| Friday, February 14, 2025 |
| Cocoa prices are up, chocolate consumption is down for America's favorite confection | |
 | U.S. chocolate consumption dropped in 2024 as prices for cocoa beans kept rising, according to a National Confectioners Association report. Drought and extreme weather in West Africa, where most of the world's cocoa is grown, have severely limited harvests for several years. The market for gourmet chocolate has been more resilient than "mainstream" bars and candies. "The demand is still high. People are still willing to pay for the guilty pleasure to have a high quality treat," said Peter Remmelzwaal, head gourmet chef at Cargill's Belgium-based House of Chocolate. "For chefs and entrepreneurs, it is challenging. We see no decline in amounts, but margins are tighter for the businesses." There's only so much cocoa to go around: Last year's U.S. cocoa bean imports were at their lowest level in decades, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The cost of cocoa beans had remained steady for decades. But West Africa's increasingly dry climate might have permanently shifted the viability of cocoa crops, Mississippi State University professor Narcisa Pricope wrote this month. "Without urgent action to address aridity, this scenario may become more common, and cocoa -- and the sweet concoctions derived from it -- may well become a rare luxury," she wrote. |
| MSU Anthropology team joins the search of a missing Tupelo teen | |
 | As investigators from local, state, and federal agencies searched a backyard on Honey Locust Drive and a drainage ditch, students and professors from MSU's forensic anthropology department were also hard at work. "As part of this work, we want to create this forensic recovery team, so when there is a case call myself and Lieutenant Bo Shelton, of MSU PD, and go out with graduate students to investigate," said Dr. Jesse Goliath, Assistant Professor of Anthropology who also heads the forensic anthropology team. The team spent more than twelve hours on-site, using the latest technology to help in the search, for twelve-year-old Leigh Occhi, who was last seen at her Tupelo home in 1992. The forensic anthropology team is made up of experts in specialized areas. They also have an online database of cold cases as part of MSU's Mississippi Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons. Many law enforcement agencies simply don't have the resources to stay on top of cold cases and that is why Dr. Goliath wants to expand those partnerships. "It is one thing we want to do, to make this easy and transferable across different police departments and agencies, the biggest issue with missing persons is a lack of communication and a lack of awareness of those cases," he said. |
| New state employees could see a different retirement option come March 2026 under Senate plan | |
| The Mississippi Senate has voted to create a "hybrid" Tier 5 in the state's retirement plan for newly hired employees, a move that was endorsed by the PERS Board at its December 2024 meeting. Calls to adjust the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) have mounted for years as the plan's unfunded liabilities continue to climb, now over $26 billion. Under SB 2439, authored by State Senator Daniel Sparks (R), no current retirees or state employees would be impacted, a point the senator made repeatedly during floor debate on Wednesday. "This bill does not reduce any benefits including COLA, which is cost of living adjustment which some of your constituents call the 13th check," Sparks said. "This does not reduce any benefits to any current retirees, beneficiaries, or employees. It actually puts more money into the PERS system to pay the unfunded actuarial liability and fulfill our obligation to the current retirees and beneficiaries." For the current state employees, their employee contribution rate will remain at 9 percent and the employer contribution rate will continue to rise to 19.9 percent over the coming years. State Senator David Blount (D) said lawmakers were asking teachers, county employees and other state employees to manage an investment portfolio and make investment decisions. He said the state is paying people at the retirement system to manage those funds now while ensuring the funds would be there when the employ retires under the full defined benefit program. |
| Senators vote to keep Mississippi wine lovers from receiving direct shipments | |
| Wine lovers may have to wait another year to sip out-of-state wines. Thursday, after an hour of debate, the Senate rejected a bill to allow the direct shipment of wines to Mississippi residents. After four amendments, a committee substitute to protect local interest, and passing the Finance Committee by a single vote, SB 2145 was unable to reach the three-fifths threshold for passage. The vote was 25 senators in favor to 21 opposed. During the floor debate, several senators expressed concern about how many cases a single address could receive within a year. The version that passed the Finance Committee allowed 24 cases annually. After tinkering with the language, the bill on the floor slashed the number of cases per address to 12 per year. Proponents of the bill stressed the revenue the state would collect. The tax collected on each sale and shipment would be 15.5 percent, with 3 percent going toward mental health services. A fiscal note was not prepared for this bill. Senator Walter Michel (R), the bill's author, said Mississippians in the western part of the state are already traveling to Louisiana, where having out-of-state wine is legal. He said Mississippi is missing out on millions in tax revenue. Mississippi is one of only three states that prohibits the direct shipment of wines to its residents. |
| Mississippi House passes bill to allow liquor stores to open on Sundays | |
| Have you ever been in the mood for something a little stronger than beer before remembering it's Sunday and liquor stores are closed? If so, you might be in luck. The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill 71-37 with bipartisan support to allow liquor stores to be open on Sundays. House Bill 92, authored by Republican Rep. Brent Powell of Brandon, would give individual retailers in wet counties the choice to be open between the hours of 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays. As of now, ABC-permitted liquor stores in Mississippi can sell liquor between 10 a.m. and midnight, Monday through Saturday, and are required to be closed on Sundays and Christmas Day. The bill will now need approval from the Senate, where similar measures have died in recent years before reaching the floor for a vote. If it does make it to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves' desk and is enacted into law, the first Sunday package retailers would be allowed to open would be July 6, 2025. |
| Lawmaker: There is no outside oversight of medical care at Mississippi prisons | |
| The House passed a bill Thursday that would direct the state Department of Health to conduct a sweeping review of the medical care provided to inmates at Mississippi prisons. The legislation is necessary because the state Department of Corrections is policing its own provision of health care at prisons, where inmates are sometimes deprived of medical procedures, prevented access to medication and charged for seeking care, said House Corrections Chairwoman Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven. Over the summer, Currie traveled to prisons around the state and spoke with inmates about the issues they faced when trying to receive medical care. She found that MDOC was not required to reveal information about the medical practices or health outcomes at prisons. "When I went, I realized I wasn't getting a lot of the information I needed. So I sat down with inmates," Currie said. "When I went to look, I saw no oversight." Her bill would empower the Department of Health to investigate the quality of medical care at prisons, patient outcomes and inmate access to medical staff. But the legislation faces an uncertain future. Currie said that Republican Gov. Tate Reeves wants to hire an out-of-state firm to conduct the review instead of the Department of Health. "I just believe they want to keep everything in-house and at this point, I think that's just a terrible idea," Currie said. |
| Rep. Guest's office to offer Constituent Service Days for those in District 3 | |
 | Congressman Michael Guest and his team want to know where he can assist voters, and to do that, he and his staff are hosting constituent service days. These service days are for people who live in an area where Guests might not have an office that is easily accessible to his constituents. His staff will set up a workspace in cities across the third district of Mississippi and help voters submit paperwork that will connect them with a federal agency. "Congressman Guest understands that he was elected by the people, and we are here to serve the people. That is, every case worker here in the district, and every staff member in the district understands that we are here to serve those who put Congressman Guest into office. We try to help out in any way that we possibly can, and through helping with federal agencies, we feel like we are able to provide a significant service to the community," said Constituent Service Coordinator Charlie Ballou. So if you are having issues with the Veterans Affairs office, a federal home loan program, or even immigration services, Guest and his staff want to help you find a solution. |
| Former U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo violated campaign finance law, FEC says. He'll have to pay | |
 | Former U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo will pay $30,000 for converting campaign funds to personal use under an agreement that he reached with the Federal Election Commission. Palazzo, who could not be reached to comment, will pay the FEC a civil penalty of $13,500 and reimburse his re-election campaign $16,500 to cover outstanding debt. The certified public accountant served as Mississippi's 4th Congressional District representative from 2011 until January 2023, losing his final re-election bid to U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell in the Republican primary. In 2019, the FEC found, Palazzo charged his campaign $3,000 a month to rent, as a campaign office, the River House in D'Iberville from a company that he owned, Greene Acres LLC. Although he agreed to the FEC decision, Palazzo has admitted no wrongdoing. He did not return a telephone call from the Sun Herald. His attorney, former 3rd District Rep. Gregg Harper, said: "Steven Palazzo absolutely never converted any campaign funds to personal use. It would have cost $125,000 to $150,000 to defend against the FEC. The cost of litigation was just too exorbitant." |
| Senior Republican senator 'puzzled' and 'disturbed' by Hegseth's Ukraine remarks | |
| U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a "rookie mistake" when he said a return to Ukraine's pre-war borders was "unrealistic," Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker said Friday. Hegseth on Thursday pulled back some of the comments he made about Ukraine a day earlier, where he said that NATO membership for Kyiv was off the table and that the country could not return to its internationally recognized borders. "Hegseth is going to be a great defense secretary, although he wasn't my choice for the job," the Mississippi Republican told POLITICO on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. "But he made a rookie mistake in Brussels and he's walked back some of what he said but not that line." "I don't know who wrote the speech -- it is the kind of thing Tucker Carlson could have written, and Carlson is a fool," Wicker said, referring to the pro-Putin broadcaster. Speaking to Jonathan Martin at the POLITICO Pub in the Munich conference, Wicker -- a staunch Ukraine supporter -- said he was "surprised" by Hegseth's original comments and "heartened" that the new defense secretary had reversed course. Wicker said he favors a firm posture with Moscow. "Everybody knows ... and people in the administration know you don't say before your first meeting what you will agree to and what you won't agree to," Wicker said, adding that he was "puzzled" and "disturbed" by Hegseth's comments. |
| GOP senator on Hegseth Ukraine remarks: 'Rookie mistake' | |
 | Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) painted recent remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on whether Ukraine would be welcomed into NATO as a "rookie mistake." "Hegseth is going to be a great defense secretary, although he wasn't my choice for the job," Wicker told Politico on Friday. "But he made a rookie mistake in Brussels, and he's walked back some of what he said but not that line." Wicker has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia's initial invasion nearly three years ago. He said he was "heartened" by Hegseth's move to retract his controversial statements. "There are good guys and bad guys in this war, and the Russians are the bad guys," Wicker said. "They invaded, contrary to almost every international law, and they should be defeated," the Mississippi Republican added. "And Ukraine is entitled to the promises that the world made to it." Trump spoke with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week about ending the war. He is also expected to meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia at a later date, which was not disclosed. Wicker has long urged the U.S. to continue weapons shipments to Ukraine and hammered down on the objective Friday arguing arms should continue arriving "until there is a ceasefire." |
| Rollins confirmed as Agriculture secretary | |
 | The Senate on Thursday confirmed Brooke Rollins to be Agriculture secretary by a vote of 72-28, giving her the reins of a department trying to distribute $10 billion in recently appropriated farm aid and tackle the bird flu outbreak. "America's farmers, ranchers and foresters need a leader at USDA who will be an advocate for their livelihoods and rural America and be a strong voice to address the pressing needs of our agriculture community," Senate Agriculture Chairman John Boozman, R-Ark., said on the floor Thursday. "Brooke Rollins is that person," he said. "She understands the significant responsibility of this role during one of the most economically challenging times for agriculture producers," Boozman said. "Hardworking farmers who grow our food are struggling to operate, let alone profit, in this current economic climate." House Agriculture Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa., applauded Rollins's confirmation. Rollins said managing animal disease is among her top priorities. She takes office amid a bird flu outbreak that's hurting dairy and poultry producers. |
| Brooke Rollins confirmed as agriculture secretary | |
| The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Brooke Rollins, former president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, to be President Donald Trump's agriculture secretary. Rollins enjoyed a relatively seamless confirmation. The Senate voted 72-28 to confirm her nomination. She easily sailed through the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this month on a unanimous vote. Democrats and Republicans alike said they had productive and pragmatic conversations with her on agriculture policy. Rollins spent 15 years leading TPPF, the top conservative think tank in Texas and one of the leading conservative groups in the country. She was previously an aide to then-Gov. Rick Perry, serving as policy director with a portfolio that included agriculture. A native of Glen Rose, Rollins graduated from Texas A&M University and was the school's first woman student body president. She got her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin Law School. During her nomination hearing, Rollins said she would advocate for measures to protect farmers and rural development, acknowledging they could be harmed by some of Trump's policies. Rollins also expressed commitment to upholding the Agriculture Department's rural development programs, which cover a host of issues in rural areas including health care, housing and education. She differed with Democrats on nutrition assistance programs such as SNAP which provide food benefits for low-income households. |
| Trump nominates Clark, Hutchins at USDA, Quintenz at CFTC | |
| President Trump sent the Senate a long list of nominees today including Tyler Clarkson of Virginia to be general counsel at the Agriculture Department, Scott Hutchins of Indiana to be agriculture undersecretary for research, education and economics, and Brian Quintenz of Ohio to be chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Clarkson worked as USDA deputy general counsel and acting general counsel in the first Trump administration. Hutchins served as REE deputy undersecretary during the first Trump administration, and ran the REE division when Trump nominated Sam Clovis, a talk radio host and political activist without scientific background to be REE undersecretary. Clovis eventually withdrew his nomination. According to his USDA biography, Hutchins is a board-certified entomologist who was an adjunct professor of entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received a bachelor of science in entomology from Auburn University, a master of science in entomology from Mississippi State University, and a Ph.D. in entomology from Iowa State University. Quintenz served as a Senate-confirmed CFTC commissioner from 2017 to 2021. He is the head of policy for a16z crypto, the crypto venture funds of Andreessen Horowitz. The CFTC is under the jurisdiction of the House and Senate agriculture committees. |
| Republicans defend USAID in hearing meant to criticize waste | |
| House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast's effort Thursday to spotlight waste at the U.S. Agency for International Development resulted in Republicans, including some former aid officials, criticizing the manner in which the Trump administration is shuttering the government's biggest foreign aid agency and grinding assistance programs to a halt. "[Chinese President] Xi Jinping is watching and he is waiting for the chance to fill any U.S. vacuum," said Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., who chairs the House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee. "Already, there have been many reports of Chinese Communist Party officials signaling their willingness to replace USAID in Nepal and [taking over] de-mining activities in Cambodia and these are just the instances that we know about. Even critics of USAID acknowledge the critical soft power of targeted and efficient programming." Mast, R-Fla., titled his hearing "The USAID Betrayal," but two of the three witnesses --- all of them former Republican lawmakers or senior appointees in Republican administrations -- defended the bulk of the agency's work and said Elon Musk's cost-cutting task force should reverse course and allow the agency's thousands of staff to resume work. Musk leads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. "If you're upset about getting off course, so am I, but let's course correct, not course destroy," said Andrew Natsios, who led USAID for five years during the George W. Bush administration. |
| U.S. farmers face uncertainty from USAID foreign aid freeze | |
| Some of the food aid the United States distributes to other countries comes from U.S. farmers. According to archived USAID data, the agency bought more than 1 million metric tons of food from U.S. producers in fiscal year 2023. It's a market growers depend on, but it's been unpredictable lately because of the freeze the Trump administration ordered on foreign aid. Much of the food distributed by USAID comes from small farms across the U.S. It's pooled in grain elevators, then sold to the federal government for food aid. One of the growers is John Boyd, Jr. "Soybeans and corn ended up in the USAID program -- that's grown here from Boyd farms in Boydton, Virginia," he said. USAID food aid programs are a steady market for Boyd, which helps as he struggles with high costs and the low prices he's getting for his crops. Virginia Houston, director of government affairs for the American Soybean Association, is also worried about the future. "It's our understanding that USAID -- given its current nonexistence -- Food for Peace future purchases are on hold still," she said. |
| Exclusive: Trump prepares to change US CHIPS Act conditions, sources say | |
| The White House is seeking to renegotiate U.S. CHIPS and Science Act awards and has signaled delays to some upcoming semiconductor disbursements, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The people, along with a third source, said the new administration is reviewing the projects awarded under the 2022 law, meant to boost American domestic semiconductor output with $39 billion in subsidies. Washington plans to renegotiate some of the deals after assessing and changing current requirements, according to the sources. The extent of the possible changes, and how they would affect agreements already finalized, was not immediately clear. It was not known whether any action has yet been taken. Each award recipient has distinct terms and milestones in their agreements. Four sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters that the White House is concerned about many of the terms underpinning the subsidies. Those encompass additional clauses, including requirements added into contracts by the administration of President Joe Biden, including that recipients must use unionized labor to build factories and help provide affordable childcare for factory workers. One of the sources said the White House is also frustrated by companies that accepted CHIPS Act subsidies and then announced significant overseas expansion plans, including in China. The law allowed some investments in China. |
| Trump makes RFK Jr. leader of presidential 'MAHA' commission to study chronic disease | |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. clinched two wins on Thursday: He was confirmed and sworn in as the nation's health secretary, and then got a presidential kickstart to his "Make America Healthy Again" plans. After a winding ascent to the highest levels of government, President Trump welcomed Kennedy to the role with an Oval Office swearing-in ceremony. Then, Trump signed an executive order establishing "The President's Commission to Make America Healthy Again" commission, with Kennedy as the chair. The commission will investigate what's causing the decades-long increase in childhood chronic illness, Trump said. It will then deliver "an action plan" to the public. "He's absolutely committed to getting dangerous chemicals out of our environment and out of our food supply, and getting the American people the facts and the answers that we deserve after years in which our public health system has squandered the trust of our citizens," Trump said before RFK Jr. was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. The list of investigation targets includes things Kennedy has long called out as potentially problematic. "Medical treatments" is a broad term that could apply to many health interventions, including vaccines -- potentially opening the door for RFK Jr.'s commission to relitigate vaccine science. |
| Republicans put health care cuts front and center to advance agenda | |
| House Republicans are putting cuts to Medicaid at the top of their list of budget cuts to help pay for their wide-ranging agenda that spans tax cuts, energy production and border security. Republicans are eyeing changes to how much the federal government, as opposed to states, will contribute to Medicaid expenditures, an amount called the federal medical assistance percentage, or FMAP. Republicans see Medicaid as a program rife with fraud and abuse and have long sought to rein in its spending. The joint federal-state program provides health coverage for more than 70 million people, with the federal government covering anywhere from 50 percent to about 75 percent of the costs for traditional Medicaid but 90 percent for states that expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The House Budget Committee on Thursday considered a plan that would instruct the Energy and Commerce Committee -- which has jurisdiction over Medicaid -- to find $880 billion in savings over the next 10 years. Possible changes that Republicans are floating include capping Medicaid spending on a per capita basis at a potential savings of $900 billion per year; rolling back the enhanced federal matching rate for ACA expansion states to save $561 billion; and lowering the 50 percent floor for the traditional Medicaid population, for a savings of up to $387 billion. The latter change would primarily affect wealthier states like California and New York, but every state would bear the brunt of reduced federal spending, forcing difficult tradeoffs. |
| Trump administration directs agency heads to fire most probationary staff | |
 | The Trump administration on Thursday moved swiftly to fire thousands of workers and directed agency heads to terminate most trial and probationary staff -- a move that could affect as many as 200,000 employees, according to four people familiar with internal conversations who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly. Agencies appeared to move quickly on Thursday to carry out the directive, according to interviews with dozens of federal employees and records obtained by The Washington Post. Thousands of workers were laid off in messages delivered through prerecorded videos and on group calls. Some were ordered to leave the building within 30 minutes. Others were told they would be formally fired by emails, which never arrived. "It's stripping out, likely, a whole new generation of talent for our government, who are targeted not because of evidence of poor performance but because they are easier to get rid of," said Max Stier, president and CEO of Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on improving government. |
| Forest Service fires 3,400 people after 'deferred resignation' deadline passes | |
 | The U.S. Forest Service will fire roughly 3,400 federal employees across every level of the agency beginning Thursday, according to two people familiar with the plans. The move targets employees who are still within their probationary period, which means it's easier for them to be let go. Public safety employees at USFS are exempt from the firing. While firefighter jobs appear to be unaffected, other roles that support wildfire prevention are being cut. Employees who work on road and trail maintenance, timber production and watershed restoration are also impacted. The layoffs come one day after the deadline for the Trump administration's "Fork in the Road" program, which encouraged employees to resign but stay on the government payroll through September. It's not yet clear how many USDA employees accepted the deferred resignation option. Forest Service employees in probationary periods are more likely to be the ones doing field work, such as moving timber sales and helping to mitigate wildfires, than their more senior counterparts. USDA has already put employees who worked in diversity, equity and inclusion-related roles on administrative leave. Trump's dismantling of U.S. Agency for International Development also placed more than a dozen employees at the Foreign Agricultural Service on administrative leave with the possibility of furlough. |
| Delayed CDC report shows increased evidence of bird flu spread to people | |
| A scientific report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Thursday shows some veterinarians who provide care for cattle were unknowingly infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus last year. The report is the latest evidence that the outbreak in dairy herds is spreading undetected in cows, and the spillover into people at highest risk of exposure is going unnoticed. Seema Lakdawala, a virologist at Emory University who studies transmission of influenza virus, said it is clear from the report and earlier research that "there are H5N1 cases we are missing." The report is one of three about bird flu that were scheduled to be published three weeks ago in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). But the scientific publication was abruptly suspended when the Trump administration instructed federal health agencies to pause all external communications on Jan. 21. A slimmed-down MMWR resumed publication last week but included none of the bird flu reports. Public health experts have criticized the unprecedented break in publication and the holdup of information about bird flu. The findings underscore what many public health and infectious-disease experts have been saying for months: that H5N1 cases are being missed because the virus is spreading silently and more widely than official reports indicate. |
| ICE Raids Send Chill Through Migrant Workforces | |
 | Escalating immigration raids and deportations are prompting some migrants to stay home from work, unsettling employers in industries that have long relied on foreign-born labor. After Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained workers at a seafood depot in Newark, N.J., in late January, four documented immigrants employed at nearby Top Burger restaurant didn't show up for their shifts, said owner Klaytson Braga. He and his wife ended up having to work the kitchen and cash register on their own. "Oh, my God, it's terrible now," Braga said. "Legal or illegal, everyone's scared." Many employers that rely heavily on immigrant labor said their workers are continuing to come in. But others said a climate of fear has led to labor disruptions. Their industries include construction, food services and healthcare -- sectors that often struggle to find workers and whose operations could be hampered by persistent absenteeism. Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. make up about 4.6% of the employed labor force, or 7.5 million people, according to an analysis last year of 2022 Census Bureau data by the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. They make up 14% of construction workers, 13% of agricultural ones and 7% of those in hospitality, the study said. |
| Could 2025 bring a new 'retail reality'? Why experts say store closures could skyrocket | |
 | JCPenney, Macy's, Joann: After a rough year of bankruptcies and store closures in 2024, retailers may face an even steeper uphill battle in 2025, experts say. Just a month and a half into the new year, several companies with brick-and-mortar presences have planned sweeping 2025 closures, the largest of which include Party City, Big Lots, and craft store Joann, which announced the impending closure of over 500 of its roughly 800 stores nationwide this week. For several national chains, 2024 was no kinder. From Walgreens and Red Lobster to Big Lots and Family Dollar, hundreds of retail locations went dark as part of an ongoing, years-long trend oft attributed to the ongoing economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevalence of online shopping. And experts say things aren't looking up for 2025. In fact, closures are expected to skyrocket. "Inflation and a growing preference among consumers to shop online to find the cheapest deals took a toll on brick-and-mortar retailers in 2024," Coresight Research CEO Deborah Weinswig said in a press statement. "Last year we saw the highest number of closures since the pandemic....and we continue to see a trend of consumers opting for the path of least resistance." Things are expected to escalate significantly in 2025, according to the firm. |
| Leach pitches green workforce training partnership between EMCC, The W | |
 | No matter if Darren Leach wins the mayoral election, he has big ideas for a future partnership between Mississippi University for Women and East Mississippi Community College. Among other things like enhancing educational development and addressing cases of extreme poverty in the area, Leach touched on that partnership idea while speaking Thursday to the Exchange Club of Columbus at Lion Hills Center. "We want to train the kids in solar out of EMCC and provide dormitory-style living here in Columbus and use transportation to get them backwards and forwards to school while they do that," Leach said. He admitted, however, he has not officially brought the plan to either institution. "Nothing is on the table yet, but as we talk, these are the kinds of things we can do to bring people together to solve problems," Leach told The Dispatch after the Exchange Club meeting. Leach is an independent candidate for mayor. He also is the executive director for the Memphis Town Community Action Group, a community partner listed on the city's application for a Green Capital Municipal Investment Fund Market Building Grant, the onus for his vision of partnership between MUW and EMCC. |
| Dr. Allen Parrish Selected as Vice President of Research and Economic Development | |
| Dr. Allen Parrish, who leads one of the University of Alabama's signature research institutes, has been named vice president of research and economic development at the University of South Alabama, Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Andi Kent announced today. He begins April 1. "We are excited to welcome Dr. Parrish to South," Kent said. "His experience and depth of knowledge will be a major asset to the University as we continue to grow research activity in our journey of becoming a top public research institution." President Jo Bonner said the announcement reaffirms South's status as one of the region's preeminent universities. "Enrollment continues to grow, more students are choosing South from all over the country and internationally and now Dr. Parrish will add to our momentum by elevating research at the University of South Alabama," Bonner said. Parrish has served as the executive director of the Alabama Cyber Institute, a senior workforce development adviser for the Alabama Transportation Institute and a professor of computer science at the University of Alabama. He also served as associate vice president for research at Mississippi State University. |
| Musser Turfgrass Foundation honors U. of Georgia researcher | |
| The Musser International Turfgrass Foundation selected Erick Begitschke of the University of Georgia as its 2025 Award of Excellence recipient. The award is given to outstanding Ph.D. candidates who, in the final phase of their graduate studies, demonstrated overall excellence throughout their doctoral program in turfgrass research. "I am deeply humbled and honored to receive the Musser Award of Excellence," Begitschke said. "I greatly respect the previous winners and their remarkable contributions to the turfgrass industry. I will strive to uphold the legacy of this award by continuing to serve the industry with pride throughout my career." Begitschke received his bachelor's degree in turfgrass management from the University of Georgia, and his master's degree in turfgrass weed science at Mississippi State University under the guidance of Dr. Jay McCurdy. His research at Mississippi State focused on utilizing pre-emergence herbicides in hybrid Bermudagrass sod production. He is currently finishing his doctorate in crop and soil science with a concentration in turfgrass science from UGA under the guidance of Dr. Gerald Henry. "This accomplishment would not have been possible without the unwavering love and support of my wife, Madison, and the invaluable guidance and patience of Drs. Gerald Henry and Jay McCurdy," Begitschke said. "I want to thank all of them for their encouragement and belief in me." |
| U. of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture experts recommend biosecurity efforts for bird flu | |
| The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has recommended increased biosecurity efforts to help stop the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak. The avian influenza outbreak affects not just livestock farmers but also Americans in general. The loss of birds has caused the price of eggs to skyrocket. "When you're talking about most of these poultry companies, they're highly integrated," Aaron Smith, UTIA professor in the department of agriculture and resource economics, said. "We've definitely seen egg prices come up substantially, even here in Tennessee." Egg prices aren't the only ones going up, as the price of chicken itself is rising. Tom Tabler, a professor and extension poultry specialist at UTIA, said there is no end in sight for the ongoing outbreak. "There is currently no vaccine for avian influenza in the U.S., so biosecurity is the best defense we have but folks have to follow good biosecurity practices," Tabler said. UTIA's recommendation for HPAI biosecurity measures revolve around three parts: isolation, traffic control and sanitation. |
| From research at distilleries to auto plants, U. of Tennessee helps shape the state | |
 | At the midway point in Randy Boyd's mission of making the 2020s "the greatest decade in UT history", the University of Tennessee System president believes UT is in its strongest position yet, with all-time high revenue, more record-breaking enrollment and an exciting mix of research projects happening across system campuses. "I'm happy to report, after 230 years, the state of the university is stronger than it's ever been in our entire history," Boyd said during his 2025 State of the University address Feb. 13. Boyd called upon campus leaders during his address to discuss their respective research efforts, illustrating the wide range of topics being explored across the state on all UT campuses after research expenditures grew to $484 million last year. Chancellor Donde Plowman said research happening across the UT Knoxville flagship campus prioritizes future technologies, healthcare and local communities. She highlighted the Tennessee Reading Research Center, focused on reading development and comprehension for children, as well as the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research. The UT Institute of Agriculture focuses on "Tennessee's largest industry," said Keith Carver, senior vice president and senior vice chancellor. Carver discussed the $10 billion chicken industry in Tennessee and how the institute has partnered with Tyson to build new research facilities studying poultry, food safety and food science. |
| U. of Florida sets timeline for demolition of former graduate student housing | |
 | The University of Florida on Tuesday confirmed that the abatement process and demolition of former grad housing properties Maguire Village and University Village South will take place later this year. In an interview with The Sun, Amy Armstrong, director of communications for business affairs, said UF will install fencing on March 19 and the abatement process will take place April 3 through Sept. 4. The abatement process involves removing all hazardous materials from the demolition site. Armstrong said the demolition of the properties will begin sometime between June and November and they hope to have the process complete by early December. Derek LaMontagne, former mayor of Maguire Village, told The Sun he is very disappointed that UF plans to demolish a very livable housing site. "It's very wrong to demolish this when UF hasn't implemented the proper process in talking with us (the mayor's council) while an affordable housing crisis is taking place in town," LaMontagne said. "No one (at UF) cares enough to consider the public's best interest especially when it's one of the best places to live in Gainesville. It's clearly not the oldest and very easy to maintain and rent can pay for itself," LaMontagne said. |
| Changes to U. of Missouri parking plans will take effect Aug. 1 | |
 | Changes to the University of Missouri's parking program will be announced next week, according to a presentation at Thursday's MU Faculty Council meeting. The Conley Avenue parking structure will also reopen by Aug. 1, when the changes are set to take effect. Sarah Chinniah, MU's vice chancellor for business operations and strategic initiatives, and Josh Ignagni, director of parking and transportation, presented plans for a new demand-based parking model. They also announced the expansion of MU's shuttle service to include an additional route and extend service to faculty and staff. "I don't think anyone is particularly saying this is the best plan, but they have been very upfront in working with Faculty Council along the way, and so I think that's good," Faculty Council chair Tom Warhover said. Under the new model that aims to increase parking revenue for the university, MU's parking lots and structures will be divided into pricing tiers based on demand for location. Monthly rates will range from $10 to $105. Unlike MU's current employee parking rates, which are based on salary ranges, the new model sets the same rates for all students, faculty and staff. |
| Soy innovation lab closure has impacts for Missouri | |
| An associate research professor at the University of Missouri says local farmers will feel the impacts of the closure of a Soy Innovation Lab in Illinois. Kerry Clark says U.S. Agency for International Development funding helped MU researchers evaluate soybean production: phosphorus, genetic resistance and maturities and farmers will likely see an uptick in crop diseases, like soybean rust, in the future. "Fifteen to 20 years ago, soybean rust blew into the U.S. from Tropical areas to the United States. Diseases don't tend to stay in the place of origin unless you fight them in the place of origin. That's one of the things we can't do anymore." The Trump administration has ceased funding for U.S. AID projects, including the Soybean Innovation Lab at the University of Illinois. Researchers, including Clark at the University of Missouri, contributed to projects for the lab, along with researchers at the University of Illinois, Iowa State University and Mississippi State University and across the globe. Clark had $150,000 annually to develop a mechanization fabrication industry in Africa. Clark says the small investment projects went a long way in building global trade markets. "That's going to be greatly diminished as USAID has withdrawn and dissolved. Those areas it was working in, there's a void left that will be filled by other countries, most likely China." |
| At Annual Meeting, Battered Presidents Are Subdued in the Face of Trump's Funding Blitz | |
 | For nearly 30 minutes, Jonathan Fansmith, senior vice president for government relations and national engagement at the American Council on Education, walked a crowd of several hundred university leaders through a dizzying recap of the first few weeks of the second Trump administration. He touched on efforts to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; defund various grants; and abolish the U.S. Department of Education in slide after slide on a huge screen behind the stage of the Eisenhower Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Then, one last slide popped up. "Questions?" it said. The entire crowd laughed nervously, perhaps in an effort not to cry. The mood at the annual ACE gathering, one of higher education's most prominent meetings for college leaders, seemed to mirror the Washington, D.C. weather -- gloomy and subdued. In hallway conversations and chats over coffee, presidents seemed weary, battered by weeks of uncertainty about what money would continue to flow into their institutions, what programs they could still run, and who could do anything to generate change. |
| ACE Adopts a Fighting Stance | |
 | Hundreds of higher ed leaders packed into the Kennedy Center for the annual American Council on Education conference this week, snapping photos of the large bust of the cultural center's namesake, President John F. Kennedy, in the foyer. Some joked that it would soon be replaced by Donald Trump's likeness, given the current president's takeover of the Kennedy Center board, a move announced Wednesday. But it was Trump's attempted takeover of higher education that was foremost on the minds of attendees. The Republican president, now in his second nonconsecutive term, dominated conference discussions as speakers grappled with how to interpret and respond to a vision for higher education that has been marked by cuts to research funding and personnel; the decimation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; and efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. "We're under attack," ACE president Ted Mitchell said in his opening remarks. "These executive orders are an assault on American opportunity and leadership," Mitchell said. He warned that such changes could destabilize higher education by undermining research, innovation, intellectual independence and autonomy. "The flurry of these threats [is] designed to cower us into silence," he said. |
| Campuses Quiet as Higher Ed Navigates Trump's Orders | |
| As President Donald Trump churned out more than 80 executive orders over the past three weeks, sending the higher education community into a panic, some students were surprised to see a lack of campus protests -- even at institutions traditionally rife with activism. "I haven't seen a whole lot, which is kind of uncharacteristic of our campus," said Alana Parker, a student at American University in Washington, D.C. Though she's heard of certain student political groups protesting on Capitol Hill, things have been quiet on campus. "I don't really know why that is, because, in my opinion, there should be more of an outcry. But from my perspective, I think people feel really disenfranchised and like there's nothing we can do," she said. It's a stark contrast from two semesters ago, when AU was one of dozens of campuses that made national news after pro-Palestinian students set up encampments in opposition to their universities' investments in companies with ties to Israel. Angus Johnston, a historian of student protest movements and a professor at Hostos Community College, said that he's not entirely surprised that campuses seem relatively calm. Over the past 20 years, institutions have grown less and less permissive of student protests. A handful of campuses have seen protests, primarily in response to their institutions taking steps to comply with Trump's executive orders by shuttering DEI offices or removing DEI-related language and resources from webpages, for example. |
| Some Schools Act After Trump's D.E.I. Orders. Others Say They'll Resist. | |
 | Students at North Carolina's public universities can no longer be required to take classes related to diversity, equity and inclusion to graduate. The University of Akron, citing changing state and federal guidance, will no longer host its "Rethinking Race" forum that it had held annually for more than two decades. The University of Colorado took down its main D.E.I. webpage, and posted a new page for an Office of Collaboration. Around the country, dozens of universities and colleges have begun to scrub websites and change programming in response to President Trump's widening crusade against diversity and inclusion. But much remains unclear about the legality and reach of President Trump's new orders. So some schools are simply watching and waiting. "It's meant to create chaos in higher education, and in that it's been successful," said Todd Wolfson, the president of the American Association of University Professors, of the attempts by President Trump to end D.E.I. activity on campuses. "The responses are all over the map." Administrators of K-12 institutions --- which are more financially insulated --- are making their own calculations. But in higher education, hundreds of millions in funding are on the line. University administrators are debating whether to freeze existing programs, stand on principle and resist, or try to fly below the radar while they see if the executive orders hold up in the courts. |
| Trump's education chief pick sketches roadmap for dismantling department | |
 | Linda McMahon on Thursday sketched out how key functions of the Education Department could be carved up to achieve President Donald Trump's goal of dismantling the agency, vowing to "reorient" the department while continuing some of its largest programs. At her confirmation hearing, McMahon said she would preserve core initiatives including Title I money for low-income schools, Pell grants for low-income college students, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. She said the Trump administration wants to "do this right" and she believes it would take an act of Congress to abolish the department. "We'd like to make sure that we are presenting a plan that I think our senators could get on board with, and our Congress could get on board with, that would have a better functioning Department of Education," McMahon said. But closing the department "certainly does require congressional action." In a tense exchange, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy asked McMahon to clarify the boundaries of Trump's order banning DEI in schools. McMahon said events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. should be allowed, but she hesitated when asked about African American history classes. "I'm not quite certain," she said. "I'd like to look into it further." Murphy said her answer would "have a lot of educators and a lot of principals and administrators scrambling right now." |
| Here's What Linda McMahon, Nominee for Education Secretary, Had to Say About Higher Ed | |
| President Trump's nominee for education secretary danced around the specifics of much-debated plans to shutter the Education Department during her U.S. Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday. Linda McMahon, a professional-wrestling magnate and Trump ally who led the Small Business Administration during his first term, seemed to want to have it both ways -- saying in one moment that she'd investigate and even consider pulling funding from colleges for alleged discrimination, and in another that she'd shrink the bureaucracy that handles such cases. She didn't have much to say about how civil-rights enforcement would happen without a department, saying she'd look into the issue once she got the job. Echoing comments she's made for years, McMahon said she supported more access to college alternatives, such as technical-education programs and apprenticeships, as well as dual-enrollment programs that allow high-school students to earn community-college credits. "Four-year college is not for everyone," she said. |
| Musk Staff Propose Bigger Role for A.I. in Education Department | |
| Allies of Elon Musk stationed within the Education Department are considering replacing some contract workers who interact with millions of students and parents annually with an artificial intelligence chat bot, according to internal department documents and communications. The proposal is part of President Trump's broader effort to shrink the federal work force, and would mark a major change in how the agency interacts with the public. The Education Department's biggest job is managing billions of dollars in student aid, and it routinely fields complex questions from borrowers. The department currently uses both call centers and a rudimentary A.I. bot to answer questions. The proposal would introduce generative A.I., a more sophisticated version of artificial intelligence that could replace many of those human agents. The call centers employ 1,600 people who field over 15,000 questions per day from student borrowers. The vision could be a model for other federal agencies, in which human beings are replaced by technology, and behemoth contracts with outside companies are shed or reduced in favor of more automated solutions. In some cases, that technology was developed by players from the private sector who are now working inside or with the Trump administration. |
SPORTS
| Diamond Dawgs Open the 2025 Season Against Manhattan | |
| Baseball season is here! The Mississippi State Bulldogs kick of the 2025 season on Friday when they open a three-game set with the Manhattan Jaspers at Dudy Noble Field. The Diamond Dawgs and Jaspers are set for a doubleheader on Friday starting at 12 p.m. with game two following 40 minutes at the conclusion of game one. Game three is set for Sunday with first pitch at 1 p.m. All three games of the series will be televised on SEC Network+ and will also be carried on the Bulldog Sports Network powered by LEARFIELD, along with a live audio stream via HailState.com/OnDemand. The Diamond Dawgs are starting the 2025 season ranked in four of the five Preseason Top 25 polls (No. 18 D1 Baseball and Baseball America, No. 19 NCBWA and USA Today Coaches Top 25). Manhattan finished the 2024 season 22-30 overall and 10-14 in MAAC play. Manhattan is led by Interim Head Coach Steven Rosen. He is the youngest active D1 head coach in the country at 29 years old. Rosen is no stranger to the SEC as he was at Alabama before heading to Manhattan to be the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Mississippi State and Manhattan face off for the first time in program history. |
| Simmons, Bulldogs ready to tackle 2025 season | |
 | In his five years so far as a college baseball player, Stone Simmons has seen it all. The Houston product played his true freshman season in 2020 at Furman, only to see the Paladins cut their baseball program after the 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19. A year later, he was a key piece in Mississippi State's bullpen and helped the Bulldogs win the first national championship in program history. But Simmons made just three appearances in 2022 before an elbow injury ended his season. The rehab process cost him the entire 2023 season as well, and he was poised to return last year until another UCL tear sidelined him for all of 2024. Simmons -- who knows better than anyone on the Bulldogs what it takes to win a title but who has also seen some lean years in Starkville while trying to work back into form -- will finally make his long-awaited return to the pitcher's mound this weekend. He will start for No. 18 MSU on Sunday against Manhattan, his first appearance since early March 2022. "I feel great," Simmons said. "To keep it short, I'm just ready to go. Really excited to get back on the mound. I'm excited for our team. We have a really good group. No emotions except for excitement." |
| Mississippi State's Simmons, Hines team up to support Make-A-Wish Mississippi | |
| Hunter Hines is starting his senior season 13 home runs shy of the Mississippi State program record, set 40 years ago by Rafael Palmeiro. But every homer he hits this year will mean more than just the pursuit of history. Bulldogs pitcher Stone Simmons has teamed up with Hines for an NIL partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Mississippi. For each Hines long ball in 2025, Simmons Erosion Control will donate $1,000 to Make-A-Wish Mississippi, and MSU fans are encouraged to contribute to the Home Runs for Wishes campaign as well. Simmons did some volunteer work for Make-A-Wish last spring, and volunteer wish granter Craig Peterhansen approached him about the partnership. Given that he has never batted in his collegiate career, Simmons reached out to Hines to see if he would be willing to participate, and Hines was immediately on board. "I was able to go to their gala last year, and I watched a few wishes be granted live," Simmons said. "Just being able to see what some of these children and their families go through and be given a little bit more hope, it's just a really powerful thing. I was inspired when I went there. For the rest of my life, I'll be a Make-A-Wish fan. Hunter and I are blessed with platforms to be able to give back a little bit, so we'd like to take advantage of that." |
| College baseball back in Pearl? Trustmark Park has busy spring and summer ahead | |
 | When the Mississippi Braves closed out their 20th and final season in 2024 at Trustmark Park, many people wondered what would happen with the 8,480-seat stadium. While a new independent league team, the Mississippi Mud Monsters will begin playing for the historic Frontier League in the stadium in May, Trustmark Park will be getting plenty of other action beginning Friday. The Mud Monsters and Belhaven University have announced a partnership that ensures the stadium will be the home of Blazers baseball until 2030. The Blazers, members of NCAA Division III, will use Trustmark Park for games, practices, and showcases year-round as they compete within the Collegiate Conference of the South. The Blazers will play 17 home games this season, but that is hardly all that will be going on at the Pearl stadium. The Mississippi High School Activities Association will continue to hold its state championship series there in May. For college baseball fans, big games will be back. Ole Miss will play Southern Miss on March 18 and the Governor's Cup between Ole Miss and Mississippi State will take place in Pearl on April 22. "These will be really big for us," Andrew Seymour, Mud Monsters general manager, said. "They will be some of the biggest crowds we will have all year... . That March 18 game will be a complete sellout. It is an eyeball-opportunity for our facility, and we will have everything ready to go for everyone." |
| Chris Jans 'certainly concerned' about Mississippi State's recent skid | |
| No. 22 Mississippi State lost to No. 3 Florida 81-68 on their home floor on Tuesday night, dropping the Bulldogs to 5-6 in SEC play. They've now lost three of their last four games dating back to last month. After the game, Bulldogs head coach Chris Jans attempted to place a pulse on Mississippi State's recent skid. He revealed that the outcome vs. the Gators surprised him quite a bit and hopes it doesn't snowball any further. "I'm certainly concerned," Jans said. "I'm a little shocked because we had a great practice yesterday. We were coming off a very tough, well-earned road victory. The vibe was really, really good. Shootaround was one of the better ones we've had. They were excited. Togetherness was showing." Mississippi State led Florida 34-33 at the halftime break. However, the Gators' Denzel Aberdeen nailed a 3-pointer right out of the gates in the second half, which led to Florida scoring the first 17 points of the second half. By the time they scored another point five minutes into the half, they trailed by 16 points. Jans said that Mississippi State lacked urgency down the stretch which led to the second-half collapse. "I just didn't expect it," Jans continued. "In the first half, we were frustrated with ourselves offensively. I thought we set the tone and had a good defensive first half. We rebounded the ball very well in the first half, and that was a big goal for us." |
| Mississippi State needs to become a more balanced offensive team in stretch run | |
| A key component of Mississippi State's offseason was creating a more well-rounded offense to ease some of the scoring burden from Josh Hubbard after his sensational freshman campaign. The Bulldogs added proven outside shooters in the transfer portal, including Claudell Harris from Boston College, Riley Kugel from Florida and RJ Melendez from Georgia. But as No. 22 MSU (17-7, 5-6 Southeastern Conference) continues to merely tread water in an extremely deep and talented conference, Hubbard has still been forced to shoulder the load offensively, at least in the backcourt. Hubbard is averaging 17.7 points per game in SEC play, a slight decrease from his production last year. The only other Bulldog averaging double-digit scoring in conference games is KeShawn Murphy, a returning big man who has mostly played as a center in smaller lineups. "We have as a team, and certainly some individuals, not shooting the ball as well as they're capable or as well as they have in prior stretches of the season," head coach Chris Jans said. "We've given up a little bit of our girth and our size to be able to score better, and when that scoring is not happening, it compounds because we're not as good defensively as we've been in years past. We can't rely on turning defense into offense like we've done in the past." |
| Women's Basketball: Bulldogs Take Down Vanderbilt In Two Overtime Thriller | |
| After 40 minutes of regulation and 10 of overtime, the Mississippi State Bulldogs return to Starkville after taking down the Vanderbilt Commodores, 85-77. The interior play led State to the victory on Thursday night. After the first quarter, the Bulldogs faced a 10-point deficit. State bounced back in the second quarter, ending it on a 14-3 run to trail by two at the half. The Bulldogs would win the third quarter 21-17. Vandy would tie the game before the final buzzer. One overtime wasn't enough to force a decision, as both teams put up seven in the first period. In the final five minutes, State would explode out of the gate and earn their largest lead of the game and hold it until the final horn. Madina Okot and Quanirah Montague were huge pieces in the come from behind win for State. The duo's effort on the boards resulted in 26 offensive rebounds on the night, the most State has collected this season. The Bulldogs also collected 66 of their 85 points in the paint in the contest. Okot collected 21 points on 83.3 percent shooting, along 23 rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Along with collecting the most rebounds in a single game for any player in the country this season, Okot's 21 points were the most she has scored in conference play. It was only the second time she has scored 20+ this season. The Bulldogs will be back in action on Sunday as they travel to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. on SECN+. |
| Bulldogs dominate in the paint, find a way in Nashville, 85-77 | |
| Thursday night could be characterized best by being an adventure for Mississippi State but it's an adventure that ended with a win. After missing out on a couple of chances to seal off a road win, the Bulldogs came alive in the second overtime in Nashville. The Bulldogs outscored the Commodores 13-5 in the second overtime to get a gutsy 85-77 road win. "We want this. We've had moments of unbelievable wow basketball and unbelievable heartbreak. If this one game hasn't been our season, I don't know what is," coach Sam Purcell said. "It was just a team effort and the energy on the bench and collective gelling came together that we've lacked." The game was one by what the Bulldogs did inside as State dominated the paint. Madina Okot had a career game with 21 points and 23 rebounds in 33 minutes played. Okot added four steals and two blocks with three assists. Quanirah Montague was also big off the bench and had 15 points with 12 rebounds. The two post players combined for 16-of-21 from the field. Their work in the paint led State to a 65-43 advantage on rebounds with 26 offensive boards leading to 24 points. State had a 66-30 performance in the paint. The Bulldogs needed every bit of those plays inside because State struggled on the perimeter. MSU shot 35-of-90 from the field and just 2-of-27 from 3-point range. On top of that, State had 22 turnovers that led to 26 points for Vanderbilt. It was a game that saw State fight through those tough moments, however. |
| Women's Basketball: Mississippi State outlasts Vanderbilt in double overtime | |
| Sam Purcell had no time to hear about the mistakes his team made Thursday night. All that mattered to Mississippi State's head coach was that his team pulled out a win it badly needed on the road over Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs were 2-for-27 from 3-point range. They turned the ball over 22 times, leading to 26 points for the Commodores. And yet, they gutted it out in double overtime, riding a monster performance on the offensive glass to an 85-77 victory at Memorial Gymnasium. MSU (18-8, 5-7 Southeastern Conference) had a 65-43 edge in total rebounding, including 26-12 on the offensive end. The Bulldogs scored 24 second-chance points to Vanderbilt's nine and had a whopping 66 points in the paint. "If this one game hasn't been our season, I don't know what is," Purcell said. "We scored 85 points in a double-overtime thriller. My heart is about to fall out of my chest, and I know my kids haven't gone to bed yet." MSU has another opportunity for a road win Sunday when the Bulldogs visit Florida. "The SEC is a beast," Purcell said. "This is a huge win for us. We have plenty of games on the schedule, and this one doesn't mean much if you turn around and lay an egg in the other ones." |
| Mississippi State women's basketball vs Vanderbilt final score: Madina Okot leads double OT win | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball missed 25 3-pointers and committed 22 turnovers but still found a gutsy road win on Thursday. The Bulldogs (18-8, 5-7 SEC) defeated Vanderbilt 85-77 in double overtime at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville. Starting center Madina Okot was outstanding with 21 points and 23 rebounds, tied for the sixth-most in program history. Jerkaila Jordan, who exited in the with an injury but returned in the second half, scored 21 points. She had a chance to win the game at the buzzer in regulation, but her post-up fadeaway missed. Backup forward/center Quanirah Montague also double-doubled with 15 points and 12 rebounds. MSU outrebounded Vanderbilt 65-43 and scored 66 points in the paints. The win is the 63rd for Sam Purcell, making him the winningest coach in program history through three seasons. Vanderbilt (18-7, 5-6) shot just 20% from the field across both overtime periods. Freshman star Mikayla Blakes had 13 points before fouling out in double overtime. |
| Softball: Bulldogs Battle Back For Victory In Home Opener | |
| Despite falling behind 3-0 in the first, No. 19 Mississippi State scored 10 unanswered runs on its way to a victory in its home opener for the 12th consecutive season, downing Southern Illinois, 10-3. Lexi Sosa earned the win in relief, tossing 5.2 innings while recording career highs in strikeouts (7) and total pitches (103). She also helped her case with a sacrifice fly to score State's sixth run. Josey Marron started the ballgame, but exited without recording an out. The Bulldogs (5-1) collected a season-high 11 hits and scored in double figures for the first time this year. Kylee Edwards led the way with three RBIs, and Jessie Blaine added a pair. "I thought we really did a great job," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "The message from last weekend and then coming into this week was picking each other up and having each other's backs. I thought the team did that and really made sure it was, "Hey Josey we got you, no big deal." I think the biggest thing when you get down early like that is not trying to press and to play defensively. It didn't feel like that at all. I thought they were very composed, and the message was just keep doing what we do. Stay on the attack even though we have a deficit to make up for. It helps when you get a big swing like that from Nadia to start off our half of the first. I love the response. I thought they really did a great job with mature at-bats and chipping away and not being too stressed out from being down too big to start." |
| Softball: Mississippi State overcomes shaky start, beats Southern Illinois in home opener | |
| Lexi Sosa entered Thursday night's home opener at Nusz Park with Mississippi State already in deep trouble. Starter Josey Marron had walked five of the six batters she faced, and the only Southern Illinois hitter to put the ball in play reached base when Bulldogs second baseman Morgan Stiles dropped a pop-up. So No. 19 MSU was already trailing by three runs in the first inning without giving up a hit, and the Salukis had the bases loaded with still nobody out. Sosa quickly settled things down, getting out of the jam on two strikeouts and a pop fly. She proceeded to shut down the Southern Illinois bats until the sixth, allowing just two hits, while the Bulldogs' offense quickly came to life in a 10-3 victory. "I just took it one pitch at a time, staying very present," Sosa said. "Not trying to get too ahead of myself, not trying to think about the next out, just attacking and going right at them." MSU has more action at home all weekend at The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial tournament, with games against North Texas, Bradley and Georgia Tech. |
| Mississippi State volleyball hires Michael Bouril as assistant coach | |
| Following the departure of former Mississippi State associate head coach Fritz Rosenberg last month to become the head coach at Belmont, the Bulldogs have reinforced their staff with the hire of Michael Bouril, previously an assistant coach at Purdue. Bouril has spent the last five years with the Boilermakers, a program that has reached the last 10 NCAA Tournaments with five trips to the round of 16 or beyond in the last six seasons. He started as a graduate assistant at Purdue before becoming a technical coordinator and performance analyst and ultimately an assistant coach in 2023. Prior to his time at Purdue, Bouril was a traveling manager for the volleyball team at Penn State, another perennial power. He is the second new assistant coach coming to Starkville this offseason, joining former Bulldog player Lacey Jeffcoat, who had previously been an assistant at Texas-Arlington. "We are thrilled to have Michael join our staff," Bulldogs head coach Julie Darty Dennis said in a news release. "As I got to know him throughout the process, his passion for our sport was obvious. Michael is going to bring experience from the Big Ten into our program and help us compete." |
| Former football players sue over 'Last Chance U' portrayals | |
| Six former East Mississippi Community College football players who appeared in the documentary series "Last Chance U" have sued the school, Netflix, the National Junior College Athletic Association and the program's director over their portrayals. John Franklin III, Ronald Ollie, C.J. Reavis, Deandre Johnson, Tim Bonner and Isaiah Wright say they're seeking $30 million in damages after receiving no compensation for their contributions to the project. They say they're holding the defendants accountable "for the wrongful misappropriation of their likeness and to ensure fair compensation for their work." The list of defendants also includes Conde Nast Entertainment and Greg Whiteley, the director and executive producer of "Last Chance U." Conde Nast was listed as a production partner of the series, which focused on the lives of junior college football players. The first two of the series' five seasons focused on East Mississippi. The complaint indicates East Mississippi sold merchandise involving the players portrayed in the series but that the plaintiffs didn't receive any compensation. It also says Wright, Ollie and Franklin were portrayed in a false light, damaging their reputations. |
| College athletes could get tax breaks under new NIL bill: Will it boost Alabama's recruiting? | |
 | Alabama lawmakers have cooked up a plan to recruit more athletes to the state and win more championships, by tempting top prospects with tax breaks on the money they take in for name, image and likeness. Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, introduced HB240, the Competitive Edge NIL Tax Cut Act, in the Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday. This would exempt student athletes from paying state income tax on the money they earn through NIL deals. "As NIL continues to change the landscape of college sports, the state must work to foster an environment that helps our schools land America's top recruits," Rep. Lovvorn said in a statement. "Exempting NIL earnings from state income tax gives Alabama a competitive edge, leading to more students receiving a quality education here and more championships coming home to Alabama." It's impossible to know exactly how much NIL money is flowing through the state now, including at competitive schools like the University of Alabama and Auburn University where private NIL collectives work directly with student athletes. Georgia state legislators proposed similar legislation earlier this month. |
| The College Football Rivalry That Crashed College Basketball | |
| It's been a rough few months for the pigskin-worshipping state of Alabama. The Crimson Tide football team suffered through an ignominious season that included a shocking loss to Vanderbilt. Auburn careened to a 16th place finish in the Southeastern Conference and missed out on a bowl game. But around the same time that their football teams were sinking to new depths, something came along to rescue both programs: basketball season. These traditional southern gridiron powerhouses have reinvented themselves as stalwarts of the hardwood, a fact underlined by their meeting on Saturday, which pits No. 1-ranked Auburn against the No. 2 Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Although epic battles between these archrivals are commonplace on the football field, this will be the first-ever top-two men's basketball matchup in Southeastern Conference history. The showdown didn't come out of nowhere. Auburn basketball reached the top 10 last season and Alabama made its first-ever Final Four. But the two teams got even better this year for one big reason: Their top players dipped a toe in the NBA Draft waters, found them a little chilly, and turned right around and went back to college. |
| Alberto Osuna ineligible to open Tennessee season, court denies temporary restraining order | |
| Alberto Osuna will not be eligible for Tennessee baseball when it opens the season Friday. A judge denied Osuna's motion for a temporary restraining order that would have deemed him eligible to play for the Vols immediately, according to documents obtained Thursday by Knox News. The court scheduled an expedited hearing for Feb. 26 in regards to Osuna's motion for a preliminary injunction. Thus far, the court's decisions track the early stages of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's lawsuit. Pavia's temporary restraining order also was denied. He ultimately was granted a preliminary injunction and successfully recovered eligibility from seasons he played in junior college when the NCAA granted him a waiver after he sued. Osuna filed a complaint against the NCAA in federal court on Wednesday as he seeks to regain a year of eligibility as a former junior college transfer. His argument largely mirrors Pavia's. No. 2 Tennessee opens the season against Hofstra on Friday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Osuna will miss at least the first eight games of the season. His next hearing is two days before the Vols play in the Astros Foundation College Classic in Houston. They play Oklahoma State on Feb. 28 in their first of three games. |
| Trump's Transgender Athlete Ban Faces Federal Lawsuit | |
| Two transgender teenage girls from New Hampshire are legally challenging President Donald Trump's executive orders that attempt to prohibit the eligibility of transgender athletes. Parker Tirrell, 16, and Iris Turmelle, 15, filed an amended complaint in New Hampshire's federal district court on Wednesday in their ongoing case for eligibility to play on public high schools' girls sports teams. The amended complaint added Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and other federal officials as defendants. Tirrell and Turmelle received puberty blockers so that they develop consistent with female, and not male, puberty. Tirrell seeks to play on the Plymouth Regional High School's girls soccer team and Turmelle seeks to play on Pembroke Academy's tennis and track and field teams. The two brought a case against state and school officials last August as HB 1205, a New Hampshire statute, went into effect. HB 1205 requires public schools and private schools that compete against public schools designate sports teams based on biological sex, which is defined as the sex determined on a birth certificate. HB 1205, therefore, prohibits transgender athletes from participating. While the eligibility of transgender athletes has attracted significant political attention, available data indicates there are (relatively) very few transgender athletes. |
| Kellen Moore, now the NFL's youngest head coach, inherits an aging Saints roster | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Archie Manning remembers Kellen Moore coming to the Manning Passing Academy at Thibodaux, Louisiana, as a counselor during the summer of 2010, just before Moore's junior season at Boise State. Moore had just turned 22. But, said Manning, "He looked like he was 12." "I remember him as a really nice, polite kid, a left-hander" Manning said. "He was a coach's son. His daddy was a legendary high school coach in Washington (state). I remember that he didn't have the arm strength that a lot of the quarterbacks we bring in have. He wasn't a big guy, but he was really accurate and he knew where to go with the ball. He impressed me as being really, really smart, ahead of the game. As so many coaches' sons do, he really understood the game. "I don't know how much he got from us, but he must have enjoyed the camp and gotten something out of it because he came back the next year." Yes, and Moore has enjoyed south Louisiana a lot lately. Sunday, in the Superdome, he called the plays for the Philadelphia Eagles in their Super Bowl trouncing of the two-time defending NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs. He was back in the Crescent City Wednesday to start his new job as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. |
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