| Tuesday, October 8, 2024 |
| Renovations begin on new MSU-Meridian mental health clinic | |
 | Mississippi State University-Meridian's new Mental and Behavioral Health Clinic is a step closer to realization with renovations to establish the facility now underway in downtown Meridian. The new clinic, on track to open in January, will offer mental and behavioral health services to East Mississippi residents. Contracts are in place and renovations have begun on the third floor of the Regions Bank Building on 22nd Avenue to prepare seven counseling rooms that will double as training spaces for graduate students, according to a recent news release from MSU-Meridian. Services offered will treat children and adults while preparing graduating students to fill rural healthcare provider gaps statewide. The new facility will bring a new level of training within the Division of Education by reintroducing faculty members to part-time practice, said Kim Hall, MSU associate dean of academic affairs who oversees the MSU-Meridian division. The new clinic will help alleviate overburdened area mental health clinics by reducing long wait lists and by accepting Medicaid and other insurance not all practitioners currently offer, she said. "We won't be in competition with anyone," Hall added. "We will be taking the overflow and relieving the current burden on the healthcare system." |
| Starkville Derby wins Best Large Festival of the Year | |
 | Starkville's Dachshund Derby took the title for Best Large Festival of the Year at the Mississippi Tourism Association's annual awards program last week. Awards were presented in more than 20 categories, each focusing on a different aspect of the hospitality industry or individual achievement. The large festival award considered well publicized events that draw an attendance greater than 5,000. "The competitiveness of these awards reflects the exceptional quality of work from our partners and highlights the strength of Mississippi's tourism industry," MTA Executive Director Danielle Morgan said in a press release. "It's a privilege to collaborate with such remarkable professionals as we continue to drive growth and success in our field." More than 50,000 visitors filled the Cotton District for the derby's second running in May, with guests traveling as far as from Denver and Wichita, Kansas. Organized by the Starkville Sausage Dog Society, the event is hailed as the world's largest dachshund race. The theme for the derby this year was "Star Weens: The Derby Strikes Back," in celebration of Star Wars Day on May 4. The derby's grand marshal, Mississippi State men's basketball standout Josh Hubbard, kicked off the event this year after a flyover by local pilots and a performance of the National Anthem by MSU choral students. |
| Community Profile: Nurse volunteers with equine therapy program | |
| For the past 10 years, Kim Estes has been a volunteer for the equine therapy program at Mississippi State, helping children with a variety of disabilities master skills, gain confidence and learn social skills through riding. The work suits her in a couple of ways. First, it fulfills an innate desire to help those in need, a trait that first emerged with her decision to go to nursing school at age 35. "I guess I've always wanted to help people," said Estes, 59. "That's why I became a nurse and that's why I'm involved in this kind of therapy. It's always rewarding when you see a child that has so many challenges just light up when they are with the horses." There is also a personal benefit to the therapy, which provides riding sessions Tuesday through Thursday at the Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville. Estes works night shifts as an occupational health nurse at PACCAR, which allows her to volunteer during the daytime. Estes said a horse's nature is well-suited to therapy. "It's very much about relationships for the horse," Estes said. "To get them to respond to you, you have to build a bond. Some of the horses I work with were performance horses, and they will give you everything they have. All they want in return is that bond. They are very protective, too. The horses we use know they have to take care of the child and they're very open and trusting with the children, even though the children aren't trained riders. The horses understand." |
| Kids take over the barns at the Mississippi State Fair | |
 | You know it's fall when the Mississippi State Fair takes over the fairgrounds. The main focus of the fair is typically the dizzying rides and the greasy foods, but inside the barns of the Fairgrounds, it's a whole other world. "I'm brushing his hair forward. What that does is send the natural flow of the hair backwards, so whenever you comb it forwards, it appears fluffier," Trey said as he combed his brown bull named Rico. He is a 16-year-old from Sebastopol, Mississippi. He is on a list of young people who travel across the state to show off their livestock in the Future Farmers of America and 4-H competitions. "I've been taking care of this one for five months," he said, pointing to Rico. "But I've been managing my own show calves since I was 8 years old. This is a beautiful sport we call livestock showing," Trey said. The barns of the Fairgrounds have been filled with goats, bulls, pigs, and other livestock animals. The kids show off the animals to the judges, who are looking to see which animal has the best build. After talking to many of these kids, they explained livestock showing isn't just for fun, it's a lifestyle that requires a lot of discipline and sacrifice. Their parents are only assisting while most of them steer the ship. "He feeds and waters them every day and works with them after school. It's very time-consuming, but it also teaches the kids responsibility," Riley's mom, Britney, said. |
| Lee County approves economic development agreement with Tupelo for Target | |
 | Progress continues on local officials' efforts to bring national retail giant Target to Tupelo, with the county approving its part of agreements that will provide incentive structures for the company. Following a short executive session Monday morning, the Lee County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve its part of a Regional Economic Development Act Agreement with the city of Tupelo, which will give the officials the power to enact tax incentives for development related to the Target Corporation's potential location. "It delights me to see public entities working together for economic progress. It is just a beautiful thing to see," Community Development Foundation President and CEO David Rumbarger said. This agreement paves the way for tax incentives through a tax increment financial plan that City Attorney Ben Logan, who attended the Monday meeting and executive session alongside other city officials, previously said will generate about $2.5 million in incentives over the next five years. "We've had lots of conversation with Target over the past 20 years," Rumbarger said. "We are as close as we've ever been, but we still have some hoops to jump through, and this was one of them." |
| Nearly 400 officials to visit Vicksburg for statewide conference | |
| Nearly 400 municipal officials from across the state are scheduled to attend the Mississippi Municipal League's 2024 Small Town Conference in Vicksburg, Mississippi on Oct. 9 and 10 at the Vicksburg Convention Center. The purpose of the conference is to give municipal elected officials, particularly those from the smaller cities and towns, the opportunity to meet together and share ideas and challenges unique to their communities. This year's conference will feature a round of Certified Municipal Official education sessions before attendees convene for two rounds of concurrent breakout sessions and two general session presentations over the two-day event. Speakers include representatives from Mississippi Main Street Association, Mississippi Communities Health Advisers, Delta Regional Authority, Mississippi Ethics Commission, Mississippi Development Authority, Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi, MSU Extension Center for Government and Community Development, and the MSU Stennis Institute of Government & Community Development. |
| New superintendent: Private schools receiving public money should be held to public education standards | |
| Lance Evans, the state's new superintendent of education, said if private schools receive public money they should be held to the same standards as public schools. "I am going to be very clear -- I am a public educator," Evans said Monday in response to a question about vouchers during a lunch meeting of the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute of Government/Capitol Press Corps. "Bottom line -- never doubt that. I support public schools." But if the Mississippi Legislature adopts some type of voucher system to send public funds to private schools and it is upheld by the courts, Evans said he would follow those guidelines. But he said if that should happen, "My goal is to make sure every student has a quality education ... I do believe if one single dollar of public money goes into a private school, then every single child in that school has to be subjected to the same assessment of every single student in public school. What I will tell you -- that is not just the opinion of Lance Evans. That is the opinion of any superintendent you talk to, any principal." If the private schools receive public funds, they also should be mandated -- just like the public schools -- to accept all students interested in enrolling despite any issue that might make the child more costly to educate. "We all have to be held to the same measure. That is the bottom line," Evans said |
| MDOT commissioner echoes need for recurring revenue to improve roadways | |
| The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) was allocated a historic $2 billion in 2023. But with the money being a one-time allocation, officials are calling for a recurring source of revenue to maintain roadways and bridges. Northern District Transportation Commissioner John Caldwell became the latest leader at MDOT to plea for annual funding after a bill that would have done just that died earlier this year. During an interview on MidDays with Gerard Gibert, Caldwell echoed Central District Commissioner Willie Simmons' sentiments that the department would need a minimum of $400 million annually to sustain transportation infrastructure while asking for a predictable form of funding from lawmakers. "The reliable funding also has to be an increasing amount of funding. We've had some reliable funding in the fuel tax -- we can count on it," Caldwell said. "But it's been decreasing, not increasing. So, we need something that can keep up with inflation and prepare us for a world that may not have as many cars that are using the kind of fuel that we're using today." Caldwell did highlight progress on some major roadway projects, including the Highway 15 project on the Ripley bypass, along with work on Highway 7 and I-55 that have been delayed but are close to being open for bid. |
| Hurricane Milton may be October surprise in presidential battle | |
 | The intensification of Hurricane Milton into a Category 5 storm headed straight for Florida will pose a serious test for the Biden-Harris administration, which has already been stretched by the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. President Biden and Vice President Harris, who have already visited parts of the country hit by Helene, have worked hard to stay on top of the federal recovery effort, but their leadership skills will be tested in new ways when Milton, which is generating wind speeds of 175 mph, slams into Florida. The stakes are high for Harris, who has a higher favorability rating than former President Trump but trails Trump, the former commander in chief, on the trait of "leadership" in some battleground states. "This is really going to depend on the impact of Hurricane Milton that's about to impact Florida and most likely [cause] lots more rain over North Carolina. That's really going to test the federal government's response. If there are any shortfalls in the National Guard's or FEMA's plans to help those states that are in the path of Milton, Trump will be viewed as someone who will say, 'I told you so,'" said Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist |
| Harris signals fight with Congress over agenda in '60 Minutes' interview | |
 | Vice President Kamala Harris expressed confidence in an interview that aired Monday night that she could get her agenda through Congress, though she signaled a fight with lawmakers over how to pay for it. Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, was interviewed by "60 Minutes" on CBS as some polls showed a close race getting even tighter with less than a month until Election Day. That included the seven key battleground states expected to decide the contest. Harris was questioned by correspondent Bill Whitaker for the first half of the show. The second half initially was intended for Scott Pelley to interview former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, but Trump backed out. Asked about her opponent no-showing the program, the vice president encouraged viewers to tune in to his campaign events. "Watch his rallies. You're going to hear conversations about himself and all of his personal grievances," Harris said. "And what you will not hear is anything about you, the listener. You will not hear about how he's going to try and bring the country together, find common ground. That's why I believe ... the American people are ready to turn the page." Harris suggested she is banking on pressure from voters to help her get that economic plan through what analysts expect will be a narrowly divided Congress, no matter which party wins control of the House and Senate. |
| Israel's strikes are shifting the power balance in the Middle East | | |
| Israeli military strikes are targeting Iran's armed allies across a nearly 2,000-mile stretch of the Middle East and threatening Iran itself. The efforts raise the possibility of an end to two decades of Iranian ascendancy in the region, to which the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq inadvertently gave rise. In Washington, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and Arab capitals, opponents and supporters of Israel's offensive are offering clashing ideas about what the U.S. should do next, as its ally racks up tactical successes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen and presses its yearlong campaign to crush Hamas in Gaza. Israel should get all the support it needs from the United States until Iran's government "follows other dictatorships of the past into the dustbin of history," said Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at Washington's conservative-leaning Foundation for the Defense of Democracies -- calls echoed by some Israeli political figures. Critics, however, highlight lessons from the U.S. military campaign in Iraq and toppling of Saddam Hussein, when President George W. Bush ignored Arab warnings that the Iraqi dictator was the region's indispensable counterbalance to Iranian influence. They caution against racking up military victories without adequately considering the risks, end goals or plans for what comes next, and warn of unintended consequences. |
| Entergy provides $2 million to launch new cybersecurity program at Jackson State University | |
 | Jackson State University recently received a $2 million grant from the Entergy charitable foundation to create the Critical Power Grid Security Power Lab Project, a program aimed at supporting the cybersecurity workforce in Mississippi and beyond. In a press conference Monday, Wilbur Waters, Dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology, told a crew of JSU students, faculty and state lawmakers that JSU is proud to continue a strong relationship with Entergy. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson was also in attendance. "The establishment of this cyber-based facility will focus on preparing a workforce that will combat the ever-growing cyber threats to our critical energy infrastructure and our national security," Waters said. "This facility will support solutions to a societal threat and contribute to the energy infrastructure, security and community resilience." Entergy and JSU have partnered before to create the Entergy Power Systems Lab, another program in College of Science, Engineering and Technology. Entergy CEO and Chairman Drew Marsh spoke on the importance of a diverse workforce and said partnerships with HBCU's such as JSU to help facilitate a company that better serves its client base. Entergy will provide the $2 million grant over the next five years. Specifics of the courses taught in the new program have yet to be announced, but Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO of Entergy Mississippi, said "the lab will train a workforce on the function of the energy grid system and the management of cyber risk and mitigation." |
| Pro-Palestinian protester punched, bloodied at Auburn on anniversary of Hamas attack | |
 | A pro-Palestinian demonstrator was beaten at an Auburn University protest Sunday, as an effort to protest the ongoing Israel-Hamas war descended into an altercation. "Where's my shotgun?" one counterprotester apparently yelled at Stephen McGentry, 27, an Opelika man who had helped write pro-Palestinian slogans at Toomer's Corner and who had participated in a small protest in support of people in Gaza. Campuses across the country marked peaceful protests Monday on the anniversary of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 Israelis and led to the abduction of about 250 people. Israel's responding assault in Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians. At Auburn, small group of people gathered at Toomer's Corner on the evening of Oct. 6. The area had been chalked with messages such as "End Genocide" and "From the river to the sea," after an Instagram account called "Auburnstudents4palestine" announced an "art takeover." McGentry, initially part of a small protest advocating for an end to the war in Gaza, was involved in two separate altercations with counter protesters, according to The Auburn Plainsman. |
| As Louisiana colleges brace for budget cuts, a student leader sounds the alarm | |
 | Kennedy Orr, a senior at Southern University, has seen firsthand what insufficient funding can do to a public university. A dwindling number of professors in her department offer core courses and on-campus student housing is in short supply. Orr has a unique opportunity to voice these concerns directly to state officials. She sits on the Board of Regents, the governing body that oversees public higher education in Louisiana, and weighs in on matters that could impact college students across the state. Orr is student government association president at Southern University in Baton Rouge, one of the state's HBCUs, or historically Black colleges and universities. She was elected by the Louisiana Council of Student Body Presidents to represent students across the state on the Board of Regents. A Chicago native, Orr studies agricultural business at Southern, where she was the recipient of a U.S. Department of Agriculture scholarship for HBCU students pursuing careers in agriculture, food or natural resource sciences. After graduation, she plans to move to D.C. to work for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Her service on the Board of Regents comes at a tumultuous time for higher education, with institutions still reeling from pandemic-era enrollment declines and campus protests. Now, Louisiana's public colleges and universities are bracing for massive funding cuts from the state. |
| Arkansans to vote on trade-school students' access to state scholarship lottery funds | |
| Three statewide ballot initiatives will appear before Arkansans this November, two that residents proposed about medical marijuana access and casino licenses and one that legislators referred to voters: Issue No. 1. Issue 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow state lottery proceeds to fund scholarships and grants to students in vocational-technical schools and institutions. The funds are currently limited to students who attend two- and four-year colleges and universities through the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery's four existing programs. The joint resolution that established the proposed constitutional amendment in 2023 passed through the Senate with 30 votes in favor, three members voting present and two who excused themselves. It passed through the House of Representatives with 97 votes in favor, two non voting members and one present vote. "I'm just passionate about people having opportunities," said Rep. Robin Lundstrum, R-Elm Springs, who sponsored the bill. "I have three degrees...but not everybody needs to go to college, not everybody wants to go to college. Yet, we're turning a blind eye to a whole segment of our population." The bill and the proposed amendment do not define vocational-technical schools and technical institutes, which means state lawmakers would have the authority under the amendment to determine who is eligible to receive funding. |
| Texas students with immigrant parents lost out on college aid because of FAFSA glitch | |
| Students from immigrant families appear to have lost out on state grant money for college because of a glitch with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, confirming fears from earlier this year. The revamped FAFSA prevented parents who did not have a Social Security number from adding their financial information online. Students affected by the glitch had to wait months for the U.S. Education Department to come up with a workaround so they could complete the form. Texas colleges distribute state financial aid on a first-come, first-serve basis, which meant students from immigrant families were last in line for aid this year. Texas counselors who help students apply for financial aid to make post-secondary education more accessible say college hopefuls from households with mixed immigration statuses received less money than they were eligible to get. Universities do not track the immigration status of students' households, making it unclear the extent to which those students were affected. "These are students who are eligible to complete the FAFSA. They're U.S. citizens," said Andrea Harper, of college access group Breakthrough Central Texas. "When they were placed in the back of the line because of these glitches, they lost out... That's going to impact this group of students for many years, maybe for their whole lives." |
| ACE Tells Presidential Candidates, 'Higher Education Builds America' | |
 | he American Council on Education, a lobbying organization that represents higher ed leaders, caught a lot of eyes over the weekend with a full-page ad in the Sunday New York Times that shared a simple message in large capital letters: "Higher Education Builds America." The ad also contained a letter addressed, "Dear Presidential Candidate," from Ted Mitchell, president of ACE, about the country's wide spectrum of higher ed institutions and what they have to offer. "If you are elected, we pledge to work with your administration to innovate and advance opportunity for all Americans. We must and will deliver results. We are ready to build," Mitchell wrote. Nick Anderson, vice president for higher education partnerships and improvement at ACE, told Inside Higher Ed the splashy print ad was an "old-school"---and, he believes, effective---attempt to grab the attention of policymakers and voters and remind them of higher ed's value at a time when it's too often oversimplified or misunderstood. Inside Higher Ed spoke with Anderson about the purpose of the ad and what the organization wants the future president and Americans to know about higher education right now. |
| The Overlooked Demographic That Is a Huge Opportunity for Democrats | |
 | In his acceptance speech at the Democratic convention in Chicago, vice presidential nominee Tim Walz introduced himself to the nation with the kind of up-from-humble-origins life story that American politicians have deployed for generations, but with a partisan twist. "Now, I grew up in Butte, Nebraska, a town of 400 people," he began. "I had 24 kids in my high school class, and none of them went to Yale." The Yale reference was an obvious jab at his vice presidential opponent, Sen. JD Vance, who famously attended that Ivy League university after a hardscrabble childhood in Appalachia before working as a corporate lawyer and a Silicon Valley venture capitalist. There is something new, and potentially profound, in this sort of attack. For decades, Republicans have successfully portrayed Democrats as out-of-touch elitists. Walz is trying to flip that well-thumbed script by framing his Republican opponent as the patronizing sophisticate and himself as the regular guy who went to colleges no one's heard of and made his career in the region where he was born. It's a clever rhetorical tactic. But more than that, it has the makings of a larger political strategy. Walz's populist rhetoric can be read as an appeal to a certain long-overlooked demographic, which he himself represents: the "state college voter." |
| State Superintendent of Education is wrong on school choice | |
| The Magnolia Tribune's Russ Latino writes: States around Mississippi, including Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama, have all passed education savings account legislation that allows students to decide for themselves whether to attend public or private school. The laws reflect both dissatisfaction with the status quo and a recognition that families, not the government, should bear the ultimate decision on how best to educate their children. Pressed on Monday for his take on the growing demand for school choice, new State Superintendent of Education, Lance Evans, reiterated that he is a public school man before telling the audience assembled at The Stennis Institute luncheon that if public funds are spent on education savings accounts then private schools must be subjected to the same accountability measures as public schools: "I do believe if one single dollar of public money goes into a private school, then every single child in that school has to be subjected to the same assessment of every single student in public school," said Evans. The statement demonstrates a lack of understanding of the purpose of public funding for education, the manner in which education savings accounts operate, and the efficacy of the current public school accountability model. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State hitting the reset button after bye week | |
| Perhaps Mississippi State was just a victim of unfortunate timing, sitting at home during a week when the stars were aligned perfectly for college football chaos. While the Bulldogs were on a much-needed bye week Saturday, Vanderbilt knocked off No. 1 Alabama for its first win over the Crimson Tide in 40 years, and Arkansas upset No. 4 Tennessee later that night. MSU, in the middle of back-to-back road games against top-5 teams, might have just missed its shot. "It's still about what we do with our time, how we practice, how we meet, how we walk through," Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby said Monday. "We got very specific with some things that we had to get cleaned up, both sides of the ball and special teams. It was important for our guys to be able to get away a little bit, reset, refocus, regroup and get ready for this back half of the season." The open date did come at a good time for MSU (1-4, 0-2 Southeastern Conference), which was licking its wounds even after making some improvements in its 35-13 loss at Texas. With veteran Blake Shapen out for the year with a shoulder injury, true freshman Michael Van Buren made his first start against the Longhorns and now has an extra week to review his first significant game footage and prepare for his next opponent, No. 5 Georgia. |
| Jeff Lebby: Bye week rejuvenates, refreshes State ahead of another major challenge | |
| Mississippi State is refreshed and refocused after a bye week but the road doesn't get any easier as play resumes. The Bulldogs are in the middle of a four-game losing streak, but things improved two weeks ago when State lost 35-13 to No. 1 Texas. This week it's No. 5 Georgia on the docket as the Bulldogs and Bulldogs battle in Athens at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday afternoon on SEC Network. One of the main benefits of State's bye week was likely MSU players getting healthier. 11 players were reported out for the matchup against Texas with injuries to key offensive players QB Blake Shapen and RB Keyvone Lee and defensive players Isaac Smith, Kalvin Dinkins, Tyler Woodard, DeAgo Brumfield and Kedrick Bingley-Jones. Shapen is out for the season with a shoulder injury and wide outs Creed Whittemore and Trent Hudson have decided to sit the rest of the season and take a redshirt. The rest of the team is seemingly preparing for the road ahead and the bye week helped in that regard. "We got very specific of somethings we had to clean up and I thought it was important for our guys to get away, refocus, regroup and get ready for the back half of our season," coach Jeff Lebby said. "They've had great energy; there's really good intent and we need to continue to have great energy to go play the way we want to play." |
| What Kirby Smart didn't say: This UGA football team needs all the help it can get from fans | |
 | The Sanford Stadium videoboard implored fans to "Make Noise" late in the first half on Saturday when Auburn's Oscar Chapman punted out of the end zone. Later that day, Kirby Smart weighed in after the Bulldogs' 31-13 win in a way he perhaps never has in his nine seasons as head coach, saying he was "disappointed" in the lack of energy. "I'll just be honest about it. I think we've got to do a better job as fans," he said. "I know I've got to do a better job as a coach, but we need these fans to support us and these players need them behind them." On Monday, Smart didn't back away from that assessment. "I said what I said and I stand on what I said," Smart said. "I feel like it could have been better, but my job is to coach the football team. I'm going to do the best that I can in my power." Georgia will play before home fans on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. against Mississippi State. Smart's postgame comments Saturday hit a nerve with many fans. Our story about them garnered 123 comments on the Athens Banner-Herald Facebook page by 1 p.m. Monday. Facebook's Meta AI described the reaction this way: "Coach Kirby Smart's criticism of the home crowd's energy has sparked debate. Fans cite high ticket prices, alcohol sales distracting from the game and the team's own subpar performance as contributing factors to the lackluster atmosphere. Some fans also felt Smart should focus on improving the team's play rather than blaming the crowd." |
| UGA WR Colbie Young arrested on charges of assaulting an unborn child, battery | |
| Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young was arrested Tuesday morning on misdemeanor charges of assaulting an unborn child and battery, according to the Athens Clarke-County jail log. Young was booked at 4:18 a.m. and as of 8:30 a.m. was still in jail, according to the log. His bond is set at $2,500. Georgia has not yet commented on the status of Young. Georgia coach Kirby Smart is set to speak to reporters Tuesday evening. Young transferred to Georgia from Miami this offseason. Through five games, Young has 11 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He led Georgia in receiving yards this past Saturday against Auburn, catching three passes for 51 yards. This is the seventh Georgia player to be arrested since March. Trevor Etienne, Smael Mondon, Sacovie White, Bo Hughley and Daniel Harris were all arrested on driving-related charges. Etienne and Harris both missed one game following their arrests. Former Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas was arrested in July on multiple family violence charges and was ultimately dismissed from the team following that arrest. It was the second time that Thomas had been arrested on family violence charges during his time at Georgia. |
| Mullen talks QBs, coaching, new job | |
| Dan Mullen, an ESPN analyst and former coach of the University of Florida and Mississippi State University, was the featured speaker at the Little Rock Touchdown Club which convened on Monday at DoubleTree hotel in downtown Little Rock. Mullen spoke on what it was like to coach in the conference and how football in the South is different from football in other regions of the country. Mullen also shared his thoughts on the upset win by Arkansas over then-No. 4 Tennessee last Saturday night. "(Arkansas) played tough and I loved their defensive strategy coming into the game," Mullen said. Mullen heaped praise on Razorback quarterback Taylen Green for his performance in the win, comparing his athletic ability to that of Cam Newton, who won the Heisman Trophy at Auburn and was the 2015 NFL MVP with the Carolina Panthers. Mullen also talked about coaching several great quarterbacks, including Tim Tebow when he was an assistant at Florida and Dak Prescott at Mississippi State. After covering an array of topics during the roughly 30 minutes he spoke, Mullen was asked in closing if he has any desire to get back into coaching. He left Mississippi State following the 2017 season to return to Florida as the head coach, where he was eventually fired during the 2021 season. Mullen has worked at ESPN since the fall of 2022. "I'm undefeated on TV," Mullen said with a laugh. |
| Mullen Talks Career Highlights, Season Analysis at LRTDC | |
| Dan Mullen, ESPN analyst and former head football coach for Mississippi State University and the University of Florida, spoke to the Little Rock Touchdown Club on Oct. 7. He discussed the SEC, NIL, the Razorbacks' season, the evolution of today's spread offense, working with Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott and some of his career highlights. "The thing that makes the SEC different is the gap," he said. "I used to say there are 15 fan bases. Now I have to change that to 16 because of what happened in Nashville." He discussed being blown away by the talent in the conference and how each week takes extreme preparation. "It's every week in this league," he said. "Every week is the biggest game... It is the passion of the fan bases that makes it different." Born in Pennsylvania, Mullen and his family have become Southerners and plan to stay in the South after all the years of SEC coaching. He and his family currently live in Atlanta. He wrapped up the talk with his commitment and love for the South. "I love that it is important and that's what's so fun about coaching in the South, is that it's not just important to the people playing the game, it's important to the people around the game," he said. "Being here so long, you just get into Southern life, Southern culture," he said. "I love being in the South; I love being where football matters... To me, it is the most important thing, football Saturdays and having it be important." |
| Hattiesburg introduces first of its kind NIL deal. Groundbreaking agreement helps USM, WCU | |
 | The city of Hattiesburg is celebrating two of its local student-athletes by implementing its first Name, Image and Likeness contracts. The benefits are twofold, Mayor Toby Barker said during a news conference Monday at City Hall: One is to support student-athletes and their respective universities, and the other is to showcase what Hattiesburg has to offer its students and young adults. "The university communities have to figure out a way to embrace and leverage (NIL) to remain competitive," Mayor Toby Barker said. "We want thousands of young men and women who come to Hattiesburg for their education to be more aware of city services and programs." The Hattiesburg NIL ambassadors will be paid $2,500 each for the 2024-25 academic year in exchange for their collaboration with the city on efforts to promote Hattiesburg's athletic and educational offerings, funded through the city's advertising budget, once the agreements are approved at Tuesday's City Council meeting. It's extremely uncommon and could be groundbreaking for a municipality to sponsor an athlete out of a city budget. This is the first time Hattiesburg has sponsored an NIL deal. Barker said both athletes were chosen as Hattiesburg's first NIL student ambassadors because they grew up in the Hub City and chose to remain in their hometown to further their education. |
| While SEC and Big Ten leaders mull major changes, a new Super League concept looms that could radically alter college sports | |
| Over the summer, as college administrators scrambled to unearth new cash for the onset of athlete revenue sharing, a svelte, bespectacled man visited with leaders at some of the most high-profile athletic departments in the country. He presented to them his solution for the unwieldy entity of college football. It is called Project Rudy. "His claim is that everybody will be saved," said one power conference athletic director. As SEC and Big Ten leaders prepare to meet Wednesday and Thursday in Nashville for a historic summit of the industry's two powers, there is an unreported undercurrent driving the discussion: Project Rudy. Spearheaded by former Disney executives-turned-investment professionals, Project Rudy is a super league-esque concept -- separate and more simplified than the one made public last week -- that incorporates football programs of the four power conferences in a 70-team structure. The model preserves the four power conferences, expands the postseason, overhauls scheduling, tiers revenue distribution and, most importantly, infuses as much as $9 billion of private capital cash into the system. The architects behind the model work for Smash Capital, a venture capital and private equity firm with offices in Los Angeles and New York. Representatives from Smash Capital declined to comment when reached last week, but their concepts are outlined in a 14-slide presentation obtained by Yahoo Sports. |
| Settlement designed to pay college athletes gets preliminary approval | |
| College athletes moved one significant step closer Monday to a future in which they can be paid directly by their schools. Judge Claudia Wilken granted preliminary approval to the terms of an industry-changing antitrust settlement Monday morning, accepting a series of changes made by attorneys representing all Division I athletes, the NCAA and its Power Five conferences. Wilken initially raised concerns that some elements of the settlement would limit future payments to players and fail to pass legal muster, but she wrote in her ruling this week that the court "will likely be able to approve the settlement as fair, reasonable and adequate." Wilken's order also established a schedule for the remaining steps to finalize the deal. Any athletes impacted by the settlement will have until Jan. 31 to file objections or opt out. A final hearing to approve the deal is schedule for April 7, 2025 -- coincidentally the same day as the men's basketball championship game. "We are thrilled that we are one step closer to a revolutionary change in college sports that will allow NCAA athletes to share in billions of revenue," said Steve Berman, co-lead counsel for the plaintiff class. Berman and fellow plaintiff attorney Jeffrey Kessler will begin sharing more information about the details of the settlement with athletes at all Division I schools later this month. |
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