| Tuesday, November 19, 2024 |
| House speaker hopes for more support for Medicaid expansion | |
 | Medicaid expansion will likely spend another session as one of the Mississippi Legislature's central issues, but with a new administration headed for the White House, District 48 Rep. and House Speaker Jason White, R-West, hopes to gain more support for expansion. If expanding Medicaid coverage was purely a business decision, it would have already been made, White told the Starkville Rotary Club on Monday. "It is a drag on our business economy. It's a drag on our health care economy and the delivery of health care," he said during the club's meeting at Hilton Garden Inn. "It's time we had real adult conversations about the best path forward for our state and finding a way to cover these individuals." Rearranging Mississippi’s higher education system was another hot issue in the 2024 session. From a bill proposing the closure of at least three universities to one calling for the merger of Mississippi University for Women into Mississippi State University. White said he doesn’t know of any House members who have adopted the task of culling costs in the state’s higher education landscape, but with enrollment cliff looming, he expects it will continue to be a conversation. “I do think as you see increasing enrollment at places like Mississippi State and Ole Miss, and you see decreasing enrollment at places like The W and others, you’re going to hear conversations,” he told The Dispatch. |
| Mississippi State University: Bridging borders for engineering excellence | |
 | Mississippi State University is renowned as a world-class research institution and is ranked among the U.S.'s top public universities. Its Bagley College of Engineering ranks 51st among U.S. engineering colleges for research and development expenditures (National Science Foundation) and is consistently listed among the top 100 by U.S. News and World Report. The college's partnership with the Université Internationale de Rabat (UIR) allows Moroccan students the opportunity to participate in its exceptional education and research collaboration programme. MSU launched its partnership programme with UIR in 2015. The collaboration makes MSU's cross-disciplinary research centres, working groups, laboratories and world-leading faculty even more accessible to international students. International students are drawn to MSU's academic and research opportunities but stay for the supportive faculty, hands-on learning and strong career preparation. "Mississippi State University is an R1 university with cutting-edge research facilities,"says UIR programme graduate and current MSU faculty member Omar Es-Sahli. "These resources, coupled with access to exceptional faculty and researchers, greatly influenced my decision to stay and continue contributing to research." |
| Buc-ees on steroids? New $25 million casino promises to be a hit for Mississippi travelers | |
 | There's a new casino in the portfolio of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and it's in, of all places, Louisville. The newest addition, Crystal Sky, is not just another casino. It's a unique blend of entertainment and convenience, set to open its doors on Dec. 19. Crystal Sky, while not as large as Silver Star and Golden Moon, is strategically located along Mississippi 25 between Jackson and Starkville, promising a unique gaming experience. Crystal Sky is not just a casino. It's an 18,000 square-foot, $25 million entertainment hub, featuring a casino with 150 slot machines, a Sportsbook lounge, a 60-seat restaurant, 3,000 square feet of retail space, and fueling stations for both commercial and passenger vehicles. The restaurant in Louisville is expected to be styled after MBCI's Mama 'n' Em's restaurant in Philadelphia, offering a unique dining experience. The casino, which is visible from Highway 25, sits on 18 acres of land called Crystal Ridge, on South Church Avenue in Louisville. While not on the main reservation for the MBCI, the land is owned by the Native American group, which makes it tribal land and therefore legally eligible for gaming development. "This is a state-of-the-art facility, and we expect a lot of folks will want to stop there to refuel and try their luck on their way back and forth to Starkville and Mississippi State," said Cassandra Grady, executive director of the project management office for Golden Sky. |
| MLM Clothiers, at 84, one of the South's oldest specialty stores | |
 | From the same spot for more than 84 years, MLM Clothiers has been the destination to "dress better than you have to" with its higher-end line of men's clothing. "We're the oldest men's specialty store in the state and one of the oldest in the South. There's not many of us left," said owner Joe Yarber, who first started working part-time in the store in 1980. The store was founded by Hoyle McCullough, Charles Long and John McCullar. The trio had worked together at Reed's department store across the street before opening their own shop in April 1940. In 1988, Yarber went to work full time at MLM, and a year later, he and co-owner Jimmy Long (Charles' son) bought Jimmy Repult's share of the business. Repult had family ties to the business, being married to a McCullough (Sue). Yarber then became Long's partner, and in 2017, following Long's retirement, he became the sole owner of MLM. "It's been a good ride; we've got a great business," Yarber said. "But we can't depend on just Tupelo to do what we do. We draw from all over Northeast Mississippi, and from Tennessee and Alabama." Last Saturday was an especially busy one for MLM, and Yarber said from here through Christmas, there will be no days off. With Christmas holiday shopping cranking up, Yarber said business will only increase. |
| Rockin' Records owner opens shop due to son's interest in vinyl | |
| In some respects, Larry Pierson would be an unlikely record store owner. Born in 1970, Pierson's interest in popular music in general, and heavy metal in particular, didn't emerge until he was about 12 years old, which roughly coincided with the transition of recorded music from vinyl records and eight-track tapes to cassettes. As the change in formats took hold, one by one, the record stores began to close. The last holdout in Columbus was Bryan's Records and Pets, which stayed open until 2012. By then, the return of vinyl records had already started among a small group of aficionados, growing steadily through the 2010s. To accommodate the emerging market, record stores and shops began to pop up all across the country. Scott "Scooter" Thomas opened Scooter's Records in Starkville in 2017. Now, Columbus has a record store for the first time in 12 years. Earlier this month, Pierson, 52, opened his record store, Rockin' Records and More, on Highway 45 North, across the highway from Jackson Square Shopping Center. The influences that led to opening Rockin' Records were a desire to own a business that reflected his love of music, along with his son's burgeoning interest in vinyl, Pierson said. |
| Replacing Fenian's? New 'dive bar' in Belhaven | |
| Fans of the Belhaven neighborhood bar Fenian's, which closed on Sept. 10, will have a new place to congregate very soon. Chaz Lindsey, who owns and operates the Italian restaurant Pulito Osteria in Belhaven Town Center, is opening a new neighborhood bar just across the street. In what was formerly District Donuts, Lindsey's Rowan's on North Jefferson is expected to open the second week of December. While his restaurant is styled as a upscale Italian restaurant with a kitchen that features an imported Fiero Firone wood burning pizza oven that can also be used to cook flounder, chicken, roasted mushrooms and vegetables, Lindsey said that his goal for Rowan's is a "neighborhood dive bar hangout spot." Currently, Lindsay is in the process of reworking the inside of the old District Donuts with a new bar, TVs, new cooking equipment and tables for the crowd that he hopes will be former Fenian's customers looking for a place to gravitate to. From a food standpoint, eventually there will be a lunch menu. For now, however, expect bar staples as well as a couple of specialty items, including a thick-cut fried baloney sandwich for which he is getting the baloney from a supplier in Atlanta. "It will definitely be family friendly during the day and a little more loose at night. That's kind of the goal," Lindsay said. |
| Mahoney's restaurant and co-owner sentenced for selling imported seafood as Gulf fresh | |
 | A case that shocked the Mississippi Coast drew nearer to a close Monday, with a federal judge sentencing widely acclaimed Mary Mahoney's Old French House restaurant in Biloxi and co-owner Anthony "Tony" Cvitanovich for conspiring to mislabel imported seafood as Gulf fresh. Mahoney's charge included the additional element of wire fraud based on emails and texts about the seafood purchases. The restaurant had previously agreed to forfeit $1.35 million through its corporate representative, Eileen Mahoney Ezell. Judge Sul Ozerden said the full amount must be paid within five days of his final order being entered. He also put the restaurant on probation for five years and levied a $149,000 fine. Ozerden sentenced Anthony "Tony" Cvitanovich to four months of home confinement and three years' probation, and fined him $10,000. Cvitanovich and Ezell are children of restaurant co-founders Mary Mahoney and her brother Andrew Cvitanovich. Opened in 1964, the restaurant has become a Gulf Coast institution where families have marked life's big events for generations. Mary Mahoney's son Bobby Mahoney, the voluble jokester and face of the nationally known restaurant, was not charged in the case. |
| Record number of people expected to travel for Thanksgiving | |
 | Roads, airports and even cruise terminals could be more crowded this year as nearly 80 million people are expected to travel during Thanksgiving, according to AAA. Stacey Barber, vice president of AAA Travel, on Monday said Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel and records are expected to be set in all forms of travel, including cruising. "Americans reconnect with family and friends over Thanksgiving, and travel is a big part of that," Barber said in a statement. "AAA continues to see travel demand soar post-pandemic with our members looking for new adventures and memorable vacations." Last year, an estimated 78 million people traveled more than 50 miles during the Thanksgiving holiday, which AAA considers to be a record that exceeded a forecast of 55 million travelers. The organization says it has been tracking holiday travel since 2000. This year's projections are for a seven-day period from the Tuesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving -- compared to previous years that tracked five days, from Wednesday to Sunday. Lower gas prices this year may influence Americans to hit the roads for the holiday. AAA projects that nearly 72 million people will travel by car over the holiday -- a little over 1 million more on the road than last year and more than before the COVID-19 pandemic began, when 70.6 million traveled by car for Thanksgiving. |
| As winter holidays loom, retailers prepare for cautious holiday spending | |
| A number of big retailers will be reporting earnings this week, including Walmart, Target, Lowe's, Gap and T.J. Maxx. Their earnings calls will likely give us a preview of what's expected as we inch closer to Black Friday and the rest of the holiday shopping season. Stores have already put up decorations, they're blasting holiday music, and although it isn't Thanksgiving yet, many retailers are offering Black Friday discounts early. "Especially last week, we started getting more 50% off sitewide, 60% off," said Jessica Ramirez, an analyst at Jane Hali and Associates. She said usually you'd only see deals like 20% or 30% off right now. The deeper discounts could mean retailers are a bit anxious. Deals are especially good if you're in the market for a winter coat. "Weather right now, it's warm. So outerwear, I'm concerned about," she said. Home furnishings isn't expected to be a strong category either since not many people are buying homes. But as usual, tech will be popular. Same with beauty, an affordable luxury for all ages. Katherine Cullen at the National Retail Federation said this mix shows how people are budgeting. "They're thinking about pulling back in other areas, maybe pulling back in dining out. They may be using some options like buy now, pay later," she said. |
| Walmart Earnings: Holiday Shopping Is Off to a Strong Start | |
 | Walmart said U.S. sales rose during the most recent quarter as shoppers bought more groceries, home goods and toys, a sign that spending is off to a steady start for the holiday shopping season. The retail giant also raised its sales and profit estimates for the year. The results were better than analysts expected and Walmart shares rose about 4% in premarket trading Tuesday. Walmart executives said they are watching potential policy moves by the incoming Trump administration, particularly on import taxes. The retailer said it is importing some products early in case of new tariffs or potential port strikes in January. Most shoppers are spending consistently to enjoy holidays, said John David Rainey, Walmart's chief financial officer. Toys are selling well, along with some everyday needs such as tires, he said. Apparel is weaker as unseasonably warm weather has likely delayed some purchases, he said. "Overall, we are feeling good about holiday," Rainey said. But "consumers are still discerning," he said. "They are spending more of their wallets on food than they have historically." That means overall sales of nonfood items are still growing slower than spending on consumables, he said. |
| Mississippi voter turnout falls lower than previous years. How much did it fall? | |
| Voter turnout in this year's election came out higher than early vote counters predicted, but still far lower than in some of the previous presidential elections over the last 20 years. The trend also seems to follow a national decline in voter turnout, though, national numbers are still being tallied up and finalized as of Monday. According to finalized reporting by the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office, 1,225,176 people voted by or on Nov. 5 in the presidential, congressional, state and special elections. That figure represented about 62% of the state's electorate, or the total number of eligible voters. Compared to previous years, it's a bit of a drop. "While we were hopeful to see our voters rise to the occasion, it has become apparent we continue to face voter apathy and fatigue," Secretary of State Michael Watson said in a press release issued last week before the count was finalized. "I encourage each of you to continue to encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to engage in the elections process and fulfill civic duty and responsibility. Mississippi needs an engaged electorate now more than ever." |
| Youth court issues in Mississippi on Senate committee's plate | |
 | It looks like Mississippi lawmakers have much work to do in 2025 with legislative and judicial redistricting, and one more issue has now been added to the list: state youth courts. On Friday, the Senate Judiciary A Committee heard from a youth court judges commission tasked with recommending reform. They asked for reform to the number and type of courts with several options, as well as recommending that more money be pumped into the youth court system. Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, who chairs the committee, said he hopes to tackle the recommendations made in the report to address issues facing the youth court system. "(We heard) that people consider youth court the stepchild (of the state judicial system), and we got to get away from that," Wiggins said. "They're not a stepchild. They are a court system in the state of Mississippi, and hearing from what the judges said, they're not getting the staff and the support that they need... It's obvious that when you start at the front end, you save money and resources, and you get better outcomes on the back end." Wiggins said as for now, he isn't sure how he will fit youth court reform into the already politically challenged judicial redistricting plan. |
| Doctors group asks state Supreme Court to clarify that abortions are illegal in Mississippi | |
| A group of anti-abortion doctors is asking the state Supreme Court to reverse its earlier ruling stating that the right to an abortion is guaranteed by the Mississippi Constitution. The original 1998 Supreme Court ruling that provides the right to an abortion for Mississippians conflicts with state law that bans most abortions in Mississippi. The appeal to the Supreme Court comes after an earlier ruling by Hinds County Chancellor Crystal Wise Martin, who found the group of conservative physicians did not have standing to bring the lawsuit. Mississippi members of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists argued that they could be punished for not helping a patient find access to an abortion since the earlier state Supreme Court ruling said Mississippians had a right to abortion under the state Constitution. But the Hinds County chancellor said they did not have standing because they could not prove any harm to them because of their anti abortion stance. Attorney Aaron Rice, representing the doctors, said after the October ruling by Wise Martin that he intended to ask the state Supreme Court to rule on the case. |
| Wicker slams Biden for 'slow-walking' decision allowing Ukraine to make long-range missile strikes in Russia | |
| Although President Joe Biden reportedly made the move Sunday to authorize Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles further inside Russia, an Armed Forces leader inside the Capitol is blasting the Democratic administration for lingering on the decision. The lifting of restrictions on the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACM) comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin positions North Korean troops along Ukraine's northern border but "does not excuse the administration's deliberate slow-walking of items and assistance long authorized by Congress for use against Putin's illegal aggression," U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said in a statement. Wicker is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee and is in line to become the committee's chairman as the GOP regained the chamber during the November elections. He vouched that the move by Biden was still necessary even though he believed lifting the weapon restriction was needed months ago. Wicker penned a letter to Biden last month demanding nearly a dozen policy changes "to give Ukraine the best battlefield prospects possible before his administration comes to an end in January" when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has previously promised to rapidly forge a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, although the terms of a hypothetical deal are unclear. Included in Wicker's list was loosening restrictions on U.S. contractors in Ukraine and on missile strikes inside Russia. |
| Biden Team Races to Deliver Chip Grants Before Trump Takes Over | |
| U.S. officials are racing to deliver billions of dollars of promised manufacturing grants to Intel and others to complete a significant portion of a favored program of President Biden before he leaves office. The Commerce Department has provisionally awarded most of the $39 billion of grant money allocated under 2022's Chips Act to re-energize U.S. chip production. But nearly $30 billion of that is tied up in complex government negotiations, leaving those deals in limbo as a new administration prepares to take over. Intel was given the largest preliminary award -- up to $8.5 billion in grants for factory projects, plus up to $3 billion for defense-industry manufacturing facilities. It is counting on the funds to pay for massive facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio and Oregon as the company's core business making chips for personal computers and servers is struggling. The Commerce Department is aiming to complete as many of them as possible in the next two months ahead of the incoming Trump administration, according to people familiar with the matter. Government and company officials say the legally binding, completed awards would be impossible to pull back absent an act of Congress. Donald Trump threw the program's fate into question on the campaign trail, telling podcast host Joe Rogan that the government should encourage chip production in the U.S. by taxing imported chips rather than offering the grants of the Chips Act. What will happen under the new administration remains unclear. The Chips Act passed with bipartisan support, and many of the chip projects it is supposed to fund are in the districts of Republican lawmakers. |
| GOP senators deride idea of replacing FBI background checks for Trump nominees | |
 | Senate Republicans are rejecting a proposal floated by some advisers to President-elect Trump to take the job of conducting background checks for high-level nominees away from the FBI and give it to private investigators. Doing so could make it easier for some nominees to win Senate confirmation, but GOP senators say the FBI should retain its leading role in conducting background checks. They argue its agents have access to criminal information that private investigators simply can't match. And while many Trump allies don't trust the FBI, many GOP senators think the agency sets the gold standard for professionalism and credibility in law enforcement. The FBI also leads the nation's domestic counterespionage efforts, serving as the lead agency for investigating and preventing foreign intelligence gathering activities in the United States. Republican senators think that role puts it in a good position to vet nominees who would have access to the nation's most sensitive secrets. "The FBI should do the background checks, in my judgement," said Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), who serves as the ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and as a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. |
| Senate Republicans deliver a message to Trump: Gaetz's confirmation is in jeopardy | |
 | Numerous Republican lawmakers told Donald Trump and his team that they believe his pick to be attorney general, controversial Rep. Matt Gaetz, has little chance of being confirmed, according to multiple Senate Republican and people around Trump. And they're privately hoping Trump doesn't make them walk the plank. That message, according to people who were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue, has been delivered to the president-elect himself, his future White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and to Gaetz's unofficial "sherpa," Vice President-elect JD Vance. And it appears to be at least partially sinking in. Knowing how toxic a character they are dealing with, Senate Republicans are worried about getting tarnished by the process. They fear that senators up for reelection in 2026, including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) could face a MAGA primary challenge if they oppose his nomination -- while possibly kissing their seats goodbye in a general election if they back him. It's not just the politically vulnerable who are fretting. There's a fear that Trump is going to waste precious political capital trying to push Gaetz through when he could instead be working on advancing other, more feasible nominations -- not to mention his governing agenda. Consider, they say, just how distracting Gaetz confirmation hearings will be as Trump moves to dismantle Joe Biden's regulatory and legislative legacy. |
| Trump pick for DOT head Duffy has empty transportation resume | |
 | President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday night that he will nominate former Wisconsin congressman and current Fox News contributor Sean Duffy to head the Transportation Department. If confirmed by the Senate, Duffy would head an agenda that Trump asserted will ensure the nation's ports and dams "serve our Economy without compromising our National Security." Duffy's experience does not include much in the way of transportation. He sat on the House Financial Services Committee during his time in Congress and any input on transportation was confined to issues local to Wisconsin, such as offering an amendment to a surface transportation bill in 2015 to raise the weight limit for logging trucks in the state. As Transportation secretary, Duffy would be instrumental in negotiations for the next surface transportation reauthorization bill, which was greatly expanded under the Biden administration to include $550 billion in new spending, becoming the 2021 infrastructure law. Duffy would have discretion over the remaining infrastructure funds from the law, which expires in 2026. Prior to a stint in Congress, Duffy was a cast member on reality TV show "The Real World: Boston" in 1997, with follow-up stints on later seasons. |
| Oldest Mississippi institution of higher learning changes its name to Mississippi Christian University | |
| The Mississippi College Board of Trustees has approved an institutional name change, renaming the nearly 200-year-old school to Mississippi Christian University. It is also closing its Division II football program. The school said in a statement that the decision underscores MC's status as a comprehensive university and allows the institution to retain its MC logo and identity. The new name will take effect in 2026. The private higher education institution opened its doors in 1826 as Hampstead Academy, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in Mississippi. The school changed its name to Mississippi Academy one year later and then to Mississippi College in 1830. On Monday, the MC Board also announced that the Department of Christian Studies would be elevated to an interdisciplinary unit that underscores the institution's commitment to Christian education. A new structure will be implemented that consolidates the School of Christian Studies and the Arts with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the School of Education will be renamed to the School of Education and Human Science. "By refining our academic offerings and investing in key academic initiatives, we seek to provide a learning environment where students and faculty can excel, pursue meaningful scholarship and engage in impactful service," said MC Provost and Executive Vice President Mike Highfield in a statement. |
| Education: W music student wins first-place prize at statewide composition competition | |
| Mississippi University for Women junior music composition major, Charles Weathersby, was awarded first prize in the Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition for the state of Mississippi. Competing against students from other universities across the state, Weathersby emerged as the top composer, showcasing his unique voice and talent. With this win, he will go on to represent Mississippi at the southern regional competition, where he will compete against the winners from Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Virginia. The winning piece, titled "Reflections," was composed for a chamber ensemble over the summer while Weathersby participated in the Composer Sandbox Music Festival in Upstate New York. This festival offered a dynamic environment for creativity and mentorship, where he was able to refine and experiment with his composition in collaboration with other young composers and musicians. The piece impressed the MMTA judges with its originality, depth and expressiveness. Charles was honored at the annual MMTA State Conference that took place at Belhaven University, Nov. 1-2, where one of his solo piano works was performed by his teacher, Valentin Bogdan. |
| Out-of-state Students Have A Hotty Toddy Thanksgiving | |
 | With a growing number of out-of-state students enrolled at the University of Mississippi, many are planning to spend Thanksgiving in Oxford. Josie Steiny, a sophomore real estate and marketing major, is not going home this year for Thanksgiving break due to the travel costs and the long distance. Steiny is originally from Monterey Bay, Calif. Returning would take a full day of travel including a flight from Memphis to Dallas, a flight from Dallas to San Francisco and a three-hour drive to her hometown. Many out-of-state students shared Steiny's sentiments. As of 2023-2024, 10,171 UM students were from out-of-state, comprising 54.88% of the undergraduate class, according to the university enrollment website. Madison Hartman, a freshman integrated marketing communications major from Cape Cod, Mass., will spend her first Thanksgiving in college in Oxford to avoid a 21 hour drive home. Santino Rocchio, a senior accounting major from San Francisco, said that it is difficult being away from hometown friends. "I definitely see my high school friend group chats start getting active during the break, and it's hard because I know unfortunately I can't be there, but I try to make the most of it while I'm here in Oxford," Rocchio said. |
| Board approves Auburn University's decision to purchase church's land in downtown Auburn | |
 | Auburn University can move forward with plans to purchase property in downtown after its Board of Trustees approved the decision at Tuesday's meeting. The board unanimously voted in favor of the college purchasing five parcels of land -- or 1.2 acres of land -- with an estimated valued of $7.3 million at the northeast corner of South Gay Street and Thach Avenue. Auburn United Methodist Church still owns the land as of Sunday afternoon. "This acquisition will extend the university's footprint on the east side of College Street, along an increasingly important entrance to campus," said Jim Carroll, vice president of facilities management. The property is near the Cambridge Residence Hall and the Rane Culinary Science Center. It is also across the street from the Collegiate Hotel. When asked by a member of the board about the future of the property, Carroll said there is no intended use at this point, and it is something they will be evaluating at some point. "It's simply an important location for us because the unique nature of it and the adjacency to the campus," Carroll said. According to the resolution in the BOT's materials published online, owning the property creates a 1.2 acre plot for future development and will "improve the aesthetics at a major entrance point to campus." |
| Provost and Board of Trustees open and close graduate degree programs | |
| The Auburn University Board of Trustees and Academic Affairs Committee approved two new graduate certificates and closed a graduate certificate at the Nov. 15 meeting. The two approved graduate certificates are in Neuroscience and Veterinary Social Work, while the committee members elected to close the graduate certificate in Movement Analysis Skills from the School of Kinesiology. Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Vini Nathan proposed the academic changes to the Academic Affairs Committee and Chairperson Elizabeth Huntley. The trustees approved the first item, a graduate certificate in Neuroscience from the Department of Drug Discovery and Development in the Harrison College of Pharmacy. The Harrison College of Pharmacy will offer this certificate, exposing students to fundamental neuroscience concepts, interdisciplinary research, presentation skills and critical thinking for advanced careers and research in neuroscience. The second approved item was creating a Veterinary Social Work graduate certificate from the Departments of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Nathan said veterinary students must deal with animal-related grief and fatigue, so graduate students attaining the veterinary social work certificate can gain more experience and help veterinary students. |
| Haslam College of Business gives select students 'once-in-a-lifetime experience,' plans to send them to Super Bowl LIX | |
| The Big Orange Combine is a program run through the Haslam College of Business that allows for a carefully chosen, select number of students to travel to New Orleans in order to attend and work Super Bowl LIX. They will also be visiting various businesses in New Orleans and meeting industry professionals, some being alumni of the University of Tennessee. This experience allows the students to expand their networks and build relationships that will help land them jobs after they graduate from UT. They will also have a once-in-a-lifetime experience working for the National Football League during Super Bowl LIX. The program was created in 2012 and has continued to flourish at UT ever since then. The entire experience is built around the idea that students should create a network of individuals from many different backgrounds and career fields, which is why having business or sports students network with professionals in sports or event planning is so beneficial to their careers. "Networking with industry professionals is a key component of the program," Olivia Helms, a senior business analytics major, said. "The more connections we make, the more we can learn about the sports industry, and these relationships also help sustain and grow the program for future students." |
| 25 years after Bonfire collapse, the tradition lives on with A&M students still running it | |
 | Taking a right off OSR onto Old Hearne Road across the Robertson County line just after midnight last Saturday, the faint sounds of blaring music could be heard. Along this gravel road is a white sign with black letters on a gate that can't be missed. It reads, "Aggie Bonfire" and has a flame on it. On this chilly November night, dozens of Texas A&M students have driven almost 30 minutes north of campus and are burning the midnight oil with labor. They're wearing boots and jeans. Some sport jackets. Others are shirtless. The smell of diesel from chainsaws fills the air. There are lights that brighten the dark, rural night and they're pointed toward a 32-foot-tall stack of logs. These students are working every day to build a Bonfire that will be burned on Nov. 29. This is Student Bonfire, a student-led group that has kept A&M's tradition of Bonfire alive off-campus. The organization has about 500 active student participants that mainly come from 10 different dorm crews and the Corps of Cadets. Monday marked 25 years since the annual Bonfire collapsed and killed 12 people, including 11 current students, and injured another 27. After the collapse, university leaders contemplated the future of the tradition until former A&M President Ray Bowen announced in 2002 that Bonfire would not return to campus. Liability insurance estimates were over $2 million per year. In October 2008, A&M agreed to pay $2.1 million to settle a lawsuit filed in Brazos County by families of four people killed in the collapse and three who were injured. A non-university-affiliated group started after Bowen's tradition and has carried out an annual burn since. |
| Texas lawmakers signal plans to expand DEI ban into college classrooms | |
| Texas lawmakers may be looking to expand the state's ban on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at public colleges and universities when they convene in Austin next year. The Republican-controlled Legislature approved a bill last year that prohibited DEI offices and programs at Texas universities and colleges. Senate Bill 17, which took effect Jan. 1, prompted changes at higher education institutions across the state. The University of Texas System eliminated hundreds of programs, contracts and trainings, as well as more than 300 jobs. Dozens of those employees worked at UT Austin. Still, state Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Republican from Conroe who authored SB 17, said there is more work to be done to ensure universities are complying with his legislation. "While DEI-related curriculum and course content does not explicitly violate the letter of the law, it indeed contradicts its spirit," he said during a Texas Senate Higher Education Subcommittee hearing last week. "The curriculum does not reflect the expectations of Texas taxpayers and students who fund our public universities." Local college students also spoke out against efforts to further restrict DEI initiatives. UT Austin sophomore Genesis Britz testified the whole goal of DEI at the college level is to help students of different backgrounds feel supported and included. "To aim to take away DEI, that is in itself, a form of excluding certain groups of people that have not always been welcome in the spaces of academia," she said. |
| U. of Missouri researchers educate students on microelectronics | |
 | Microchips are everywhere. In a phone, some chips process information from search engines and audio or display videos. Chips exist in cars to control tire pressure, air conditioning and more. These sets of electronic circuits are fundamental to everyday life. Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed a microelectronic boot camp series, funded by a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The first in the series took place Saturday, hosting students from MU, the Missouri University of Science and Technology and Moberly Area Community College. The event is a 1.5-day workshop, and MU hosted roughly 30 undergraduate students Saturday. This weekend's boot camp will continue from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday. The boot camp is broken into three components to cater to three distinct audiences: undergraduate students, industry professionals and public citizens. Chi-Ren Shyu, an MU professor of electrical engineering and computer science, is the principal investigator of the initiative. Syed Kamrul Islam, an MU electrical engineering and computer science professor, is the co-principal investigator of the project. |
| Bold Christian and Catholic Colleges Make Gains | |
 | Franciscan University of Steubenville just opened a new, 111,000-square-foot academic building and is in the process of expanding its Christ the King Chapel by 175 seats. The Catholic institution in Ohio needs more space after enrollment rose 6 percent this year to 3,972 students, from 3,750 last year. Over the last decade, enrollment has grown a whopping 46 percent. Franciscan isn't alone in its ascent. Leaders of religiously affiliated colleges say enrollment at small, relatively strict faith-based institutions is booming. David Hoag, president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, has noticed similar trends among Christian institutions more broadly. While some of the council's members have seen their enrollments mirror local downward population trends for traditional college-age residents, he's also found that "schools that are really doubling down on their Christian mission are doing well." "Families are looking for places that are safe, that are true to kind of the Christian mission and Christ-centered," he said. These institutions are "leading with their Christian mission and their values and who they are. And I think it's making a difference." |
| How a Top Trump Adviser Might Influence the President-Elect's Views on Higher Ed | |
 | President-elect Donald J. Trump's pick for deputy chief of staff for policy is best known as a immigration hardliner. But over the last few years, he's taken on a side hustle as a crusader against "wokeness" on college campuses. Trump recently announced that Stephen Miller, his former lead speechwriter and senior policy adviser, will serve as his deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser during his second term. Miller is expected to spearhead the administration's plans for sweeping deportations of undocumented immigrants upon Trump's return to the White House. During Trump's first term, Miller pioneered the travel ban that targeted a half-dozen majority-Muslim countries, a policy that affected international students and academics; that ban could be reinstated next year. A closer look at Miller's recent résumé also reveals an aggressive campaign against Biden's Title IX rules and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts on campuses. While higher education won't be Miller's top priority, his interactions with the sector offer a sense of how colleges could factor into Trump's thinking. "The prime source of antisemitism, racism, intellectual rot and moral decay on college campuses is DEI," Miller wrote in a post to X in December of last year. |
| What the Republican trifecta could mean for student loan borrowers | |
 | The past four years have been filled with highs and lows for federal student loan borrowers, as nearly 5 million have benefited from $175 billion in debt cancellation provided by President Joe Biden and others have watched their prospects for relief ensnared by litigation. The next four years could be just as tumultuous with Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House. President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are hostile toward Biden's student loan forgiveness policies, many of which have been tied up in the courts as a result of lawsuits brought by GOP-led states. While Trump has yet to detail his plans for student loans, higher education experts fear the incoming administration will be far more restrictive with debt cancellation and the overall federal student loan program, especially with the help of the Republican majority in Congress. Millions of borrowers in low-cost repayment plans could see their monthly student loan bill go up, while programs that canceled the student debt of public service workers such as teachers may be on the chopping block. And some loan programs that parents use to fund their children's education could be in jeopardy, too, the experts say. In many ways, the Trump administration could radically upend Biden's student loan policies without doing much. Several key policies are tied up in litigation, and the new administration could simply choose to stop defending them. |
| What's at Stake for Science as Trump Returns | |
| President-elect Donald Trump will once again have the chance to leave his mark on this country's scientific research enterprise. But that's cold comfort for many scientific researchers, who have long been troubled by Trump's comments downplaying scientific consensus. Soon after he took office in 2017, about 15,000 scientists and science advocates converged on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as part of a global March for Science protesting what organizers described as an "American government that ignores science to pursue ideological agendas" that "endanger the world." Trump's election to a second term earlier this month has renewed concerns within pockets of the scientific community, including those worried about the incoming administration's lack of respect for experts and evidence-based research. (A wide range of federal agencies are involved in overseeing science policy, and the federal government supplies colleges and corporations with billions in annual research funding.) Trump's first term was marked by an increased focus on research security, specifically protecting American research from China, which has made major investments in technological research -- especially artificial intelligence -- in recent years. And that has big implications for research universities. In 2018, Federal Bureau of Investigation director Christopher Wray told the Senate intelligence committee that higher education institutions are critical to combating China's threats to American intelligence. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs roll, set attendance record in NCAA Tournament win | |
| Mississippi State soccer set a new attendance record for the third time this season, welcoming 3,461 fans to the MSU Soccer Field for the 7-0 win against Southern University in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The energy around the ground was palpable as fans filled in around the west end, the main stands and the hills next to them, including new bleachers in the east end next to the field house set up specially for the tournament. "To see the line of people waiting to get in tonight gave us goosebumps," head coach James Armstrong said in his post-game press conference. "When we heard how loud they were and how into the game they were, it was more than we could ever ask. But we will ask that they come back next Friday, that would be awesome as well." Saturday's record attendance was the sixth consecutive top-10 crowd in program history, emphasizing the magnitude of this moment in MSU soccer. Games against Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and now Southern from this season occupy the top four spots in program attendance history, and there is a decent chance that record expands as the Bulldogs are guaranteed to host three more tournament games if they can keep winning. A Friday date with Washington in the Round of 32 is now set for 6 p.m. Friday. |
| Football: Albert Reese IV Wins Kent Hull Trophy | |
| Mississippi State offensive tackle Albert Reese IV has been named the 2024 Kent Hull Trophy winner, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, in partnership with Entergy and the Kent Hull Foundation, announced on Monday. The Kent Hull Trophy is given annually to the state of Mississippi's top offensive lineman. Reese, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is a junior offensive tackle for the Bulldogs and an SEC Graduate with a degree in business administration. Reese has been a mainstay on State's offensive line this season, starting all 10 games at right tackle. He has helped create running lanes for State's backs, including Davon Booth who leads the team in rushing (615 yards) and all-purpose yards (1,002). Reese has also gained recognition for his community involvement, earning a spot on the Jason Witten "Man of the Year" watchlist for his efforts off the field. Reese becomes the seventh Mississippi State offensive lineman to win the award and the second straight to do so, following Cole Smith last season. The Kent Hull Trophy is named in honor of the late Kent Hull, a legendary center for both Mississippi State and the Buffalo Bills. Hull was a four-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection, leading the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1990 to 1993. |
| Mississippi State's Albert Reese named top offensive lineman in state | |
| On Monday, Mississippi State offensive tackle Albert Reese IV was named the winner of the 2024 Kent Hull Trophy. The award is given annually to the Magnolia State's best offensive lineman. A fourth-year junior, Reese has anchored the Bulldogs front in a struggle of a season under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby. But the Canadian's presence at right tackle has been a key contribution to Mississippi State's marked offensive improvement compared to last season. The Alberta, Canada product was also named to the Jason Witten Man of the Year award watchlist this year, given to a collegiate football player in recognition of community involvement. The veteran becomes the seventh Mississippi State offensive lineman to win the award and the second consecutive to do so after Cole Smith received the award in 2023. The recipient of the award is selected by a panel of NFL scouts who cover colleges in Mississippi. Reese will be given the Kent Hull Trophy at the C Spire Conerly Trophy ceremony on December 3. |
| Bulldogs, searching for first SEC win, take on Missouri in final home game | |
| Following a bye week, the Bulldogs (2-8, 0-6 SEC) are back in action Saturday against the Tigers (7-3, 3-3). Missouri won 11 games last year and came into the season with realistic expectations of reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff, but was blown out on the road by Texas A&M and Alabama and then lost a back-and-forth heartbreaker at South Carolina this past weekend. The Tigers are 6-0 at home but just 1-3 away from Faurot Field. Quarterback Brady Cook has battled an injury but played well when healthy, completing 63 percent of his passes with just two interceptions. Backup Drew Pyne, a former starter at Notre Dame, helped Missouri get past Oklahoma earlier this month. Nate Noel leads the Tigers in rushing, averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and Marcus Carroll is their short-yardage and goal-line back. Missouri has a strong duo at wide receiver in Theo Wease Jr. and Luther Burden III. "Both sides of the football, they've been dominant on third down," Lebby said. "Situationally, they've been really good. That'll be huge for us on Saturday. We have to be able to stay on the field on third down offensively, be able to pitch and catch, play with great anticipation at the quarterback position. And then defensively, we have to get them into some third-and-longs to be able to get off the field." |
| Men's Tennis: Bulldog Quartet Bound For NCAAs | |
| Mississippi State is sending a strong contingent to the Lone Star State to compete in the NCAA Men's Tennis Individual Championships this week. The Bulldogs' five total entries into the tournament are the most in the Southeastern Conference and the second-most in the country. It is also the highest entry number MSU has had in in the event since 1968. The top-ranked tandem in the country, Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez, are playing both singles and doubles at NCAAs as is freshman Niccolo Baroni. Baroni is one of only three true freshmen to qualify for the tournament and will team with fellow newcomer Mario Martinez Serrano. "The fall has been a success for our team developing in all areas including mentally, physically, trusting each other on a high level and individual confidence moving into the spring," said head coach Matt Roberts. "Having these Bulldogs compete in the NCAA singles and doubles tournament is icing on the cake for all of their hard work this fall and we are looking forward to working through some challenges and adversity this week." Singles play gets underway on Tuesday at the Herd Tennis Center on the campus of Baylor University. |
| Mississippi College shutting down DII football program, cites NIL | |
| There is no "next year" for the Choctaws. Mississippi College will have a new name in 2026 -- Mississippi Christian University, but more jarring changes will come sooner. In a sweeping release on Monday, Mississippi College announced this season would be its last on the football field. The news rippled across the internet quickly, with a wide range of reactions from shock to sadness. Young men committed to playing football for the Choctaws, along with an heavy of coaches and staff, are left to figure out what's next. Magnolia Tribune visited with Mississippi College President Blake Thompson in the wake of the decision. Thompson points to "Name, Image and Likeness," or NIL, as a catalyst for the decision. The school's administration and its board of trustees are in agreement: Mississippi College, under any name, will not pay its athletes. "We as an institution are just not going to get into that business of paying student-athletes. That's going to impact our ability to compete, but we also believe we have a set of values here that we're going to stick to. We've all chosen, our board included, to move forward," Thompson said. "It's a strategic decision of seeing where the landscape is headed, and us just not being comfortable going in that direction with those who choose to go in that direction." Dr. Dylan McLenore, associate professor of sports media at Oklahoma State University and a Mississippi College graduate, says the university won't be the last program to fall. "With the new uncertainty regarding the instability of athletic conferences, as well as how expanded Division I football rosters and NIL rights will impact the Division II landscape, and I'm afraid Mississippi College will not be alone in making this difficult decision," McLenore said. |
| Players, coach react to Mississippi College cutting football: 'Shocked would be an understatement' | |
| The Mississippi College football program has been discontinued effective immediately, the school announced Monday afternoon. The school said eliminating the football program "will allow the institution to further its commitment to excellence in intercollegiate Division II play across its 17 remaining sports and pursue needed facility upgrades" in its news release. Mississippi College is also renaming to "Mississippi Christian University." The Mississippi College football program was incepted in 1907. It went 2-8 this season and lost its final game 20-14 against Delta State. "Sitting here shocked would be an understatement of the news our team received today from our administration," coach Mike Kershaw said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. "It is horrible for these kids that because of poor decisions from people now 105 kids and coaching staff's lives are about to change. Players have taken to social media since the news broke to express their reactions to the program's elimination. Kicker Price Nixon called Mississippi College "cowardly leaders." "Mississippi College football has just been killed this morning by an inept school administration," Nixon wrote on X. "They failed not only the athletes but the legacy of players, coaches and a community that had stood behind this team for decades. The administration couldn't even show their faces." |
| ESPN testing AI avatar to provide analysis on 'SEC Nation' college football broadcast | |
| ESPN is working on a plan to add generative AI to its SEC football coverage. The network recently debuted an AI avatar dubbed FACTS, which is set to be tested with ESPN's college football show SEC Nation. ESPN debuted FACTS at its Edge conference in New York late last week. The network didn't commit to a timeline for when it'll fully integrate the AI avatar into its broadcasts -- in other words, we don't know FACTS will actually be on our TV screens. But the plan, ESPN noted, was to use it as a supplement the network's analysts. Basically, the idea is for the avatar to present some of the more complicated stats and analytics from ESPN. "FACTS is designed to test innovations out in the market and create an outlet for ESPN Analytics' data to be accessible to fans in an engaging and enjoyable segment," Baron Miller, coordinating producer, SEC Network/ESPN, said in a blog on ESPN's press site. "It complements our journalists and on-air talent, providing additional insights." The actual avatar for FACTS, in case you were wondering, is a somewhat nerdy looking cartoon guy with an athletic build. He has glasses, a tie with numbers on it, and a pencil behind his ear. So, at some point, you can expect that cartoon to tell you all about the detailed stats in SEC football. |
| 'It's an arms race': Florida weighs how to compete in new expensive era of college sports | |
| Florida universities are searching for ways to pump more money into sports ahead of a proposed landmark NCAA settlement that would open the door for schools to directly pay athletes -- and using state dollars could be on the table. Florida has long held a bright line against putting tax dollars into college athletics. But that could change soon, as schools here and across the country grapple with revolutionary changes coming to the NCAA. Universities are expecting moves like eliminating caps on student scholarships and giving athletes a cut of sports proceeds to raise costs by more than $20 million annually per school. Colleges as a result are considering a range of options to stay competitive, while also surviving financially -- decisions that could lead to eliminating or scaling back some sports, creating new fees or, for public schools like Florida's universities, asking state legislatures to kick in more cash. "It's an arms race, let's call it what it is," Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said during a meeting of top university officials in October. "This could be affected by having other states decide. You have Alabama, or you have Tennessee -- you have other places decide that they're going to pour some state funds into this, and then it puts our universities at a disadvantage." |
| Big 12 football on TNT? New deal will feature 13 football games on WBD channels after settlement | |
| The Big 12 on TNT. Get used to it. As part of a settlement struck between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery, the Big 12 will see 13 of its football games per year moved from ESPN's streaming platform to linear television on WBD channels TNT and TBS. ESPN is also sublicensing 15 Big 12 men's basketball games to be aired on either TNT or TBS. The sublicensing deal begins next academic year (fall 2025) and spans six seasons, running concurrent to the Big 12's new television contract with partners ESPN and FOX, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told Yahoo Sports. The Big 12 is a secondary part of a grander deal involving the NBA, WBD and ESPN. The agreement settles litigation brought by WBD over the NBA's decision to grant its future rights package to ESPN, Amazon and NBC. In what's described as a network "trade," TNT's hit show featuring Charles Barkley, "Inside the NBA," will air on ESPN starting next NBA season. WBD, meanwhile, receives the 28 Big 12 football and basketball games to fill windows previously occupied by NBA matchups. Perhaps overshadowed in the NBA's announcement, the Big 12 piece is a significant boon for the conference. The deal shifts football games scheduled to air on ESPN+ streaming to more visible linear channels, gives the league a fourth network partner and positions the conference well in its next television contract negotiations, Yormark said. |
| As Bluesky Booms, Sports Fans Don't Need to Migrate From X -- Yet | |
| Throughout all the change at X (including its rebranding from Twitter), sports fans have proven to be some of Elon Musk's most loyal customers. According to recent reports, views of sports-related content on the site are up 5% over the past 12 months, while most current U.S. users are NFL fans based on internal metrics. But there is now increasing evidence that they too are looking for a change. After Election Day brought X its biggest traffic spike of the year, more than 115,000 accounts were deactivated, by Similarweb's count. Individual users objected to Musk's role in President-Elect Donald Trump's campaign as well as the tech titan's closeness with the incoming administration. Others have cited complaints specific to X's actual service, from the type of content its algorithms promote to its use of public posts to train AI products. The Guardian and Stephen King are among the biggest name departers. One winner of the latest exodus (X-odus?) has been Bluesky, an independent social site initially funded by then-Twitter leadership in 2019. The app has been perched atop iOS' download charts over the last week as it more than doubled in size to roughly 20 million users, including sports names like ESPN analyst Mina Kimes, the NHL's Seattle Kraken and MLB's Cleveland Guardians, along with many of their followers, who all either created new accounts or became more active. |
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