| Monday, February 10, 2025 |
| 'A rallying point': How Starkville inspired a statewide school district reform effort | |
 | Oktibbeha County schools had faced years of poor academic performance before they were consolidated into the Starkville School District in 2015. A decade later, signs of success exist. Parents, students and staff almost 10 years after the districts merged pointed to enhanced resources for county students that moved into city facilities, improved academic ratings, opportunities for new friends and clubs and even an almost movie-like moment. It's gone so well that the efforts to expand school consolidation are growing. House Education Chairman Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, is looking to turn the finer points of that effort, which is considered by some to be Mississippi's most successful consolidation, into a statewide initiative to establish several county-wide school districts. Those who were involved in the Starkville consolidation aren't the only ones looking fondly back on the effort, which today has transformed an area once marred with poor academic outcomes into the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, an A-rated district. Many who spoke to the Clarion Ledger said what made Starkville's consolidation different was a combination of the city school district having better ratings than the county, Mississippi State University getting involved and local advocates who formed a commission to steer consolidation. |
| WMSV Appoints Becca Thorn As Station Manager | |
 | Mississippi State University AAA "91.1 The Junction" 91.1 WMSV Starkville MS has announced the appointment of Becca Thorn as Station Manager. Thorn previously served as News Director and Music Director at Appalachian State University's 90.5 WASU-FM Boone NC while attending the school from 2011-14. She had been working in corporate sales prior to joining the station. MSU's Director of the University Television Center David Garraway said, "Becca brings a wealth of experience to the station. She is well-prepared to carry on the incredible progress made at the station to provide students with experiential learning opportunities that are meaningful and practical." Thorn's appointment follows Neil Price taking on the role as play-by-play voice for Mississippi State University baseball on top of his roles for the university's football and men's basketball that he has held since 2017. |
| Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra hosts String Serenade | |
 | The Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra is a local treasure for music lovers. The musicians hosted their "String Serenade" this Super Bowl Sunday. Daniel Stevens, the Starkville-MSU Symphony Orchestra artistic director said many of the musicians couldn't imagine doing anything else. "So many of us were born just for being musicians our entire lives," Stevens said. "And so we couldn't think of anything different than to be able to perform on the stage and to be able to work together." The symphony orchestra is comprised of a mix of different artists from MSU and surrounding communities. For their "String Serenade" they rehearsed for about a day and a half ahead of the performance. Stevens said the musicians rely on community support to thrive. "It's so unique for Starkville to be able to have a symphony orchestra of this size and magnitude," Stevens said. "And it really takes the entire community embracing this type of organization to see it continue to thrive because the arts are our philanthropic type of discipline. And without those fans and without those supporters it just couldn't exist in such a magnificent way." |
| Lyceum Series kicks off 2025 with electrifying trio | |
 | Mississippi State's 77th Lyceum Series season continues with a rock/pop performance infused with powerful classical music. TAKE3 performs at 7 p.m. Thursday, in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. The show is free for MSU students, $25 for MSU employees and senior citizens, and $30 for general admission. Purchase tickets at events.msstate.edu. TAKE3 is led by violinist/vocalist Lindsay Deutsch, who served as Greek composer Yanni's featured violin soloist in shows across the globe. Deutsch, whose performance of Astor Piazzolla's "Four Seasons of Buenos Aries" with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra was selected for NPR's Symphony Cast Program, can be heard throughout Netflix's "The Witcher" and Hulu's "All About Pam." Her performances on these Sony soundtracks reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts and received millions of streams worldwide. The Lyceum Series is MSU's longest running performance arts series and is a key part of the university's continued commitment to the arts. For more information about the 2025 season and tickets, visit lyceum.msstate.edu or call (662) 325-2930. |
| Reaching for the stars: MSU aerospace student to play Mercury 13 pilot barred from space | |
| Jerrie Cobb steps into an isolation tank. For the next nine hours, she will be tested for her mental fitness to go into space -- in tests emulating those taken by the astronauts who took off as a part of the Mercury 7. Already an incredibly seasoned pilot, Cobb passed this test, and all others put in front of her, as they were administered in the early 1960s. Still, she and the other 12 women who passed the same physical examinations as the Mercury 7 astronauts never made it to space. Now, Cobb's legacy is being brought into the spotlight, as Starkville Community Theatre prepares to stage the play, "They Promised Her the Moon," at 7 p.m. Feb. 13-15 and Feb. 19-21 and at 2 p.m. Feb. 16, starring a woman walking in Cobb's footsteps. Caroline Court is a senior aerospace engineering major at Mississippi State University, who said Cobb's legacy opened the door for her to pursue her own dreams of one day going to space. Now, she is preparing to step on stage to tell a version of Cobb's story centered around those record-breaking nine hours Cobb spent in the isolation tank. "I read through the script and I just felt like (auditioning) was something I needed to do," Court said. "Not a lot of people get to portray someone that laid the foundation for what they want to do their whole life." |
| Ag Autonomy Institute Tackles Spray Drone Efficacy | |
| Technology can change the world in ways that are unimaginable until they happen. Switching on an electric light would have been pretty wild for our medieval ancestors. Similarly, it is hard for us to imagine the arrival of all those technologies that will fundamentally change the world we are used to. One of the newest for agriculture: sprayer drones. Madison Dixon, Associate Director of the Agricultural Autonomy Institute at Mississippi State University... "Our purpose is to perform research and development in all things at the intersection of agriculture and autonomous systems technologies. Top priority right now is evaluating the efficacy of applications from the splay drones as well as validating their operational metrics." He said that can include things like flight time and payload capacity. |
| Electrical training program hopes to open doors to jobs, education for men at The Mission | |
| For years, a lack of transportation kept the men at The Mission in West Point from accessing technical job training at East Mississippi Community College's Communiversity. Now a partnership with Mississippi State University is allowing the community college to take the training to them. A pilot program born from the partnership will provide free electrical training to men who are participating in the 12-month residential treatment program, so when they finish, they will be prepared to start a career or enroll in a career technical course with EMCC. "What we're really excited about is the fact that they'll have something that industry can come and look for that would help them find some good employment and move forward in their lives," Dickie Bryan, founder of The Mission, told The Dispatch on Friday. Starting Feb. 18, the eight men chosen to be the inaugural class of the pilot program will meet twice a week to learn the fundamentals of electrical work in a building at The Mission, which is located at the old Bryan Foods plant site. After finishing the first half of the program, which will focus on residential/commercial electrical, the men will switch over to more advanced training in industrial motor controls, EMCC Workforce Business and Outreach Training Manager Ray Hollis told The Dispatch. The training program is a part of the SmartTech Mississippi project, which aims to advance the regional manufacturing ecosystem. The project is providing the tools for the program, along with an electrical trainer, which is a learning system with AC/DC circuits, relays and motor controls. "SmartTech Mississippi is excited to be partnering with The Mission and EMCC in an electrical skills development program that could lead participants in one of several future workforce directions," MSU Vice President of Research and Development Julie Jordan said in the press release. |
| Why the price of your favorite chocolate will continue to rise | |
| Mississippi State University's Narcisa Pricope writes for The Conversation: Valentine's Day often conjures images of chocolates and romance. But the crop behind this indulgence faces an existential threat. Regions like northeastern Brazil, one of the world's notable cocoa-producing areas, are grappling with increasing aridity -- a slow, yet unrelenting drying of the land. Cocoa is made from the beans of the cacao tree, which thrives in humid climates. The crop is struggling in these drying regions, and so are the farmers who grow it. This is not just Brazil's story. Across West Africa, where 70% of the world's cacao is grown, and in the Americas and Southeast Asia, shifting moisture levels threaten the delicate balance required for production. These regions, home to vibrant ecosystems and global breadbaskets that feed the world, are on the frontlines of aridity's slow but relentless advance. Over the past 30 years, more than three-quarters of the Earth's landmass has become drier. A recent report I helped coordinate for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification found that drylands now cover 41% of global land, an area that expanded by nearly 1.7 million square miles (4.3 million square kilometers) over those three decades -- about half the size of Australia. This creeping dryness is not just a climate phenomenon. It's a long-term transformation that may be irreversible and that carries devastating consequences for ecosystems, agriculture and livelihoods worldwide. |
| Cowboys compete for fortune and glory at Rotary Classic Rodeo | |
| The Mississippi Horse Park was packed this weekend as a sea of people turned out to watch dozens of contestants ride livestock, rope cows and dive from their saddles to wrestle steers to the ground. The performance came courtesy of the Starkville Rotary Club's annual Rotary Classic Rodeo, a competition put on every year in support of community service and educational programs. This year's rodeo saw the horse park filled to near capacity, with the thumping music and chatter of the crowd before the show that was broken only by the occasional slam of hoof against metal as broncs tested the gates keeping them off the field. The constant guiding voice of the show was Alan Moorehead, a former radio broadcaster and horse facility manager who got roped into narrating a Palomino show 40 years ago. He's still on the road today announcing rodeos full-time, traveling from show to show with periodic stops at his home in Augusta, Georgia. "I'm on the road about 40, 42 weeks a year," he said. "November through December I'm on the road for 25 days. ... But to be a part of this, with the crowd here and the proceeds going back into the community? Being a part of this, with these people, excites me a lot." This year's Rotary Classic drew in world champion contestants and National Finalist Rodeo competitors, all as a fundraiser for Starkville Rotary Club. |
| Museum Miles 5K and Fun Run returns Feb. 22 | |
| The Friends of the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum are excited to announce the return of Museum Miles: Race Through History 5K and Fun Run! This fun and meaningful event serves as a fundraiser to support the museum's ongoing efforts to preserve local history and improve exhibits for the community to enjoy. All proceeds from the event will go toward maintaining the museum, upgrading its displays, and ensuring its continued educational role in the Starkville area. The event will take place at 9 a.m. Feb. 22, beginning at the heritage museum, located at 206 Fellowship Street. Participants will enjoy a scenic and historic 5K course that takes them through several iconic neighborhoods in Starkville, including the Needmore Community, Overstreet School District, Downtown Starkville and the charming Cotton District. For those looking for a shorter challenge or a fun family outing, there will also be a one-mile Fun Run that will begin shortly after the 5K. This event is designed to be inclusive for all ages and fitness levels, making it a perfect opportunity to engage with history in a fun, active way. "We are thrilled to bring the Museum Miles: Race Through History event back for a second year," Stephen Cunetto, president of the Friends of the Museum, said. |
| Mississippi Power tabbed to supply energy at $10 billion Compass Datacenters campus | |
| The $10 billion Compass Datacenters campus coming to Meridian will be powered by Mississippi Power Company. Mississippi's Public Service Commission approved a special contract between the two entities. The joint agreement between Compass and Mississippi Power is expected to boost the state's energy infrastructure while simultaneously spurring economic development. "The partnership aligns with the PSC's commitment to fostering innovation and investment in Mississippi's energy landscape," Central District Commissioner De'Keither Stamps said. "Today's approval is a testament to our dedication to attracting new businesses to Mississippi and ensuring that our energy providers can meet the needs of modern industries." The contract outlines specific terms that will allow Mississippi Power to provide reliable energy solutions tailored to the unique requirements of Compass while keeping the local power grid secure. "Their investment in Mississippi reflects confidence in the state's potential for growth in the technology sector," Stamps added. |
| Spring severe weather preparedness week underway in Mississippi | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves has declared the week of February 9-15 as Spring Severe Weather Preparedness Week in the Magnolia State. An array of severe weather systems is known to batter the state specifically in the spring months, with tornadoes playing a leading part. 22 tornadoes touched down in the spring of 2024, including 13 twisters, severe storms, and flooding battering six counties on April 8-11, killing two and causing widespread damage. The weather preparedness week aims to help Mississippians be ready when they find themselves in the path of severe weather. "it's important to be prepared for severe weather, particularly in the spring," Reeves said. "I encourage every Mississippian to review their severe weather preparedness plan or create one, if they haven't already. Having a plan in place before a disaster strikes can save lives." According to the National Weather Service (NWS), spring is often the most volatile weather season of all. A combination of strong low-pressure systems mixed with temperature fluctuations can quickly spin dangerous storms. "Severe weather can mean more than tornadoes," MEMA executive director Stephen McCraney. "Mississippi is prone to damaging wind, hail, flooding, and lightning associated with severe weather." |
| Farmers on the hook for millions after Trump freezes USDA funds | |
 | Farmers report missing millions of dollars of funding they were promised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, despite promises from the Trump administration that a federal funding freeze would not apply to projects directly benefiting individuals. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump ordered the USDA to freeze funds for several programs designated by President Joe Biden's signature clean-energy and health-care law, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The freeze paused some funding for the department's Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which helps farmers address natural resource concerns, and the Rural Energy for America Program, which provides financial assistance for farmers to improve their infrastructure. Farmers who signed contracts with the USDA under those programs paid up front to build fencing, plant new crops and install renewable energy systems with guarantees that the federal government would issue grants and loan guarantees to cover at least part of their costs. Now, with that money frozen, they're on the hook. The USDA has also halted funding for other programs, including scientific research grants in agriculture and producing climate-smart crops, according to a letter sent to the agency Thursday from House Democrats on the Agriculture and Appropriations committees. "Pulling the rug out from these recipients runs counter to the mission of the USDA and will quickly and significantly cripple economic development in rural America," the letter says. |
| Trump's USAID Shutdown Alarms Republican Allies | |
 | Some congressional Republicans who for years wanted to curb USAID's activities are now watching its sudden collapse with alarm, saying they worry about the fate of programs they see as playing a critical role in protecting U.S. national security and countering China. The 10,000-person agency was preparing to shrink to 600 staffers by midnight Saturday before a judge who was appointed by President Trump during his first term temporarily blocked the action until Feb. 14. The judge's action pauses until then the White House from placing staffers on paid leave and recalling nearly all of those posted abroad. In the hours before the ruling, U.S. Agency for International Development officials at American embassies were pleading with State Department leadership, which now runs USAID, to spare their programs. The USAID budget in fiscal year 2023, the last year with complete data, was approximately $40 billion, according to the State Department. That funding accounts for less than 1% of the overall $6.75 trillion federal budget. For years, Republicans had complained that the agency was going beyond core priorities such as ending poverty and spearheading economic development, straying into green energy and social programs driven by ideology. They warned Democrats that these programs undercut GOP support. These same lawmakers saw USAID as an important component of American soft power and worry that Trump has gone too far. "They were funding a lot of stupid stuff. That's a fact, but they're also doing a lot of good stuff, too," Rep. Don Bacon (R., Neb.) said. "So you don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water. Instead of taking a sledgehammer, let's get the scalpel out." |
| What Kind Of University Research Does USAID Fund? Here Are 3 Examples | |
| As the Trump administration slashes the U.S. Agency for International Development with the assistance of tech billionaire Elon Musk, new questions and concerns are being raised about the impact the gutting of the agency will have on USAID's research grants, many of which are -- or were -- funding studies being conducted at U.S. universities. While some opponents of USAID have made false or misleading claims about its expenditures and recipients, advocates for the agency point to its long history of providing humanitarian aid. Millions of dollars in USAID funding have gone toward grants and contracts supporting research at U.S. universities. The status of that work is now uncertain, but it appears that almost all of the agency's funding has been frozen at least for now. A major funding initiative, involving dozens of colleges and universities, is USAID's Feed The Future project (its website has also been taken down). According to a recent fact sheet from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, as of 2021, 21 Feed the Future Innovation Labs had been established at 13 universities that were investigating a variety of agricultural and food issues. Examples of other Feed the Future labs can be found at the University of Florida for improving livestock practices, Mississippi State University for developing more nutrient-rich fish, the University of Nebraska for promoting water and food security, the University of Illinois for enhancing soybean production, and Purdue University for improving food safety. |
| Closure of Illinois-led soybean lab due to USAID funding cut deals blow to global research efforts | |
| Dozens of people will be out of a job as a soybean research team based in the Midwest is forced to shutter. The Soybean Innovation Lab is set to close Apr. 15, according to a social media post from the lab's director and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor Peter Goldsmith. According to the lab's website, its goal is to give researchers, non-governmental organizations and the private sector information and technology needed to advance soybean development in Africa. The lab has more than 100 soybean experts from 24 countries. Goldsmith said the closure was due to all funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) being ceased. "Today I had to let go of a staff of 30. These individuals are not only unique experts in the field of tropical soybean, but also close colleagues and friends who are now unexpectedly out of work," he said. Several U.S. universities contribute to the lab, including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Iowa State University, Mississippi State University and University of Missouri. "U.S. soybean farmers lose one of their best tools to expand their markets and U.S. standards globally. Local economies in emerging markets lose soybean as an incomparable engine growing wealth, prosperity and economic development, " Goldsmith said. |
| GOP senators terrified of crossing Trump, facing Musk-funded challengers | |
 | GOP senators are terrified over the prospect of facing primary challengers funded by Elon Musk if they stick their necks out by opposing President Trump's agenda. The White House has signaled that Republicans who thwart Trump's agenda by voting against his controversial nominees or opposing efforts by Musk to freeze government funding and slash federal agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, will pay a political price. And that's a threat that carries a lot more weight when Musk, the world's richest man, could easily pour tens of millions of dollars into a Senate Republican primary. "That's one of the reasons why you see people who are close to an election, [Sens.] Bill Cassidy [R-La.], Thom Tillis [R-N.C.], voting for certain nominees," said one Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss the recent votes of GOP colleagues. "The White House hasn't been too subtle about that. I think they've been fairly threatening," the lawmaker added, noting that Cassidy already faces a primary challenge from Louisiana state Treasurer John Flemming. Since the inauguration, GOP senators have dutifully voted to confirm Trump's most controversial Cabinet nominees, such as Pete Hegseth, who now leads the Pentagon, and Russell Vought, who will take over the White House budget office. |
| Johnson: Budget blueprint not ready for prime time | |
 | Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that tentative plans for a House Budget Committee markup this week may now be postponed as Republican lawmakers continue to struggle to reach an agreement on the framework for a massive reconciliation package containing much of President Donald Trump's legislative agenda. House leaders had been hoping to work through the weekend to reach agreement on a budget resolution that would allow for a markup as early as Tuesday. But Johnson said on "Fox News Sunday" that more time is needed. "We were going to do a Budget Committee markup next week," the Louisiana Republican said Sunday morning at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, where he was preparing to watch the Super Bowl with President Donald Trump. "We might push it a little bit further because the details really matter. Remember that I have the smallest margin in history, about a two-vote margin currently, so I've got to make sure everyone agrees before we bring the project forward, that final product. And we've got a few more boxes to check, but we're getting very, very close." The markup delay marked the latest setback in House leadership efforts to unite their GOP conference around a package that would boost border security, increase military spending and extend expiring tax cuts, while offering new tax breaks sought by Trump. The package could also include an increase in the debt limit. |
| Trump administration seeks urgent end of 'impermissible' court order blocking access to Treasury systems | |
 | The Trump administration is making an urgent push to end a court order barring top officials' access to the federal government's massive payment system operated by the Treasury Department, saying the "remarkable intrusion" is unconstitutional and should be "dissolved immediately." "Basic democratic accountability requires that every executive agency's work be supervised by politically accountable leadership, who ultimately answer to the president," Justice Department attorneys wrote in the 11-page filing, calling the order "impermissible" and "anti-constitutional." The attorneys are asking Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas to quickly end or modify the order to ensure Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his top leadership can be briefed on the payment system and perform their legally required roles. A different federal judge, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, issued the order early Saturday, barring system access to all but career employees who had taken proper trainings. That order came in response to states that sued over the access that Elon Musk allies embedded within Treasury had been given, arguing that the team from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency appeared to be putting the enormous database at risk of hacking or manipulation. Justice Department lawyers say they are negotiating with the states to come up with a quick agreement to narrow Engelmayer's order. |
| Trump escalates trade war with 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum | |
 | President Donald Trump said he will introduce 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports on Monday in an ongoing escalation of a trade war with trading partners, including the U.S.'s closest neighbors. Trump made the announcement while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on his way to Super Bowl 2025 in New Orleans on Sunday. He also said he would soon announce reciprocal tariffs this week. The tariffs would be proportional to the tariffs individual countries place on imported American goods. "Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them," he said.In 2024, 23% of all steel used in the U.S. was imported, with Canada, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and Vietnam as the largest suppliers, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.Earlier this month, Trump paused 25% tariffs he'd planned to impose on Canada and Mexico for 30 days after the countries' leaders promised to step up their efforts to improve border security. Within hours of Trump's Saturday order, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hit back with tit-for-tat retaliatory 25% tariffs on American goods. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was considering "tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico's interests." Trump, who has called himself "Tariff Man," said the move was to force the countries to stem the flow of migrants and fentanyl across the borders and into the U.S. |
| Supreme Court that Trump helped shape could have the last word on his aggressive executive orders | |
 | President Donald Trump will need the Supreme Court, with three justices he appointed, to enable the most aggressive of the many actions he has taken in just the first few weeks of his second White House term. But even a conservative majority with a robust view of presidential power might balk at some of what the president wants to do. The court gave Trump major victories last year that helped clear away potential obstacles to his reelection, postponing his criminal trial in Washington, D.C., then affording immunity from prosecution for official actions. But Trump's first term was marked by significant defeats -- as well as some wins -- at the court. "It will be an extraordinary test for the Roberts Court whether it's willing to stand up for constitutional principles it has long embraced," said Michael Waldman, the president of New York University's Brennan Center and the author of a book that is critical of the court. "Some of the things we have seen are so blatantly unconstitutional that I am confident the court will stand up. Other things that align with the accumulation of the power of the presidency make me very nervous." There's no shortage of issues that could find a path to the nation's highest court. Lower courts already have paused orders on birthright citizenship, a freeze on government grants and loans, and a buyout order for federal workers. |
| The Musk Deputy Running DOGE's Huge Cost-Cutting Drive | |
| When Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, one of his top lieutenants was so focused on cutting costs that a former employee recalls him asking how much the company paid for janitorial services in an Atlanta data center. It was a typical inquiry from Steve Davis, a leader of Musk's Boring Co., who at Twitter reduced expenditures, squeezed vendors and raced to remove top brass and keep rank-and-file workers off-balance, former employees said. The move-fast-and-break-things approach sparked confusion and chaos, a former employee recalled. The pursuit of efficiencies that rocked Twitter is providing a playbook for the federal government, where Davis is coordinating Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Anxiety has permeated agencies across Washington, as Musk executes President Trump's campaign pledge to slash government spending. Davis's prominence at DOGE surprised few who have dealt with Musk. When the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive acquired Twitter, employees were struck by Davis's deep involvement across the company. He influenced product, purchasing and talent. And he was relentlessly attentive to marshaling data to cut costs. Davis, a devotee of Ayn Rand and an aerospace engineer who earned degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford, was an early hire at SpaceX and has worked for Musk for more than two decades. |
| The Recruitment Effort That Helped Build Elon Musk's DOGE Army | |
 | The establishment of Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) relied on a recruitment campaign carried out, in part, by young software engineers fanning out across online chat groups and Discord servers, according to three sources and chat logs reviewed by WIRED. Some of the engineers are associated with data analytics firm Palantir or its cofounder and board of directors chair -- and Musk ally -- Peter Thiel. As DOGE staffers -- many of them young and with little or no government experience -- continue to gain access to sensitive data across about a dozen government agencies, this is the first look at some of the networks from which the agency has recruited, and who they relied on to enlist talent. In online chat groups linked to Palantir alumni and SpaceX interns, Musk's space company, as well as in a Discord server associated with a military artificial intelligence program, the engineers said they were looking for people willing to spend six months in Washington, DC, cutting federal spending -- which accounts for around a quarter of the US gross domestic product -- by a third. Anthony Jancso, one of three engineers associated with the recruitment effort, is a former Palantir employee. According to sources, Jancso said he was recruited to DOGE by Steve Davis, the Boring Company president and Musk lieutenant whom Bloomberg reported in December was leading recruitment for DOGE. Since its establishment by executive order on the first day of Donald Trump's presidency, DOGE has taken over key agencies at the center of the federal government. |
| MUW, MSU asked for proposals to house MSMS | |
| The future of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science is once again up in the air. The State Board of Education Friday asked Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi State University to submit proposals to house and operate the residential high school. "Based on the proposals received, the SBE will develop a recommendation to the legislature about the future of MSMS," Shanderia Minor, public information officer for Mississippi Department of Education, wrote in an email to The Dispatch. Proposals are due by Feb. 25. Any changes the legislature prescribes as a result of the board's recommendation would go into effect in the 2026-2027 school year. MUW President Nora Miller said the university received the request and is fully committed to continuing to highlight the "successful partnership" shared with MSMS. Vice President for Strategic Communications and Director of Public Affairs Sid Salter confirmed MSU also received MDE's request Friday. "We are evaluating that request and packaging our response to that request at this time," Salter told The Dispatch. "The university has not had it long enough to make any sort of response (about what the proposal will entail). We're in the very early stages of evaluating it and determining what our response would be." |
| Auburn University renovating Neville Arena, refurbishing AU Bookstore and more | |
 | The Auburn University Board of Trustees approved several projects that will have an impact on students and athletics in the years to come. The entire agenda of Friday's meeting, which was held at the Auburn University at Montgomery campus, was approved by the AUBOT, including renovations to Neville Arena, the Auburn University Bookstore and selecting the architect for the north endzone multi-use facility at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Auburn University Bookstore in the Haley Center will be getting a major makeover soon. During the AUBOT meeting, the board voted to give project approval to refurbishing the store. The proposed renovations included in the $2.2 million project are a new floor, wall and ceiling finishes, new lighting throughout, new cash-wrap and associated point-of-sale infrastructure, a new retail fixturing package and newly configured space for the existing technology area, according to the project summary in the AUBOT's executive summary. The project will be financed by Auburn University Campus Store Reserves. It is another chapter in the history of the Haley Center, which was built in 1969, according to the AU Facilities Management website. The building is primarily a classroom facility while also being home to the College of Education, the AU Bookstore, administrative offices and one dining option, Einstein Bros. Bagels. |
| Are Ken Levy's comments in an LSU law class protected speech? 'It's a gray area' | |
 | LSU's decision to suspend professor Ken Levy, who used vulgar language to criticize Gov. Jeff Landry and President Donald Trump during a lecture, has roiled the law school and launched a high-profile legal battle. At the heart of the controversy is a debate: Were Levy's comments part of his right to free speech and academic freedom, the kind of intellectual discussion that tenure is meant to protect? Or were they demeaning and threatening to students, the kind of speech that the university can discipline in the name of maintaining a professional and safe learning environment? "The big question here is whether the comments made in class is actually protected speech or whether it's subject to discipline," said Robert Noel, a political science professor who teaches constitutional law at the University of Louisiana-Monroe and runs a criminal defense practice. Levy, a tenured LSU law professor, contends his statements were the former. Some say the line is not always clear. "It's a gray area," said Olivier Moréteau, an LSU law professor and member of the LSU chapter of American Association of University Professors, which advocates for academic freedom in higher education. |
| U. of Tennessee wants 'world-class' growth, but not so fast students can't keep up | |
 | As the University of Tennessee at Knoxville grows at record-breaking rates, Chancellor Donde Plowman is preparing for the looming "enrollment cliff" -- not with dread, but with intense focus -- relying on data that shows in-state high school graduates will increase over time while she is "building a world-class university here in Tennessee." Plowman first shared updates on applications and enrollment during her Advisory Board meeting Feb. 7, revealing more record-smashing numbers for what she calls a "university on the rise." She shared an updated enrollment total of 36,954 students for the spring 2025 semester, which broke last year's spring record by 2,175 students. The persistence rate for first-year students staying enrolled from the fall to spring semesters is 97.6%, Plowman said, "up enormously" compared to previous years. For the upcoming fall 2025 semester, UT has received 62,206 applications, close to a 6% percent increase compared to last year. The rise in applications comes at a time when UT's athletics programs are reaching new heights -- like the baseball team winning its first College World Series -- and as UT programs continue to receive high national rankings. |
| Vanderbilt unveils $520M Palm Beach campus designs in bold expansion, innovation plans | |
 | Vanderbilt University, one of Nashville's oldest institutions, plans to expand beyond Tennessee in the coming years with two new multi-million-dollar locations in West Palm Beach, Fla., and New York City. The university released its first renderings of the $520 million Florida campus on Monday, combining coastal-inspired design with traditional Vanderbilt architecture and incorporating solar-powered elements. "We are delighted to share these renderings and our vision for a West Palm Beach campus," Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said in a statement. "The images show that we are planning a unique learning and research environment that nurtures collaboration and innovation and is sustainable in all senses." While the New York campus is in earlier planning stages, Diermeier's vision for the Florida campus is clear. It will be home to Vanderbilt graduate programs for business and technology, emphasizing data science and artificial intelligence. The school will also build a "state-of-the-art innovation center that fosters collaboration among startups, investors, established businesses and academia." "The second thing that is important about Florida, of course, is this gateway to Latin America," Diermeier said. "There is a community there that we're very interested in. Enhancing our global presence and our global reputation is important for us." |
| U. of Missouri Faculty Council backs voluntary undergraduate syllabus bank | |
 | The University of Missouri Faculty Council unanimously voted last week to extend its support to the Missouri Student Association in the approval of a database of course syllabuses for undergraduate programs. The voluntary program will allow professors to post their syllabuses online for students to view ahead of course registration. The idea for the database was first introduced last year by MSA President Clay Van Eaton to the Academic Affairs Committee. The initial proposal would have made it mandatory for all undergraduate professors to submit syllabus information for their courses. "These are the students paying the student fees, so I think they should see the benefits of them, now," Van Eaton said. "I want to leave the university better than I found it, and this is just one of the ways we're doing it." Jim Spain, vice provost of undergraduate studies, is working with MSA and the Faculty Council to find a company to supply the syllabus bank service. "Faculty and students collaborated to work through the process and to achieve an outcome that we think will benefit students, and one that I think faculty will also benefit from," Spain said. |
| A campus sign said, 'Tell us something good.' Students delivered. | |
| Kate Hackett, a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was walking with a friend on campus when they saw a microphone next to a sign: "Tell us something good that happened to you today." "I had not had that great of a day," Hackett, 18, said, explaining she hadn't done much with her day other than homework. But her friend urged her to go to the mic. Hackett hesitated. "I took a minute to come up with something," she said. Then Hackett had an idea to reframe her day: "I woke up, and I had a really productive morning," she said into the microphone. Her friend said it was a nice day outside, and she was happy to hang out with Hackett. Hackett said focusing on something positive brightened her entire day, and even more so when she found out she was one of 17 people featured in a video compilation that has been viewed more than 3.4 million times. "I wanted to create something that reminds people that happiness doesn't need to be this big life-changing thing; sometimes, it's just about recognizing the little moments," said Andrew Lam, a social media content producer at the university who made the video, which was posted on Feb 4. "The takeaway from this video is not the number of likes or views, but really how relatable and authentic it is," said Riley Phillips, director of social media at the university. "Joy can start somewhere small and grow from there." |
| Trump threatened college research, culture and funding. Confusion reigns. | |
| Days into President Donald Trump's second term, colleges and universities are confronting sweeping, fast-moving challenges that touch on almost every aspect of their operations. The administration has threatened their funding, federal agencies are launching investigations, lawmakers may increase the endowment tax, and executive orders aimed at wiping out diversity, equity and inclusion efforts nationwide could transform the culture at some universities. And on Friday, the Trump administration spread alarm among universities with an announcement that the National Institutes of Health is cutting billions of dollars in "indirect" costs for biomedical research funding. "This action will slow advances for millions of patients who desperately need critical breakthroughs and imperil the U.S.'s position as the world leader in biomedical innovation," said Mark Becker, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Trump is calling for changes that reach every type of school and could affect almost every function of college life from financial aid and academic services for students to research funding that has long driven innovation. Some school leaders worry their foreign students could be deported, or that they will have trouble getting visas. Many university leaders see the broadsides as critically damaging attacks on a higher education system that bolsters national security, drives discoveries that power the economy and has long been the envy of the world. But some lawmakers and conservatives say this is a welcome course correction for bloated, intolerant institutions. |
| Trump fires boards of U.S. military service academies | |
| President Donald Trump on Monday said he had ordered the firings of the boards of visitors for all of the U.S. military's service academies, the outside advisory panels that help oversee academic programs and student life, saying that the government's training grounds for military officers had been invaded by so-called "woke" ideology. "Our Service Academies have been infiltrated by Woke Leftist Ideologues over the last four years," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I have ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard." The president did not immediately announce the appointment of new members to the boards. Trump campaigned on a promise to purge the U.S. military of officers he deemed "woke" and has used the start of his second term to try and rid the Pentagon of diversity initiatives by executive order. The purge has begun to extend to the nation's service academies, where Republican lawmakers have long complained that so-called "woke" literature is seeping into the curriculum. The boards of visitors are typically split between presidential appointees and members appointed by Congress, usually lawmakers themselves. The Biden administration also removed top former Trump officials from the service academy boards in 2021. |
| Musk team's access to student loan systems raises alarm over borrowers' personal information | |
| Democrats are pushing back against Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency as it turns its attention to the Education Department, with lawmakers raising concerns about DOGE's access to internal systems containing personal information on tens of millions of Americans. In a letter to the acting education secretary, a group of Democrats is seeking to intervene as DOGE gains increasing access to student loan databases and other systems. Democrats fear it could lay the groundwork for a takeover akin to Musk's attempt to close the U.S. Agency for International Development. Democrats including California Rep. Mark Takano were turned away by security when they tried to enter the department's Washington headquarters on Friday after demanding a meeting with leaders. "President Donald Trump has promised to abolish the Department of Education," Takano said in a news conference outside the headquarters. "He believes that he can do this through executive order, and we're here to remind him that he cannot." Musk's DOGE team already has gained access to a database housing personal information on millions of students and parents with federal student loans, according to two people with knowledge of the issue. One of them, a department employee, said a DOGE representative requested the access more than a week ago. Employees described a DOGE team of several young men that has been working out of the undersecretary's office on the seventh floor. |
| Is DOGE Digging Around in Student Data? | |
 | Just last month, Lorena Tule-Romain was encouraging families with mixed citizenship statuses to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. She and her staff at ImmSchools, a nonprofit dedicated to improving educational access for immigrants in Dallas, walked students and parents through the complicated federal aid application process. Along the way, they offered reassurance that information revealing their undocumented status would be securely held by the Department of Education alone. Two weeks ago, ImmSchools stopped offering those services. And Tule-Romain said they're no longer recommending families fill out the FAFSA. That's because the Department of Government Efficiency, a White House office run by Elon Musk, now has access to Education Department data systems, potentially including sensitive student loan and financial aid information for millions of students, according to sources both outside and within the department who spoke with Inside Higher Ed. With immigration officers conducting a blitz of deportations over the past few weeks -- and the new possibility of ICE raids at public schools and college campuses -- Tule-Romain is worried that applying for federal aid could put undocumented families in jeopardy. Instead of answering parents' questions about the FAFSA contributor form, she's hosting Know Your Rights workshops to prepare them for ICE raids. |
| House Republicans consider taxes on scholarships and changes to student loan programs | |
| As Republicans in Congress look for ways to slash spending, some legislators are floating new taxes on college scholarships, an end to student loan repayment plans and a big hike in taxes on university endowments. The ideas affecting higher education are among many in circulation among House committees that are exploring ways to cover the cost of extending and expanding tax cuts passed in President Donald Trump's first term. The recommendations are still evolving, and it's unclear how close any of them will get to being implemented. Regardless, advocates across higher education say they are alarmed to see such proposals gain traction at all with Republicans. "It's shocking to me because this amount of cuts is not happening in reaction to like a budget crisis, like a recession. This really feels different in the sense that it is not something that there is an external push or a need for. So, it feels more ideological in a way," said Jessica Thompson, a higher education policy expert with The Institute for College Access and Success. Here is a look at possible federal budget cuts that would affect higher education under the Trump administration. |
| Research Universities Are Poised to Lose Billions Under Trump's Sudden Cut | |
 | The Trump administration's drastic change in grantmaking policy on Friday will result in billions of dollars of cuts to the U.S. research enterprise and has already triggered a widespread outcry across higher education. The National Institutes of Health will now cap indirect funding, which it provides to universities, hospitals, and medical centers to cover the costs of facilities, equipment, and staff, at 15 percent of the value of the grants it issues. The move is expected to wreak instant havoc on universities' budgets: Currently, the average indirect-cost rate of the NIH's institutional grants is 27 to 28 percent, and some universities receive allowances of more than 50 percent. The NIH, meanwhile, asserted in a post on X that the cap will save more than $4 billion annually when it goes into effect on Monday. The move marks a "generational restructuring of the U.S. research and development ecosystem," Alondra Nelson, former head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, wrote on Bluesky. A statement from the Council on Governmental Relations called the cap "a surefire way to cripple lifesaving research and innovation." University leaders are scrambling to gauge the magnitude of the cuts to their research -- and, according to several sources The Chronicle spoke to over the weekend, to mount legal challenges. A group of institutions and organizations is expected to seek an injunction early this week. |
| NIH funding limits would cause $100 million loss on some campuses | |
| Top universities and medical centers stand to lose $100 million a year or more if a sweeping change to how the National Institutes of Health reimburses research costs takes effect on Monday. The big losers would include prestigious institutions in conservative states. The NIH, the nation's top funder of biomedical research, announced on Friday that it would substantially limit payments for indirect costs, administrative and facility expenses connected to research, starting almost immediately. To assess the potential impact of these changes, STAT examined publicly available financial records, agreements negotiated between research centers and the federal government, and internal emails. These documents show that, in some cases, the policy change could plunge operating budgets into deficits, leaving academic leaders scrambling to figure out how to manage the loss. "If this goes into action on Monday, it actually, literally has the ability of stopping and grinding research to a halt -- soon," said Robert Winn, the director of the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. "How does an institution now climb out of a multimillion-dollar hole? Tens of millions. How does that just happen, overnight?" The policy change centers around the indirect cost payments that federal grantees receive from the government. These costs are also called facilities and administration costs, or F&A costs, because they cover the general upkeep of running a research institution including electricity and other utilities, janitorial services, rent, and certain administrative costs. |
| 'Shortsighted' and 'Dangerous': Colleges Warn of Budget Cuts After NIH Slashes Medical Research Funding | |
| The National Institutes of Health's plan to cut funding for colleges' "indirect costs" of conducting medical research, which includes hazardous waste disposal, utilities and patient safety, could cost institutions billions. The policy change, effective Monday and announced late Friday, set off alarm bells throughout higher education over the weekend. If it moves forward unchallenged, colleges will have to cut their budgets, raise costs for students or reduce research activities to make up the difference. Advocates and researchers also warned that the cuts would undermine key research life-saving medical advancements. "While this retrenchment may seem like a good deal for taxpayers, the truth is that without a federal partner to share some of the costs of innovation, ground-breaking research, and life-changing medical advances, these costs will fall directly and indirectly on current students or bring this vital work to a halt," Kara Freeman, president of National Association of College and University Business Officers, said in a statement. "It is difficult to overstate what a catastrophe this will be for the US research and education systems, [particularly] in biomedical fields," Carl Bergstrom, a biology professor at the University of Washington, posted on BlueSky. "The goal is [to] destroy US universities." |
| Few expected Trump's sudden onslaught of disruption | |
 | Columnist Bill Crawford writes: "Double, double toil and trouble." Not sure why the sudden troubling and unconstrained disruption engendered by President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Russ Vought, and team remind me of that line from Macbeth, but it does. No doubt the following goaded my subconscious: Federal payments for grants and contracts frozen then quickly unfrozen; a trade war with Columbia announced then rescinded; 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada announced then paused; USPS parcel deliveries from China and Hong Kong suspended then reinstated -- all causing panic followed by fearful, temporary relief. Most federal workers told they should consider a buyout or face layoffs; FBI agents told they may face terminations or reassignments based on their officially assigned involvement in January 6 riot prosecutions; freezing all foreign assistance for 90 days and dissolving USAID; Elon Musk teams accessing and locking federal officials out of sensitive computer systems -- all causing more anxiety and fear. ... Many, especially his ardent supporters, expected Trump to be disruptive during his second term. But few expected this sudden, startling onslaught of disruption. And none predicted the firestorm a seemingly all-powerful Elon Musk would spark as the "temporary government employee" in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). We can only pray all this disruption does not descend into chaos. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State athletics operated at a planned deficit in 2024 fiscal year. Here's why | |
| Mississippi State athletics operated at a near $7 million deficit for the 2024 fiscal year. The school said it was planned. MSU brought in $127,241,981 of revenue, smashing the previous year's record by about $12 million. It also spent a school record $134,233,239 in expenses, $13 million more than the record amount set in 2023. It resulted in an exact deficit of $6,991,258, according to documents obtained by the Clarion Ledger. A second document distributed by MSU states 2024 was in the second of a three-year planned deficit. Mississippi State acquired a $23 million COVID-19 loan from the SEC in 2021, before athletics director Zac Selmon was hired. Repayment is covered by MSU's reserves. Mississippi State set school revenue records for ticket sales, contributions and royalties. Revenue from ticket sales increased by almost $2 million with football, men's basketball and women's basketball all making gains. "Other sports," which includes baseball and softball, had ticket revenue decline by just over $300,000. Contributions rose by over $9.5 million. Royalties revenue, which includes licensing, advertising and sponsorships, ticked up by $95,890 to $7,761,716. |
| Darius Slay becomes 25th former Bulldog to earn Super Bowl win | |
| For the first time in his successful NFL career, Darius Slay is a Super Bowl Champion. The former Mississippi State cornerback helped lead his Philadelphia Eagles to a dominate win on Sunday night. The Eagles came out and punched the Kansas City Chiefs in the mouth in New Orleans, running away with a dominant 40-22 win. The victory ended the Chiefs' chances at a historic three-peat. Both Jones and Slay represented the Bulldogs well on the big stage as they each were named captains for the game and took part in the ceremonial coin toss pregame. Slay got the best of former State player Chris Jones as the All-Pro defensive tackle lost for the second time in his five trips. Slay finished the game with a couple of tackles for a defense that dominated one of the game's best quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes. Jones was held in check on the defensive front as he failed to make a tackle in the game. The victory for the Eagles was the second Super Bowl win in the franchise's history. Philadelphia was in the Super Bowl for the fifth time in their existence with losses in 1980, 2004 and 2022. This year's title it shares a trophy case with 2017. It's another notch in the belt of Slay during his fantastic career. Slay and his Eagles just missed a title two seasons ago against the Chiefs but got their revenge on Sunday. It capped a productive season for Slay yet again as he finished with 51 tackles on the year, 13 pass deflections, a forced fumble, recovered fumble and an interception. |
| Men's Basketball: No. 22 Mississippi State hangs on by a thread for win at Georgia | |
| Against a Georgia team that loves to drive the basketball and use its size to score in the paint, Mississippi State turned the tables Saturday night at Stegeman Coliseum. Coming off its midweek bye, MSU came out looking energetic and had an answer for every Georgia run in the second half. Despite missing 12 of its 18 free throw attempts, State survived in the end and handed Georgia just its second home loss of the year, 76-75. "We survived a lot. We survived 6-of-18 from the free throw line," MSU head coach Chris Jans said. "We threw the ball away when all we needed to do was make a couple free throws and take it to the house. But I'm just proud of them. It's been a long week." Center Michael Nwoko was in a rhythm early on, scoring MSU's first nine points and making all four of his field goal attempts in the first four minutes of the game. MSU (17-6, 5-5 Southeastern Conference) has been looking for offense from players other than Josh Hubbard and KeShawn Murphy, and Nwoko provided that while the rest of the team was still settling in. MSU is back at Humphrey Coliseum on Tuesday night to face Florida, which knocked off No. 1 Auburn on the road Saturday. |
| Is Florida a No. 1 seed? Gators make their case with road win over No. 1 Auburn | |
 | There's a new "best win" in men's college basketball this season, and it belongs to the Florida Gators. Which means there's a fourth SEC team to take seriously as an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed. The only team to beat No. 1 Auburn previously was the other elite team in the sport, No. 2 Duke, at home on Dec. 4. But the No. 6 Gators did it Saturday, and on the Tigers' home floor, and quite convincingly. Walter Clayton Jr. (ankle) returned from a one-game absence to score 19 points, hitting four of the Gators' 13 triples in a 90-81 eye-opener. Five players scored in double figures for Florida, which pulled it off despite missing starting guard Alijah Martin (hip). This one was more about the Gators (20-3, 7-3) than Auburn (21-2, 9-1), which had a sloppy day on defense and missed 15 layups. National player of the year candidate Johni Broome had at least three of those and still finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Miles Kelly scored 22. Consider Florida's push for No. 1 seed propelled. The Auburn triumph in the only meeting between the teams joins a 30-point win over Tennessee to give the Gators two massive wins over teams currently projected as No. 1 seeds in The Athletic's Bracket Watch. Both were ranked No. 1 in the polls at the time as well -- and Saturday was Florida's first road win over a top-ranked team in eight tries, per ESPN. Alabama and Duke are the other two current No. 1 seeds, and Duke is a virtual lock to stay there based on its strength relative to the rest of the ACC. The Gators, who split with Tennessee, losing by 20 on the road a week ago, are really in the race now. Auburn continues to lead it. |
| College basketball weekend roundup: All No. 1 seeds from the SEC? It's possible | |
| Unless you're in the Southeast, you're probably getting tired of how deep SEC basketball is. If that annoys you, wait until you hear this: four SEC No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Is that even possible? It's never happened since seeding began in 1979. The most is three, done by the ACC's Virginia, Duke and North Carolina in 2019. But all of the top seeds hailing from the same conference? It's not as ridiculous as it sounds. In the latest USA TODAY Sports Bracketology, Auburn, Alabama and Florida were the slated as No. 1 seeds. Given how elite Auburn has been, they are comfortable in holding a top seed. Alabama escaped Arkansas and Florida got arguably the best win of the season, handling Auburn in the raucous Neville Arena to end the Tigers' 14-game win streak. But there are fellow conference teams lurking right behind for a No. 1 spot. Tennessee, which looked like it was starting to spiral, has won three straight, including a complete dominance over Florida when it was missing two starters. Then there's Texas A&M, winners of four of its last five and coming off a tough road victory over Missouri. The resumes for all of the five aforementioned SEC teams are No. 1 seed worthy. Auburn is No. 1 in the NET rankings, with Tennessee at No. 4, Florida at No. 5, Alabama at No. 6 and Texas A&M at No. 13. All of the possible contenders have at least five Quad 1 victories with plenty of chances to add more. |
| Softball: Raelin Chaffin Chaffin Shuts Out No. 19 Nebraska For Third Ranked Win On Opening Weekend | |
| Raelin Chaffin made her presence known at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, and she capped three-day performance with a complete-game shutout of No. 19 Nebraska as No. 24 Mississippi State claimed a 3-0 victory Sunday. Chaffin went 4-0 in the tournament without allowing an earned run in 22.2 innings pitched. She tossed two complete games against the Cornhuskers (3-2) and No. 13 Texas Tech. The Bossier City, Louisiana, native struck out 20 batters while walking just five. "Raelin had just a phenomenal weekend for us," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "You know, she transferred in and wanted the opportunity to pitch in her last season, and I think that's exactly what she got. She's not afraid. She's a competitor. She's ready to go toe-to-toe with anyone. She's done such a great job, even in her fourth season, of continuing to add to what she could throw, to add to her pitches and mixing speeds. She's just not afraid of any count or throwing her off-speeds or change-ups. She was still throwing with velocity in her fourth outing of the weekend in the seventh inning. I'm just so proud of her and how she was able to just come out and battle with the poise, the composure and the competitive fire. You could see it. It reminds me a lot of how Coach T [Taryne Mowatt-McKinney] was as the player, and I think the two of them work together really well. Coach T called a couple of great games for her, and I'm proud of her outings this weekend. You're not going to find anyone better. She beat three ranked teams, 0.00 ERA, She really did everything she needed to do this weekend for us. It was a great start." |
| Carr takes the keys of Starkville High School football program | |
 | After over one month searching, Starkville High School finally has its new head football coach. A source told the Starkville Daily News that Clinton High School head man John Carr will be taking the wheel for the Yellow Jackets in 2025. Carr was approved by the Starkville-Oktibbeha County Consolidated School District on Friday morning. He was slated to meet with the SHS coaching staff and players on Monday. The longtime high school and college coach brings over 30 years of experience to SHS. Carr comes to the Jackets after a 4-6 season with Clinton in his first year, but the coach inherited a team that averaged just 15 points and finished 1-9 the year prior. His Arrows team averaged 30 points per game this past season and had 345 yards of offense per game on the way to picking up marquee wins over South State champion Brandon 65-62 and Starkville 31-22. "In one season he was able to beat us, unfortunately, and beat Brandon and he started a climb at Clinton after they had hit bottom," SHS Athletic Director Jay Hopson said. "He has a brilliant offensive mind and brings a lot of offensive firepower to the program. That's something that really stood out. He's had a lot of success at different levels and I think he brings exactly what we need to our football program." |
| UNC trustees' oversight of athletics issues limited for concerns of overreach | |
| The president of North Carolina's public university system has temporarily suspended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill trustees' authority over athletics for acting beyond their designated duties. In a Jan. 16 memo, system president Peter Hans wrote to UNC trustees chairman John Preyer citing concerns where board members "appear to act independently of their campus's administration in matters squarely within the responsibility of the chancellor." Hans' memo, first reported Friday by The Assembly and obtained by WRAL TV in Raleigh, also stated that unilateral action by trustee members risks "blurring the lines of actual and apparent authority when these athletic departments negotiate business transactions with third parties" that could include past, current and future employees. That letter came after trustees had criticized the firing of football coach Mack Brown, followed by involvement in the hiring of six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick as Brown's successor. There was also the trustees' push last spring to audit the athletics department while questioning data provided by athletic director Bubba Cunningham, though chancellor Lee Roberts publicly backed Cunningham's leadership. |
| Baseball Player Fails in Attempt to Challenge NCAA Five-Year Rule | |
| A day after a federal judge in Wisconsin enjoined the NCAA from enforcing its five-year rule on University of Wisconsin football player Nyzier Fourqurean, a federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday upheld the NCAA enforcing its five-year rule on former Stonehill College baseball player Trey Ciulla-Hall. Ciulla-Hall seeks to join the University of Maryland as a grad student and play for the D-I Terrapins. U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper reasoned that Ciulla-Hall, a first baseman who led the Skyhawks in home runs (15), RBIs (54), slugging percentage (.668) and several other categories last year, did not establish the necessary elements for a preliminary injunction. Through attorney Christopher M. Markey, Ciulla-Hall sued the NCAA on Tuesday for alleged antitrust violations. He also sought an injunction by Friday given that Maryland's deadline for class registration ends on Friday for him to be able to play in spring 2025. Ciulla-Hall would like to attend Maryland in part to earn from NIL opportunities and from revenue sharing proceeds should U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken grant final approval of the NCAA's settlement in the House, Carter and Hubbard antitrust litigations. He warns that he would be unable to pursue a desired master's degree at Maryland unless he can keep playing baseball and receive accompanying earnings. |
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