| Thursday, October 31, 2024 |
| Mississippi State, John Deere partner for agriculture research | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) will partner with John Deere through a master research agreement in order to establish a framework for the university's Agricultural Autonomy Institute to help develop technology to automate critical steps in the production of cotton and other crops. "There has been a lot of interest in automating a variety of farming processes because the skilled labor needed to carefully operate modern equipment is increasingly hard to find," said Alex Thomasson, AAI director and head of MSU's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. "An advantage of autonomous systems is that they don't get tired or distracted." According to university officials, John Deere's agreement with MSU also highlights the need for more agricultural machinery research to be conducted in the South. "Our cropping systems and methods are unique to our crops, soils, terrain and climate, so there are opportunities for manufacturers to work with researchers here in the specific conditions where their equipment will be used," Thomasson said. |
| Free home energy workshops could help customers save on power bill | |
 | Starkville Utilities is holding a series of free workshops for residents that want to learn the basics of sealing their house and lowering their electrical bill. It announced the lessons in a Wednesday press release, as part of a regular seminar series it conducts twice each year. With energy rates from federal electricity wholesaler the Tennessee Valley Authority rising 5% in October, General Manager Edward Kemp told The Dispatch residents can have an even greater impact on their bottom line by cracking down on wasted energy. "These workshops are something we do on a regular rhythm, but with rates being higher it's more important than ever," he said. "Anything people can do to save and make their homes more efficient, they will see that on their power bill." "The seminars are usually between 45 and 60 minutes long," Kemp said. "They're very interactive, they give an opportunity for residents and customers to ask a lot of questions. It's mainly geared toward things you could do on a residential property to improve your energy efficiency." |
| MEC announcement suggests new initiative for economic development | |
 | The Mississippi Economic Council made an announcement Tuesday, announcing a new collaboration that, if fully implemented, could spur more economic development for Mississippi into the future. While it hasn't yet been announced to the public, the board of directors for the MEC, the Mississippi Manufacturers Association and the Business and Industry Political Education Committee have authorized the leadership of each organization to collectively evaluate the potential for a transformative initiative called Business Alignment 2026. The year-long project is designed to explore the potential for what nearly 30 states have already done, according to the memo from the MEC. This comes the week of one of the Mississippi Economic Council's largest events of the year, Hobnob, which will be held Thursday, Oct. 31, at the Mississippi Coliseum. As part of Business Alignment 2026, there will be a series of listening sessions throughout the state. The sessions will be designed to ensure that members are heard, according to the statement. |
| Chris Chain files permits for coffee shop and cigar lounge | |
| The Historic Stone Hotel will soon be a coffee shop. Columbus developer Chris Chain filed a building permit for a new coffee shop at 224 Fifth St. S. According to Building Official Kenneth Wiegel, Chain filed the permits. The Stone Hotel, built in 1905, underwent complete historic restoration and is now named The Stone. In addition to the new coffee shop, Wiegel also confirmed Chain filed a permit for a cigar lounge on the 400 block of Third Avenue South. ... Moving over to Starkville, the Oktibbeha County Co-Op on Pollard Road is hosting "Check-R-Board Days" 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. The event offers hands-on experience with lambs, chickens, pigs, rabbits, ducks, and turkeys, free pony rides, and specialists from Mississippi State's dairy, wildlife, entomology, poultry and bee departments. |
| Consistency of food, service has kept Danver's going for 47 years | |
 | Danver's restaurant in Tupelo opened Nov. 1, 1977, and Larry Wade has been there almost every day since then. Wade, the longtime general manager, went to work with late owner Gene Box when he was just 19. "It's just about all I've known," he said. On Friday, the restaurant will celebrate its 47th year. As a special, drinks will be 47 cents all day. Danver's is as popular as ever, particular at lunchtime, when its burgers, roast beef sandwiches, and salad bar are ordered the most often. Danver's was founded in Memphis in the late 1960s. At one time, there more than 80 locations. The Tupelo location was a franchise, and Box later added restaurants in Starkville, Oxford and Chattanooga. "Later on, Danver's, the company, was sold to Shoney's, then it was later sold to somebody else," Wade said. "We were a franchise and we paid royalties for a while, but eventually the company went away along with a lot of the stores and franchises." Today, only two Danver's remain -- the other is in Memphis -- but the Tupelo location still maintains the eatery's original decor. That includes the Tiffany-style lighting fixtures, the dark wood and the barrel chairs. |
| A look inside South Mississippi's newest showpiece in the heart of downtown Ocean Springs | |
 | The small house The Traveler will soon occupy has a big mission, as it showcases the art and escapades of Walter Anderson and his family and grows the legacy of Ocean Springs as an art community. The Traveler will open early next year as a living travelogue of Walter Anderson's journeys, told in part by artists and crafters painting murals, designing Anderson furniture and crafting tiles that will add to the story. It also will feature a Hen & Egg coffee shop and restaurant, with food and beverages crafted by Chef Nick Wallace. The Mississippi native appeared on "Chopped" and "Chopped Champions" on the Food Network and on season 19 of Bravo's "Top Chef." The Traveler is adjacent to WAMA in downtown Ocean Springs and is the newest addition to the "art block" developing along Washington Avenue, at the southern edge of the city's Arts & Entertainment District. Anderson traveled the world, but always returned home to Ocean Springs, said Julian Rankin, executive director of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. The draw of world adventures and the eventual pull of his roots in Ocean Springs will be captured in an immersive way as visitors sip a coffee or families play in the gardens. |
| Stores are marketing for holidays earlier. Experts say it's stressing us out. | |
 | When it comes to holiday shopping, if you're on time, you might already be too late. Many retail stores have started preparing for upcoming holidays earlier than ever. Halloween items hit shelves as early as August, and Christmas and Hanukkah decorations popped up in October or even September. If consumers wait too long to make holiday-related purchases, they may find stores have moved on to the next big event, leaving options limited. It's almost as if the year is stuck on fast-forward, and it contributes to shopper stress, a psychology expert told USA TODAY. Holiday marketing online and in stores has expanded over the past few years, experts say. Though the shift is true for holidays year-round, it has especially been the case for the bigger commercial holiday period toward the end of the year, from Halloween to New Year's Eve. Before the pandemic, "most of the holiday merchandising in stores really started after Halloween," said Sky Canaves, a principal analyst for retail at eMarketer. "That's what we think of as a traditional holiday sales period: November and December. But because the pandemic disrupted supply chains to a great extent, we started getting holiday sales all over the place." |
| GOP strategist calls election cycle 'craziest I've ever seen' ahead of Election Day | |
 | Longtime politico and current Republican National Convention delegate Henry Barbour has seen a lot in the political world. In the lead-up to the battle for president between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump, he says 2024's campaign collision is unprecedented. A multitude of landmark turning points have commanded headlines since early this year, including two assassination attempts on Trump, President Joe Biden stepping out of the race in favor of his vice president, and both sides surging at different times. Barbour believes the resulting thunderous public discourse will lead to a big turnout at the polls next Tuesday. "This might be the craziest election cycle I think I've ever seen -- the quickest changes," Barbour told The Gallo Show. "There's a lot of noise. What are voters going to think of all this? Are they going to turn out? I think they will." Most polls show razor-thin margins in battleground states like North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. A similar lack of separation in the 2020 presidential election led to the race not officially being called until the Saturday after Election Day. "Everybody better be patient," Barbour noted. "If this is a close race, we're not going to know on election night." |
| As election day nears, undecided Mississippi voters say key issues will decide their vote | |
 | No matter what the result is after polls close on November 5th, it's almost certain that Mississippi will not be a toss-up. The Republican Presidential nominee has carried the state in every election but one since 1972, and former President Donald Trump won Mississippi by nearly 20 points in 2020 en route to a losing effort to outgoing President Joe Biden. But some voters in Jackson, a city that has for decades served as a blue dot in the otherwise red sea of Mississippi, say that earning their vote in 2024 is no longer that simple. And even though the Magnolia State's six Electoral College votes are considered very likely to go to Trump, trends that may emerge among certain voting demographics in the state have the potential to reflect national policy issues that have come to define this election. National polling from the Pew Research Center shows roughly 8 in 10 registered voters feel the economy -- and each candidate's proposed solutions to high prices -- will be 'very important' in deciding who gets their vote. One is Kira Paige, from Clinton, who spoke to MPB News while taking a break between rides at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in October. "I hate to say it, but it's almost like we're heading into another recession. So I'm behind any candidate who can lead us the other way. Look at groceries – we're paying almost $4.50 for a gallon of milk. I just want to vote for someone who's going to let me work without taxing me to death, and I can put food on the table for my kids and keep a roof over their heads." |
| Top races to watch in Mississippi during the 2024 general election | |
| Election Day will be about more than just Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Though the presidential election is commanding the most attention, a host of down-ballot races across the country will determine control of Congress, the direction of state legislatures and major policy battles on issues such as abortion rights and marijuana. But there are other, less high profile but still important races on the Nov. 5 ballot. Here are the most interesting -- and consequential -- races in Mississippi. |
| Mary's biggest battle: Madison mayor diagnosed with breast cancer | |
| Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler is asking residents for prayers -- and a lot of them. Hawkins-Butler, who has served as mayor for 43 years and is the second-longest female mayor in the country, has said for decades that the city was built on prayer. Over the last four-plus decades, she's had her fair share of battles, too, but now she is facing one of the toughest of her life. The mayor announced this week in an exclusive interview with the Madison County Journal that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. "I believe in the power of prayer," she said, fighting back tears. "Prayer is more powerful than anything. I am taking treatments, and I've asked the Lord to bless the treatment with his healing hands and to make me whole. I do truly believe there is more for me to do in Madison and I want him to use me." Hawkins-Butler said she received her diagnosis this summer, though she admits she knew "something" wasn't quite a year ago. In the summer of 2023, the mayor was caring for her now-late husband, Jim Butler, who passed away in August 2023. "It's been a long battle, and I really don't know where to begin," she said. |
| Can the GOP reclaim the U.S. Senate? Kentucky's Mitch McConnell sees 'great' odds | |
 | U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says private Republican polls reveal nearly the same picture that public polls do: The 2024 presidential race is tied in each of the seven battleground states. "Everything that we find is a reflection of exactly what the independent polls are. I think we've got really tight races everywhere, and when I say everywhere I'm talking about only seven states," McConnell said following a Wednesday ribbon cutting with the Paris-Bourbon County Economic Development Authority. He's referring to Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada. The outgoing GOP leader is privy to a heap of polling conducted by the Senate Leadership Fund, the McConnell-aligned super PAC that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Republican candidates for Senate. Republicans need to flip two Senate seats to recapture control in January 2025 and McConnell said he felt "great" about their chances in Ohio, Montana, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. With the West Virginia seat nearly in the bag, he felt their second best opportunity was in Montana, where Democratic Sen. Jon Tester is facing an uphill challenge in a state Donald Trump will easily carry. |
| Scott eyes Banking gavel, NRSC if Republicans take Senate | |
 | Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., was far from his home state Wednesday, campaigning for GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno in Ohio, a race whose outcome could directly impact Scott's role next year in the Senate. Scott is the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee. The chairman of the panel, Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is trying to beat back Moreno's challenge. If Moreno wins, he could help the GOP secure a Senate majority and elevate Scott to Banking Committee chairman. But Scott may also have a second job in his sights in the next Congress. He's exploring a chance to chair the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans. "The Senator is grateful for the encouragement he has received from colleagues to run for chair of the NRSC," Nathan Brand, a senior political adviser to Scott, said in a statement. "He is working tirelessly to send Donald Trump back to the White House and take the U.S. Senate, then looks forward to growing the Republican majority in 2026." Scott, after campaigning for Moreno in the Youngstown area on Wednesday, will head to Pennsylvania on Thursday to campaign for Republican David McCormick, who is taking on incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey. Scott was in Michigan early in the week to help former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers in his race against Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow. |
| Farmers are making less money this year as ag economy normalizes | |
| Farmers in the Midwest and Great Plains will see decreased incomes in 2024 in what appears to be a down year for the U.S. agriculture industry compared to the previous two. Net farm income is expected to fall 4.4%, or $6.5 billion, relative to 2023 -- which is a much rosier projection than the U.S. Department of Agriculture's initial forecast in February. Amid slowing demand for crops across the globe, commodity prices for key American grains like corn, soybeans and wheat have fallen. "The farm economy is in a downturn relative to what we have experienced in 2022 and 2023, which was kind of a boom in agriculture," said Joe Janzen, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While the last couple of years had been record breakers for farm income, this year will be a return to more normal levels, economists said. That reality may mean farmers in the Midwest think twice about making big purchases this year, and that's already trickling down to other sectors. The decrease in farm income has been noticeable for agricultural equipment makers -- particularly Moline, Illinois-based John Deere, which accounts for about two-thirds of high-horsepower tractors in the U.S. and Canada. Demand for Deere's equipment, like combines and crop harvesters, has plunged recently. Overall equipment sales decreased by 20% in the latest quarter, and profits fell 42%, The Wall Street Journal reported. |
| Bird flu has been found in a pig for the first time in the U.S. | |
 | A pig at an Oregon farm was found to have bird flu, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. It's the first time the virus has been detected in U.S. swine and raises concerns about bird flu's potential to become a human threat. The infection happened at a backyard farm in Crook County, in the center of the state, where different animals share water and are housed together. Last week, poultry at the farm were found to have the virus, and testing this week found that one of the farm's five pigs had become infected. The farm was put under quarantine and all five pigs were euthanized so additional testing could be done. It's not a commercial farm, and U.S. agriculture officials said there is no concern about the safety of the nation's pork supply. But finding bird flu in a pig raises worries that the virus may be hitting a stepping stone to becoming a bigger threat to people, said Jennifer Nuzzo, a Brown University pandemic researcher. Pigs can be infected with multiple types of flu, and the animals can play a role in making bird viruses better adapted to humans, she explained. The 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic had swine origins, Nuzzo noted. "If we're trying to stay ahead of this virus and prevent it from becoming a threat to the broader public, knowing if it's in pigs is crucial," Nuzzo said. |
| The Election-Year Fight Over What Counts as Chinese-Owned U.S. Farmland | |
 | Walton Global has been identified by the U.S. government as a Chinese owner of U.S. farmland for a decade. The private land-banking company has opened four new offices in China since 2018 and last year was named by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as one of the top five Chinese owners of American farmland. But last month, the company successfully petitioned the agency to reclassify much of its land as owned by investors from other countries, after The Wall Street Journal inquired about its holdings. It said the agency had made a mistake in saying so much of its land was held by Chinese investors. Opposition to Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland in the name of economic and national security is a popular message this election cycle. It is featured in more than $8 million worth of advertisements in the 2024 election cycle alone, from both Democrats and Republicans, according to data from ad tracker AdImpact. Some of the largest such companies caught up in this criticism are now pushing back, underscoring the limited oversight the U.S. government has on the issue. Few agree on what even counts as owned by China or which aspect of that ownership is bad for the U.S., even when that land is close to military installations. Smithfield Foods, the country’s largest pork producer, which was acquired by a Chinese company in 2013, owns roughly 140,000 acres in the U.S., according to the USDA. Its chief executive has disputed concerns that the company’s Chinese ownership threatens the U.S. food supply chain, saying its new ownership has instead helped fuel Smithfield’s growth. |
| Trump campaigns with Packers legend Brett Favre at rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin | |
| Donald Trump showered former NFL star Brett Favre with praise on Wednesday at a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where the former Packers quarterback campaigned for the Republican presidential nominee in the final week before Election Day. "Thank you, Brett. What a great honor. What a great champion," Trump said shortly after taking the stage at the Resch Center. Describing Favre's fingers as "like sausages," he said, "No wonder he could throw the ball." "I'm a little upset because I think he got bigger applause than me, and I'm not happy," the former president went on, joking about the ovation Favre received in a county that Trump narrowly won in 2020. Trump appeared onstage in a orange safety vest after riding in a garbage truck to draw attention to an offensive comment by President Joe Biden. But he reignited a different controversy by revisiting his promise to "protect the women of our country." After complaining about his own staffers tell him it was "inappropriate," Trump insisted, "I'm gonna do it whether the women like it or not." Trump rallied alongside Favre in the critical battleground state with just six days until the election. In a sign of the importance of the state, Trump's Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was campaigning simultaneously in overwhelmingly Democratic-voting Madison, roughly a 2 1/2-hour drive away. Favre, who won three NFL Most Valuable Player awards and a Super Bowl for Green Bay in the 1990s, praised Trump before the former president arrived, telling the crowd, "Much like the Packer organization, Donald Trump and his organization was a winner." |
| Trump is turning Pennsylvania into ground zero for his election conspiracy theories | |
 | Donald Trump is turning Pennsylvania into ground zero for preemptive claims of a rigged election. When voters in Bucks County, a key suburb outside Philadelphia, faced long lines and early cutoffs while trying to request and cast mail ballots in person, Trump aides and allies not only successfully sued to extend the on-demand voting period, but also seized on it as evidence of voter suppression and intimidation. When Lancaster County said it was reviewing voter registration applications for possible fraud, Trump falsely claimed that there were thousands of "fake ballots." York County said it had received thousands of voter materials it was reviewing -- which, Trump said, were "THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT applications." If Trump loses the state, these are the bricks that could make up the foundation of his attempts to overturn that loss. Both Democratic and Republican Pennsylvania election officials said the election is safe and secure. But for Trump and his allies, every incident, no matter how big or small, real or perceived, is evidence of a plot to rig the vote in the nation's biggest battleground state. Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt -- a Republican -- in a press briefing Wednesday called the heated rhetoric an effort to "manufacture outrage," and pointed to high levels of misinformation around voting in the state, without naming names. |
| Americans are anxious and frustrated about the presidential campaign, an AP-NORC poll finds | |
| Most Americans are feeling a lot of emotions heading into Election Day, but excitement is not one of them. A new poll from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 7 in 10 Americans report feeling anxious or frustrated about the 2024 presidential campaign, and a similar share say they're interested. Only about one-third say they feel excited. There's a broad feeling of uncertainty hanging over the 2024 presidential contest during the last week of the campaign. The race is competitive nationally and in key swing states, according to recent polls, with neither Democrat Kamala Harris nor Republican Donald Trump showing a measurable advantage. At the same time, the candidates have offered closing arguments that are in stark contrast with each other, with Harris arguing that Trump is obsessed with revenge and his own personal needs, while Trump referred to Harris at a rally on Sunday night as "a trainwreck who has destroyed everything in her path." One thing has stayed fairly constant, though: Americans' level of frustration with the campaign. Roughly 7 in 10 Americans say frustrated describes their emotional state, similar to 2020. For those Americans, though, there is light on the horizon --- soon, the election will be over. |
| How China see the U.S. election: 'It's high political drama' | |
 | It's one of the rare points of agreement between the U.S. presidential candidates: China is a major threat to the United States. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have campaigned with a hard stance against Chinese competition. And little wonder: Surveys show that U.S. opinions of China have sunk to an all-time low. But how do people in China see the U.S. election? The Times spoke with Yawei Liu, founding editor of the U.S.-China Perception Monitor. Based in Atlanta, where Liu is a senior advisor on China at the Carter Center, the organization collects information from Chinese scholars and opinion leaders, opinion surveys and Chinese media reports. "The Chinese are literally fascinated by this election. They're intrigued by the rise and fall of President Biden. They are excited by the prospect that a woman of color may be, for the first time, the president of the United States. And certainly they try to figure out why someone like Trump can have such a long political life, despite all the scandals, despite that half of the country hates him, despite all the problems that would disqualify any other politician. In China, there's no outlet for any sort of political participation. So to read [about] -- and to comment on this American election -- does satisfy some of those urges for them to engage." |
| Buses, notaries and strolls to the polls: How Mississippi college students are overcoming the nation's toughest barriers to the ballot box | |
| In 2016, Jarrius Adams' absentee ballot never arrived at his apartment in Oxford, so the then-19-year-old at the University of Mississippi was left with one option to vote: Skip all his classes and drive four hours home to his polling place in Hattiesburg. Faced with a similar situation, the reality is most college students would decide not to vote, said Adams, who now works with the nonprofit Mississippi Votes. It can be hard to cast a ballot in Mississippi, where state voting laws consistently rank as among the strictest in the nation. But for the state's tens of thousands of college students -- many of whom are voting for the first time while also trying to stay on top of homework, classes, chores and having a social life -- the barriers to the ballot box faced by all Mississippi voters pose an even greater challenge. Nevertheless, colleges and students who have been working all semester long to encourage their peers to vote say that young Mississippians pursuing higher education are motivated to turn out this Election Day. At Mississippi State, the student government association and the Division of Student Affairs held an event called “Notary Day” last week. More than 70 students had their absentee ballots notarized, said Carson McFatridge, the student association president. “When I think of a notary, I think of someone at the bank,” she said. “That can be a challenge just not knowing who has the capability to do that … so it was really, really cool to be able to see people like our dean of students volunteer an hour of his time to sit out there and help people.” |
| Professors teach through election season buzz | |
 | Political science and public policy leadership professors at the University of Mississippi are seizing the opportunity to teach through what many are calling one of the most consequential elections in U.S. history. Jonathan Windburn, a political science professor, said he has reoriented his Introduction to American Politics class to focus on this year's election. "In my 101 class, I'm spending election week really focusing directly on the Tuesday Election Day, and then Thursday (I will do) sort of a whole day talking about what happened on Tuesday," Windburn said. "So in that way, it's more election-focused material in the course than I would normally cover in an intro class." Windburn said that teaching through the election has been particularly interesting. "It is always more interesting to teach during an election year because there (are) just more things going on," Windburn said. "And people actually pay attention to the presidential election, so sometimes students are more engaged, not always, but sometimes they get more involved and pay attention." Political Science Department Chair John Bruce expressed concern about the rise of misinformation and its impact on contemporary politics. "It's hard to have a conversation where you're actually talking about the situation because now it's like this is the truth for these people, and this is (a different) truth for these people," Bruce said. "And that's just insanity." |
| Jackson State University opens this HBCU-founded pizza restaurant | |
| The Jackson State University community will soon be able to enjoy artisan pizza, TikTok-famous cinnamon rolls, wings and more as Slim + Husky's Pizza opens just in time to celebrate the university's homecoming. Slim + Husky's will hold a grand opening for its new JSU location at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31. After a ribbon cutting, guests can enjoy live music and prize giveaways. The restaurant, an HBCU-founded pizza stop, has Southern roots. Tennessee State University alums Clint Gray, Emanual Reed and Derrick Moore opened the first Slim + Husky's Pizza in 2017 in Nashville. In the seven years since its conception, Slim + Husky's Pizza has grown to include a total of 11 locations throughout Tennessee, Georgia and now, Mississippi. The new location will sit in the Legacy, a dining hall inside the JSU Student Center, and will provide its signature atmosphere blending urban vibes and hip-hop music with a casual dining experience. Kamesha Hill, director of JSU Auxiliary Enterprises, said the grand opening marks a milestone for the campus' growing dining scene. A few months ago, the Legacy welcomed another new restaurant, AC Barbeque. "We are excited to bring a fresh, community-centered dining option that not only celebrates the culture but also connects our students with the legacy of an HBCU-founded brand," Hill said. |
| Area culinary students test their kitchen skills in 'Chopped' cooking competition | |
| "We only have three minutes left, and I don't have a knife," David Akwaowo shouts, hands in the air, as steam rolls off of the freshly baked chicken roulade on the silver counter in front of him. The polenta is finished and plated. The spinach is chopped and ready for garnishing. All that's left is cutting and plating the roulade – but Akwaowo has no knife. Finally, a knife appears and Akwaowo's teammate John Beatty takes charge, doing his best to quickly cut the roulade into uniform medallions. But with the first cut it's clear: the chicken needs more time. With only two minutes to spare, Beatty sends the chicken back into the oven as Akwaowo and their third teammate, Ben Cooper, race to tidy the judges' plates, carefully wiping drops of polenta from the edges of each dish. Minutes later, the Lowndes County School District Career and Technical Center team stands in front of the three judges, waiting for their feedback. Each student holds his breath, waiting to see if the team will move forward to the next round or be eliminated. "Unfortunately, parts of the chicken were raw," said Chef Greg Huerkamp, executive chef for Mississippi State University Dining Services and one of the judges for the Golden Triangle Chopped Competition held Wednesday at Lion Hills Center Annex. "It looked good, but we just couldn't take it any further than that." Chef Jakiero Dismuke, the director of East Mississippi Community College's culinary arts program, started the competition last year as a way for culinary students from high school career technical centers in the four Golden Triangle public school districts to test their skills in a real-life rendition of Food Network's "Chopped." |
| Colleges preparing students for re-vamped 2025-26 FAFSA | |
 | Each year, students across the United States applying for college also complete the Federal Application For Student Aid. A revamped version of the form released last year was supposed to make it easier for students to get the assistance they need. But that didn't go well. "The past year has been about delays and resetting and reprocessing formulas that we've had in place for a decade," said Jones College Financial Aid Director Kari Dedwyler. The form's usual Oct. 1 release was delayed to late December. Errors with aid calculation and bugs on the website further complicated things for colleges and universities. A test version was released this Oct. 1 to select families before the document's official debut on Dec. 1. "Our plan of action has always been Dec. 1, just so that way, we did not have to deal or have to communicate different dates and all with different families and students," Dedwyler said. About 80% of Jones College students received aid in 2022. Dedwyler said the delay altered their plans to get out into local high schools and share needed information. |
| How Do You Get Kids to Read? Give Them Pizza. | |
 | On a recent afternoon, Frank Torok sat inside a pint-size Pizza Hut pop-up, lifted the lid of a miniature pizza box and was overwhelmed by a wave of nostalgia (and a whiff of fresh hot mozzarella). "I remember getting a little Book It! bookmark, and feeling so excited to take that to the Pizza Hut and get that personal pan pizza," Torok, 37, said, referring to the six-inch pies that are given away to preschool through sixth grade students who meet their reading goals as part of Pizza Hut's Book It! reading program. "It was almost like currency." Torok is one of more than 70 million people who have participated in the Book It! program, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. Over the years, the program has provided more than 1.5 billion free pizzas to young readers -- and counts the radio host Charlamagne Tha God, who discovered Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary through it, among its fans. The initiative was founded in October 1984 by Arthur Gunther, then the president of Pizza Hut, in response to a call from President Ronald Reagan encouraging America's businesses to get involved in education. Gunther was particularly inspired by his son, Michael, who had difficulty reading growing up because of eye problems. The program stands out among corporate responsibility endeavors for its longevity, said Peter Golder, a professor of marketing at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business who has researched the fast-food industry. The key, he said, is that the program aligns with the Pizza Hut brand's family values. |
| Chemistry Road Show wows crowd at Bush Library | |
 | There were beakers and cylinders boiling and bubbling in the Frymire Auditorium at the George Bush Library's Annenberg Presidential Conference Center on Wednesday, but it wasn't because of a spooky Halloween story come to life. It was the Texas A&M Chemistry Road Show hosted by A&M organic chemistry professor Dr. Jim Pennington making a stop at the Bush Library. "This is a great place to do a presentation and to see some of my friends and neighbors out there as well," Pennington said during his first of two performances Wednesday. "We are based here in Bryan-College Station, but we go all over the state of Texas." Pennington did two shows Wednesday, each lasting about an hour and a half and including some of his best-known experiments like elephant toothpaste, rainbow magic and the calcium carbide cannon. For his early show on Wednesday, Pennington even used the calcium carbide and water needed to fire the cannon to also turn a pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern. "This is something we do twice a year," Bush Library Director of Education Frederick White said. "It's something we've done for years and it's very popular. The kids like coming out and seeing the magic (of chemistry). It's very important that they know about the safety part of chemistry. They can come in here and have a good time learning." The Chemistry Road Show is free to all attendees thanks to funding from the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M College of Science Outreach, Dow Chemical Company and Shell Oil Company. |
| Women in AI: Two U. of Missouri researchers work to advance novel drugs | |
 | Only 30% of the global AI workforce is female, according to the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report, but at the University of Missouri, there are several female researchers leading the charge in artificial intelligence practices that are revolutionizing drug design. Akhila Mettu and Xiaowen Wang are chemistry postdoctoral fellows in MU's Chemistry Department using machine learning and computational methods to analyze data that could potentially lead to the discovery of new drugs. Mettu said using machine learning tools can help increase the pace of scientific discoveries. "When we connect our work with AI, it simplifies our work in the sense that it gives us a new perspective for our work, and that's what sets our research apart," she said. "This gives us wings to explore the topic." She said the technologies are also versatile and can be used in other fields, like biology, environmental science and more. Wang said she uses computational methods, or computer-aided drug design, to help find potential drugs. Compared to methods used in the past, computer-aided drug design can expedite the process of discovery. Wang said these methods can analyze millions or even billions of compounds. |
| What preliminary enrollment data from fall 2024 tells us | |
| Higher education news tends to be a mixed bag, and the most recent enrollment report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center is no exception. Last week, the clearinghouse released preliminary findings for fall 2024 and found that undergraduate enrollment rose 3% compared with early data from last year. On the other hand, it showed enrollment among first-year students dropped 5% compared with the year before, the first decline since the drop at the start of the pandemic. The youngest adults, 18-year-olds, drove a majority of the decrease, according to the clearinghouse. Its researchers used this group as a proxy for students who enroll in postsecondary education directly after they graduate high school, it said. Higher education experts said the early data can offer college officials insight into potentially troubling enrollment trends, and some tied the decline in first-year students to the botched rollout of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. But incomplete data has limitations, and the higher education sector won't have a complete picture of this term's enrollment until final data is released in January. By then, the 2025-26 FAFSA cycle should already be weeks underway. |
| College Is Worth It to Black, Latino and Indigenous Students | |
 | As the cost of higher education has risen, more students, parents and policymakers have questioned the value of a degree in promoting social and economic mobility. One population that is less likely to receive the same outcomes from earning a college degree is students of color, specifically those from Black, Latino and Indigenous backgrounds. A new report, "Is College Worth It?: Black, Latinx and Indigenous Student Voices on the Value of Postsecondary Credentials," by the Pell Institute and funded by the Lumina Foundation, collects student opinions on why they enroll in college, what factors impact their perception of postsecondary value and the hidden costs of attending college. Over all, students of color see long-term benefits in their degree attainment, despite the short-term challenges that can impact their health and well-being. The research collected both quantitative and qualitative data from Black, Latino and Indigenous students participating in TRIO programs. Across all respondents, researchers learned that postsecondary value is deeply personal and an idea that evolved over time. |
| The Scramble for College Voters in Arizona | |
| Late October during a presidential election year usually means one thing for college campuses in a swing state: Don't expect to walk far without running into someone asking if you're planning to vote. That's certainly the case in Arizona. With days left until the polls close in an election experts are labeling a toss-up, Democrats, Republicans and other voting groups are scrambling to turn out crucial college student votes in the state, where President Joe Biden beat former president Donald Trump by a mere 10,457 votes in 2020. This is the battleground state in America that may very well -- and most likely will -- decide the outcome of the most important election, not in American history, but I would argue human history," Beto O'Rourke, a former Democratic congressman from Texas, told a group of about 30 college students at Arizona State University in Tempe last week. He urged them not only to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, but to volunteer and encourage their friends and family to vote, too, before heading to the University of Arizona in Tucson to deliver a similar message. That sense of urgency is coming from Republican and Democratic campaigns, as well as nonpartisan civic engagement groups, trying to turn out college student voters. They've been on Arizona's many campuses nearly every day for weeks, offering to help students make sense of Arizona's four-page ballot -- which includes a contentious U.S. Senate race, as well as propositions related to abortion and immigration -- and make a plan to vote. |
| The sixtieth election for U. S. President | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: This is the last issue before the 60th presidential election. So I will write about it for the first and last time. There are several reasons I don't write about a topic that is constantly under discussion: First, the election is plenty covered in the news. Second, the Northside Sun is a local publication. Third, I don't find it that interesting. Fourth, no matter what I write, I'm going to make someone mad. I ran into Douglas Carswell recently and he asked for my thoughts about the election. I said, "It's between the fascist and the commie." See, I've already made everybody mad. "That's a really cynical perspective," Douglas said. "Even for a journalist." In fact, I am not the least bit cynical. I am a hopeless optimist and think our country will continue to prevail. If we are humble and trust God. ... I haven't the least bit of real fear of Trump or Harris ruining our magnificent nation. Only God can do that. The bureaucracy really runs the country. (I think they call that the Deep State these days.) Life and the United States will carry on. We will continue to stumble, pick ourselves up again and push forward. In the process, we will get wiser, better and life will progress. A great future awaits us. |
SPORTS
| No. 2 Mississippi State Completes Perfect SEC Regular Season With Victory At No. 14 South Carolina | |
| With grit, tenacity, and the will of champions, the No. 2 Bulldogs (16-1-0, 10-0-0 SEC) achieved a historic milestone Thursday night by defeating No. 14 South Carolina (8-2-7, 5-2-3 SEC) 2-1. The Bulldogs' victory cemented a flawless 10-0-0 SEC regular-season record, an undefeated run that propels them into postseason play as both SEC regular season champions and one of the nation's top teams. In a crowning achievement, head coach James Armstrong reached his 59th career victory, becoming the all-time winningest coach in program history. Mississippi State has now set records in nearly every facet of the game this season, boasting a balanced attack and a near-impenetrable defense that has broken long-standing program and conference records alike. With the win, State becomes just the fourth program in the history of the Southeastern Conference to complete a perfect record in the SEC (Florida 5x, South Carolina in 2019 and Alabama in 2022). The Bulldogs now turn their focus to Pensacola, Florida for the 2024 SEC Tournament. The Bulldogs have earned the top seed in the tournament for the first time in program history and will await the winner of the eight and nine seed matchup that features Kentucky and Tennessee going head to head. State will play the 4:30 p.m. contest on Tuesday, Nov. 5 live on the SEC Network. |
| What to watch for: Mississippi State vs. Massachusetts | |
| Following a 58-25 home loss to Arkansas, Mississippi State hosts Massachusetts for a 3:15 p.m. kickoff Saturday on SEC Network. The Minutemen are one of just three FBS independent schools, along with Notre Dame and Connecticut, and have not won more than four games in a season since moving to the FBS level in 2012. UMass is winless on the road this year and its only two wins have been against FCS opponents Central Connecticut State and Wagner. Mississippi State leads the series 2-0. Saturday's game completes a three-game agreement signed between the schools in 2015. The Bulldogs defeated the Minutemen 47-35 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in 2016, then won 34-23 in Starkville the following year. The Minutemen allow the sixth-fewest passing yards per game among FBS schools but have struggled to defend the run thanks to an undersized defensive line. The secondary is a strength, although not much went right the first time UMass faced a Southeastern Conference team this year when the Minutemen fell 45-3 at home to Missouri. |
| Why Mississippi State football is examining these 5 drives to help struggling defense | |
| The first five offensive and defensive drives from another loss have been a teaching point for Mississippi State football. Defensively, Mississippi State, which allowed its most points of the season last week in a 58-25 home loss to Arkansas, conceded three touchdowns and a field goal on the first five possessions. On offense, MSU (1-7, 0-5 SEC) lost a fumble, scored a touchdown, missed a field goal and had two turnovers on downs to trail 24-7 early in the second quarter. The numbers don't hide how poorly the defense has played all season, but first-year coach Jeff Lebby has made it clear that the defense isn't all to blame for a seven-game losing streak. His offense can do a better job, too, helping set up the defense for success with a nonconference game against UMass (2-6) at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday (3:15 p.m., SEC Network). "We weren't able to create any momentum," Lebby said. "It's both sides of the ball not finding a way to get momentum, create it and then keep it. As a group and as a team, looking at those five drives and seeing how we can change the game at that point is something that we've done a ton of and we've got to learn from." |
| Why NCAA tournament is now expectation, not goal, for Mississippi State basketball | |
| Josh Hubbard quietly walked into the Mississippi State basketball practice gym and stopped at midcourt with both hands behind his back. One week prior, he received the loudest ovation of anyone during player introductions at the "Junction Jam" outdoor pep rally. He proceeded to dominate the 3-point contest. The 5-foot-11 guard from Madison is now days away from the start of his sophomore season after he quickly ascended into one of the top guards in the SEC as a freshman. Expectations are high for the former three-star recruit. Yet, as he fields questions from reporters at midcourt, he's calm and methodical in his answers. He doesn't ooze with overconfidence or show any pressure to be the leader of the Bulldogs. The same goes for coach Chris Jans and other players before the season opener against West Georgia on Monday (6:30 p.m., SEC Network+) at Humphrey Coliseum. The bar has been raised for MSU after consecutive NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in 15 years. Reaching the tournament was once a goal, but now it's an expectation in Jans' third season. The new goal is making a deep postseason run for the first time in nearly 30 years. |
| Only Topgolf in the state nearing completion | |
| Golfers, get your swings and your clubs ready! Many that we spoke with are brushing up on their golfing skills, so they'll be on point when it's time to tee off. "I'm really excited. I can't wait. It was exciting to me to find out that they were going to come here," said Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee. City officials are also excited about the new attraction becoming an economic booster in the area. "It will definitely be a fun area to hang out with friends and definitely more jobs for sure," said McGee. Crews were out in full force putting the final touches on the state-of-the-art facility. The new venue is located on I-55 and Colony Park Boulevard. Poles are now in place for protective netting and the exterior of the building is pretty much completed along with signage. McGee says the venue is expected to draw in thousands of people, as well as revenue for the city and the state. He says Topgolf is expected to employ more than 200 people. Other developments McGee says will be built near the venue include a new hotel, grocery store and residential spaces. The venue is set to officially open in December. |
| Power Four schools to send out helmet comms systems for tech fix amid security concerns | |
| Power Four conferences have notified their schools that the coach-to-player helmet communication equipment they use during games needs an adjustment to address security concerns with the product before teams play again, according to multiple sources within Power Four conferences. The fix requires hands-on work so schools are shipping equipment around the country, having technicians come to campus or -- in at least one case -- flying a staffer with the equipment to Atlanta to have it back before Saturday's game. The NCAA passed a rule earlier this year permitting schools to use coach-to-player communications during games, and all the FBS conferences are doing so this season. The Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences are all using a system from a company called GSC that the NFL uses for its helmet comms. "We're using a system that is not encrypted. And it's the same company that provides the NFL. And the NFL's is encypted. So I'm going, 'Why the hell isn't our system encrypted?' Whose miss is that? Why would we even have thought about using a system that wasn't encrypted?" said a Big 12 school administrator. We have been aware of the issue and have stayed in communication with GSC and our colleague conferences as well as our schools," the SEC said in a statement. "We are not aware of any instances of the system being compromised during games. GSC has developed an update to resolve the issue and we have made our schools aware of their ability to update their systems at a time of their choosing." |
| 6 Classic College Football Towns to Visit | |
| Each autumn, in college towns across the United States, the fervor for football can almost feel religious as students, alumni, families and other fans fill stadiums, rooting for their teams to reach a bowl game and, just maybe, the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 20 in Atlanta. But it's not just locals with their faces painted in school colors. College football is transforming college towns into destinations in their own right, as travelers build trips around dropping in to catch a game. United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines have added flights specifically for game-day weekends, while demand for local hotels and short-term rentals surges. Last summer, roughly 25,000 U.S. fans even made their way to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to attend the Aer Lingus College Football Classic and watch the sold-out game between Georgia Tech and Florida State University. John Anthony, an executive vice president at On Location, which provides premium hospitality packages for major sporting events and is an official partner of the N.C.A.A., said the company had seen 45 percent growth for regular season games this year, calling it "a pretty amazing bump." He added, "There's just a greater interest in people overall going to these things." If you're looking to make your gridiron foray a weekend getaway, many college towns offer far more than football fever. They've also got civil rights history trails, natural history museums, cider mills, farmers' markets, zoos and delicious barbecue. |
| Study: Leadership Roles in College Athletics Inaccessible for Women | |
| A comprehensive new study of gender representation in college athletics administration shows that despite significant industry growth, leadership roles remain largely inaccessible to women. The white paper, published Wednesday as part of the Pipeline Project, a larger study that aims to advance gender equity in intercollegiate athletics, finds that while women occupy 44 percent of entry-level athletic administration positions, only 12 women are athletic directors across 130 colleges and universities in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of competition. Women who do work in collegiate athletics often tend to be concentrated in student and administrative support roles rather than revenue-generating or external-facing positions, such as fundraising and development, according to the study. Such positions are often perceived as critical background experience for advancing to higher leadership positions, the report notes. The Pipeline Project argues that the disparities in athletic leadership roles are particularly worth noting in an era when college athletics departments are facing "unprecedented change." As they expand to manage new name, image and likeness policies and conference realignment, the lack of women in decision-making positions will impact what perspectives shape the future of collegiate sports. |
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