Justice Department investigations into Chinese academics and others, Chen was charged with failing to disclose various financial ties and affiliations with Chinese entities on a federal grant application. His life was flipped upside down in an instant. Although the charges were dismissed a year later, Chen says that his family now "lives in constant fear." "I'm still often woken up by my wife's cry because in her dreams she remembers the police shouting beside her bed the morning I was arrested," he said. "And every time I cross the border after coming back from an international trip, I'm scared of being stopped." Experiences like Chen's could become more common if House Republicans succeed in bringing back a Trump-era program that investigated individuals or organizations with ties to China, higher ed groups and advocates warned this week. The GOP representatives are voting on a slew of bills related to China and national security as part of a continued effort to combat the country's influence in the United States. One of the bills, the Protect America's Innovation and Economic Security From CCP Act, would essentially revive DOJ's now-defunct China Initiative, which was put in place during the Trump administration in 2018 and led to the arrests of Chen and many others like him. |
| Mississippi's higher education system should embrace AI | |
| Mississippi College President Blake Thompson writes for the Magnolia Tribune: It is often said that one of the most important requirements for major success is being in the right place at the right time. Our home of Mississippi finds itself in the right place at the right time. Mississippi is uniquely positioned to succeed as the world transitions to a knowledge economy driven by data and artificial intelligence (AI). In my world of education, artificial intelligence has the potential of enhancing every aspect of our system, from preparing students for the global workforce to personalizing student learning experiences, regardless of their background or zip code. Through sound policy and the incredible work of Mississippi's educators, we are already closing the achievement gap. Now, AI presents us with the chance to create a new gap where our students are ahead of those in the rest of the world. As just one real-time example, a Mississippi start-up company may soon infuse AI-generated holographic technology throughout our K-12 and higher education sectors. Mississippi is poised to lead the AI-learning future. |
| Mississippi leaders eye additional tax cuts after 2022's historic tax cut package enacted | |
| Columnist Sid Salter writes: In 2022, Gov. Tate Reeves signed the largest tax cut in Mississippi history -- the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act. The tax cut plan promised to eliminate $525 million in Income tax relief by 2026. That tax cut did not fully eliminate the state's income tax, but Reeves and a number of Republican legislators established a plan to reach that goal. In the wake of that, two legislative panels are already studying the state's tax structure with an eye to additional tax cuts. Republican State Reps. Trey Lamar and Scott Bounds are leading a House Select Committee on Tax Reform appointed by House Speaker Jason White. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has also appointed a bipartisan committee to look at state taxes and other fiscal concerns. During his Neshoba County Fair speech last month, White said he hopes to work to at least cut the grocery sales tax by half, cutting it from the present 7 percent to 3.5 percent. White acknowledged it would be a hard legislative sell since municipalities received 18.5 percent of the current 7 percent tax to fund local government operations. But during a period of high inflation and soaring grocery prices, even Republican state lawmakers across the country are looking at ways to help families keep more of their money in their pockets to buy food. So why is the state's Republican leadership so focused on cutting taxes, particularly income taxes? |
SPORTS
| '9/20' documentary to air Wednesday on SEC Network | |
| The first college football game played after the 9/11 terrorist attacks was held at Davis Wade Stadium between Mississippi State and South Carolina on Sept. 20, 2001. On Wednesday, a documentary titled '9/20′ will premiere on SEC Network, spotlighting the planning of, lead up to, and execution of the game. The documentary was produced by MSU Films. "I think sports is more than just sports in the United States and American culture," said David Garraway, who co-produced the documentary. "I think we really wanted to find a story that allowed us to talk about Mississippi State and sports as something that's more than just sports; sports as an actual unifier, sports as a healer, and really look at what competitive athletics does culturally for the U.S." The documentary focuses on the uncertainties of planning the game: uncertainty of if there would be more terrorist attacks, uncertainty of how much security was necessary and available, uncertainty if people would attend the game. "I think when we look at 9/11, and the period right after, today, we look at it differently than we did in the moment," Garraway said. "I think a lot of people were afraid, but mostly people were just uncertain. We didn't know what would happen next, if anything would happen next. We really weren't sure how we as a nation were going to respond. I think a lot of that uncertainty plays out in the documentary. The biggest conflict in the documentary is how do you host the first national College football game after 9/11?" The documentary will air Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. on SEC Network. |
| New documentary '9/20' details a most memorable night in college football history | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: An excellent new TV documentary "9/20" tells the compelling story of a football game played 23 years ago that was, as then-Mississippi State quarterback Wayne Madkin put it, "bigger than all of us." The game was played on Sept. 20, 2001, at Scott Field in Starkville. Final score: South Carolina 16, Mississippi State 14. Twenty-three years later, the score seems irrelevant. For sure, the final score was nowhere near the reason why the SEC Network will air the 30-minute MSU Films documentary at 7 p.m. on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11/2001. That South Carolina-Mississippi State game was the first big-time college or professional football game played after terrorists killed more than 3,000 Americans, injured more than 6,000 others and changed our lives forever. It was the worst attack on our homeland in our nation's history. ... David Garraway, one of the film's three co-producers, believes "9/20" tells an important story. "In the very first days after 9/11 -- those days of uncertainty and fear -- we find a society looking for normalcy. Sports are such an indelible part of the American experience, and they became a refuge," Garraway said. "When America needed competitive sports to move forward from this tragedy, Mississippi State rose to the occasion." |
| Journeyman linebacker Branden Jennings emerging as a 'hammerhead' with Bulldogs | |
| Mississippi State's defense had not come up with a stop all night against Arizona State when the Sun Devils faced a third-and-7 on their own 28-yard line late in the third quarter. The Bulldogs, who had just three players on the line of scrimmage for most of the game and could not stop Arizona State from running the ball, stacked the box this time even on a passing down, although they went with just a four-man rush. But one of those four was Branden Jennings. Officially a linebacker, Jennings plays the "Jack" position, which is really a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end whose main job is to rush the passer. And he executed perfectly on that play, racing straight past left tackle Josh Atkins before looping around to chase after quarterback Sam Leavitt. Jennings grabbed Leavitt's ankle from behind and managed to bring him down for his first sack with MSU. "The Jack position in our defense is very versatile," Jennings said. "We are asked to do a lot, and I really like it. We can play off the ball, on the ball, they blitz us a lot, just different variations." "We call him 'Hammerhead,'" middle linebacker Stone Blanton said. "That dude's crazy. He's a hard hitter, he's a funny dude. He's going to play hard, and that's how he's always around the ball, being physical, beating people up. I love playing with him." |
| Auburn QB Thorne says angry bettors sent him Venmo requests after loss | |
| Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne has taken heat from a different source after struggling in a loss to California: Angry sports bettors. Thorne said on The Next Round podcast Tuesday that he has heard from some fans in person and on social media while others "hit you up on Venmo, all types of stuff." "They're definitely not sending cash," said Thorne, who was intercepted four times in the 21-14 upset loss on Saturday. "It's funny, when they lose money, they want the money back, but when they win money on the parley, no one's ever saying they want to pay the money." Thorne went 14-of-27 passing for 165 yards and a touchdown against Cal. One of his four picks led to the Golden Bears go-ahead touchdown early in the second quarter. The NCAA said in May that one in three high-profile athletes received abusive message from those with betting interests, citing a study by artificial intelligence service Signify Group during the NCAA men's and women's basketball tourneys. The NCAA has pushed for states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban prop bets on college athletes. Prop bets -- short for proposition bets -- allow gamblers to wager on statistics a player will accumulate during a game rather than the final score. |
| Current and former Iowa, Iowa State athletes join gambling lawsuit | |
| Eleven current and former athletes at Iowa and Iowa State have joined a federal lawsuit that accuses an Iowa law enforcement agency of illegally obtaining gambling information of more than 40 athletes and hundreds of students at both campuses in early 2023. The 51-page motion to intervene, which was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court of Southern Iowa, joins 26 athletes who filed the original lawsuit in April. The suit alleges Iowa's Division of Criminal Investigation violated the athletes' civil rights and conducted an unreasonable seizure through the Fourth and 14th Amendments. According to both filings, DCI is accused of using geofence technology at Iowa and ISU's athletic facilities to identify online sports wagering accounts for phone apps that were opened or active. The agency then used analytic software to obtain reports detailing the dates, times and geolocations of those accounts and acquired subpoenas to secure geolocation data and contents of electronic communication. They seek damages, attorney fees and demand a jury trial. |
| Texas A&M's Blue Bell Park $80 million renovation plans are 'pushing forward' under new coach | |
| Good news for Texas A&M baseball fans: the Blue Bell Park stadium renovation is "pushing forward," new Aggies coach Mike Earley said. "We're in a really good spot, and I think a more motivated spot than we've ever been in," Earley said in an extended sitdown with the Houston Chronicle this week. "Everything is on track from everything I've been told, and it's going to be great." Earley met with A&M administrators a couple of weeks ago and is part of the ongoing design process. The stadium renovation plan was first cranked up by then-A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle, who left for rival Texas in late June after the Aggies lost by a run to Tennessee in the national title game of the College World Series. Earley, Schlossnagle's hitting coach, was promoted to head coach by A&M athletic director Trev Alberts, and Earley maintained the core of A&M's CWS roster for the 2025 season. "Not only is the (renovation) going, it's been accelerated," Earley said of the excitement around the program from the A&M administration, donors and fans. As for the plans for a 360-degree concourse -- a walkway around the entire stadium with a "drink rail" -- that is still part of the design, Earley said. He explained because of the railroad tracks beyond right field the plan in that part of the park is to "be more up than back" concerning stadium seating. The renovation is budgeted for $80 million . |
| NIU's win over Notre Dame gave G5 schools glimmer of hope, but college football's evolution may force more abrupt changes | |
| Last December, after a long day of player meetings and bowl preparations, Thomas Hammock began to drive home with a terrible realization. He's leaving. He is Antario Brown, the Northern Illinois all-conference running back who'd fielded enough high-dollar offers that he met with Hammock earlier that day and informed the Huskies' head coach he would be transferring to one of those power conference suitors. This is a reality nowadays for many Group of Five football coaches: recruit an undervalued high school prospect, spend years developing him into an elite player and then see him leave for a bigger payday. But this story, unlike many of the rest, ends differently. Within a few minutes of Hammock arriving home that December day, Brown called with a change of heart: "I'm going to stay," he told the coach. Hammock, in his sixth year leading the NIU football program, tells the story as a way to provide a window into life in the G5, where retaining your best players is a constant battle against those with deeper pockets. He retraces the tale less than 48 hours after his Huskies thundered into Notre Dame Stadium for a 16-14 victory as four-touchdown underdogs -- a game in which Brown was responsible for nearly 60% of NIU's offensive yards. |
| South Dakota Attorney General Sues NCAA Over House Settlement | |
| The South Dakota Attorney General filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the NCAA over the proposed $2.8 billion settlement the association and its largest conferences struck earlier this year with plaintiffs in three separate class-action antitrust lawsuits. In a complaint filed in South Dakota circuit court, AG Marty Jackley, representing South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota, alleged that in agreeing to resolve House v. NCAA, the governing body breached its contract with its member institutions, violated its fiduciary duty and went against the precepts of its own constitution. Additionally, the lawsuit claims the prospective House settlement "inequitably distributes" money between male and female athletes as part of its revenue-sharing provisions, thus pushing schools into new liability for violating Title IX. The new lawsuit comes as the House settlement was already teetering on the brink of collapse, following a hearing last week in which U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken declined to grant preliminary approval. |
| Former Alabama coach Nick Saban headed back to D.C. for NIL conversation | |
| For the second time in six months, Nick Saban is headed back to Capitol Hill. The former Alabama head coach will lead a panel discussion organized by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual legislative conference on Thursday. Saban, who won six national championships in 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide, was previously in Congress in March for a roundtable organized by Sen. Ted Cruz. For nearly two years, the NCAA has looked to Congress to secure its long-sought antitrust exemption. Donor-led NIL collectives have popped up across the country, with more than 200 organizations. Collecting funds through collectives to funnel back to athletes has become crucial in retaining and attracting talent. "It is a very hot topic in Congress," Sewell told AL.com. "Hearing directly from those who have been involved in the changing landscape would be a benefit for all of us." Saban's trip to Congress comes as the NCAA tries to settle the House v. NCAA lawsuit. The parties agreed on the settlement this spring. The 10-year settlement would pay $2.77 billion in back damages to athletes over 10 years. The second piece of the agreement is revenue sharing, allowing institutions to pay $20-22 million annually to athletes. Now the long-form settlement is going in front of Judge Claudia Wilken in the Northern District of California. |
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