| Thursday, March 26, 2026 |
| MSU delegation visits future home of Rome programs | |
 | A delegation of Mississippi State officials visited the future home of the university's international programs headquartered in Rome, Italy, this month and participated in a personal audience with Pope Leo XIV. MSU has partnered with the Pontifical University Antonianum (PUA) to establish an academic collaboration, signing a Memorandum of Understanding last June. Additionally, MSU is renovating a historic convent that will provide students a home-away-from-home while abroad. The property is owned by the Vatican through the Carmelite Order, which sees this relationship as an extension of their educational mission. By entering this agreement, MSU will support a key element of its own rapidly growing study abroad program. The Rome Center was made possible by a gift from MSU donors Mike and Laura McDaniel, of Houston, Texas. The McDaniels took part in the MSU delegation's personal audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, where the first American-born pontiff in history was presented a special Mississippi State baseball jersey. Other university officials greeting the Pope included MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw and Vice President for Development and Alumni John Rush. |
| Inside MSU's Imaginarium, students learn by doing... and failing | |
 | Just inside the front door of the Imaginarium at Mississippi State University, a group of fourth-graders from Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary race LEGO cars down a ramp, chanting for their design to cross the finish line first. In another room, a group watches as jellyfish they crafted from paper and string float inside a wind tunnel. A student at another station grips a virtual reality headset as he explores an entirely different world. While the excitement seems like chaos, it's anything but. Each station is part of a carefully structured system designed to blend curiosity and creativity into learning. "We are basically encouraging them to get hands-on," said Mehdi Garemani, co-director for the Imaginarium and assistant professor of educational psychology. "It's OK. You can fail. It's a safe place to fail. ... If you drop stuff, that's gravity!" The Imaginarium Creativity and STEAM Discovery Center is a learning space that aims to expose students to different science, technology, engineering, arts and math concepts through hands-on activities and creative problem solving. |
| MSU-Meridian, Baptist team up to enhance student healthcare | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU)-Meridian and Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center announced a new collaboration to provide more than 500 university students with access to a primary care clinics for minor illnesses and injuries. "Student overall wellness has been a topic of conversation and now has come to fruition," said Deanna Smith, associate dean of students. "Baptist Anderson Family Medical Center Meridian is helping meet the needs of students with office visits paid for by Mississippi State University." The clinic, which is part of Baptist's large network, will be connected to Baptist's electronic health record system and patient portal. Students will also have access to Baptist's 35 subspecialties if their condition requires a higher level of care. |
| MSU-Meridian & Baptist Anderson Announce Collaboration | |
 | Mississippi State University-Meridian and Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center are announcing a new collaboration to provide more than 500 university students with direct access to one of the city's primary care clinics for minor illnesses and injuries. Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center Administrator and CEO John G. Anderson said hospital officials are excited about expanding their longstanding relationship with MSU-Meridian to meet immediate student healthcare needs. "We are proud to work with MSU-Meridian to support local students and provide another avenue for them to access quality healthcare," Anderson said. "Primary care is the foundation to well-being and overall health, and this clinic will give students easy access to quick care for such conditions as colds, stomach bugs or sprained ankles." Colton Wilson, a student ambassador enrolled in MSU-Meridian's Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, said the clinic will be utilized by students who are insured, underinsured, or not insured at all. |
| Philosophy Professor Bickle joins elite ranks as AAAS Fellow | |
| The American Association for the Advancement of Science is honoring Mississippi State University Professor John Bickle as an AAAS Fellow for his distinguished contributions to the philosophy of science and neuroscience. AAAS, founded in 1848, is one of the world's largest general scientific societies and began electing fellows beginning in 1874. Election is among the most esteemed honors in the scientific community, recognizing individuals with exceptional efforts toward the advancement of science or its applications. Bickle will travel with his wife, Marica Bernstein, and family to Washington, D.C., for formal recognition at the annual AAAS Fellows Forum this May. College of Arts and Sciences Dean Rick Travis said Bickle is an example of the university's exemplary faculty members. |
| Why do basketball players miss shots they've made a thousand times before? Neuroscience has an answer | |
| Mississippi State University's David Van den Heever writes for The Conversation: Every March Madness it happens. A player steps to the line, takes the shot and misses. And just like that, there goes your perfect bracket. These are elite players. The player has made that shot thousands of times before. So what went wrong this time? Research from my lab has found that the difference between making and missing a shot may come down to stability not only in how you move but how you think. My team wanted to understand how people build their skill at shooting hoops. So we examined the early phase of learning this particular skill -- when coordination between your brain and body is still being formed rather than taken for granted. |
| Mary Means Business: New commercial, residential development coming to Starkville | |
| Trifecta Development Group in Brandon just purchased approximately 2.5 acres on the corner of Lafayette and Highway 182 block in Starkville. With nearly 80% of the architectural plans complete, Trifecta Development Group partners Tye Densford and Alex Alexander confirmed plans to construct two buildings, one with 12 condominium units and one with 24. Combined, the first floor of both buildings will include approximately 16,000 square feet of commercial space to include businesses like a restaurant, coffee shop, boutique and more. "It's a little bit of a homecoming for us," Densford said, with three people working on the property who attended Mississippi State University. "I spent a lot of my life, five years, in Starkville. ... We are looking at several months from breaking ground, but hopefully by this time next year, we'll have a big, red ribbon and some scissors." "We like to consider ourselves local," Densford said. "The goal is to bring some permanent and gameday residences (to Starkville)." |
| Major events expected to boost Lauderdale County tourism this weekend | |
| Lauderdale County is preparing for a weekend of events expected to draw visitors from across the region. The Wings Over Meridian Air Show will bring aviation enthusiasts and families to the area for aerial performances. The Mississippi Mahjong "Hope in Every Hand" Tournament for Hope Village will welcome participants and supporters. Billy Ocean will perform Thursday, March 26 at the MSU Riley Center. Downtown Meridian will host Jet JAM at City Hall Lawn on Friday, March 27. The MUM 30 Year Block Party is scheduled for Saturday. "With multiple large-scale events happening simultaneously, we anticipate strong hotel occupancy, increased restaurant traffic, and a measurable economic impact throughout Lauderdale County," said Laura Carmichael, Executive Director of Visit Meridian Tourism. Tourism officials said weekends like this generate economic benefits and create long-term exposure. They said the events encourage repeat visitation and strengthen Meridian's reputation as a regional destination. |
| Turnrow set to reopen | |
| A valued member of the Greenwood downtown district returns to Howard Street on Wednesday. Turnrow Books will hold its grand opening Wednesday afternoon. The official ribbon cutting is set for 3:45 p.m., and the grand opening will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Fred Carl Jr., founder of Viking Range and owner of Turnrow Books, said they have been hard at work trying to rebuild after a 2023 fire forced the closure of the two-story bookstore on Howard Street. Nearly three years later, they are writing a new chapter in their history book, as Turnrow officially opens for business at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. In addition to this being a grand opening, Carl said, this is their 20th anniversary celebration. "The same Turnrow is back!" Carl wrote in an email. "And it's still three destinations in one -- Turnrow Books, Turnrow Art Co., and Turnrow Café." Carl said they began renovations in the spring of 2025 after finalizing the claims with the insurance company. He said the space had to be gutted and new electrical, plumbing and heating and air conditioning had to be installed. |
| Pearl River Resort to close buffet at Silver Star Casino | |
| The Buffet at Silver Star Hotel & Casino will close permanently Friday following a review of food-and-beverage operations at Pearl River Resort. The Buffet's final day of operation will be March 28. All current Buffet team members will be reassigned to other dining outlets and departments within Pearl River Resort. "The Buffet has been a part of many great memories for our guests and team members. As we advance our property improvement plan, we are making strategic decisions that position us to deliver elevated quality, consistency, and value across our dining experiences," said Timothy Hill, president and CEO. "We are investing where demand is strongest and introducing concepts that reflect today's preferences." Pearl River Resort offers nine restaurants and eateries across its properties. |
| New Madison restaurants will transform historic downtown | |
 | The latest restaurant development in Madison could change the face of its historic downtown. The Lady May and Station 1856 have been approved for development by the city, and the two restaurants will be connected with a green space along Main Street with room for as many as 200 patrons in the next 12 to 14 months. The two restaurants will be directly behind The Bridal Path near the intersection of Madison Parkway and Main Street. It continues the development of the downtown area of Madison. The development is the brainchild of Will Taylor and Chris McDonald, who opened their first Lady May in Ocean Springs a little more than five years ago. The other restaurant, Station 1856, is named for the founding date of Madison, but will be patterned after the group's other restaurant in Ocean Springs, named The Garage at Cash Alley, which is located just around the corner from The Lady May. There have been instances where businesses have found working with Madison and its strict regulations a problem. Taylor and McDonald said they had heard that, but their experience was not a problem. "(Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler) reached out to us from the very beginning, and she could not have been easier to work with," Taylor said. "You probably don't hear that often, but it's the truth. We think we have a lot of fans in Madison already, and that just helped with the process." |
| AeroShield Alliance locating headquarters in Mississippi | |
| BT Brands, Inc., a merger partner with Aero Velocity Inc., and AeroShield Alliance members are establishing a Mississippi headquarters. AeroShield Alliance is a collaboration of small businesses with complementary expertise in advanced technology, unmanned systems, ISR operations and workforce development. BT Brands, Inc. out of North Dakota and Ohio-based Aero Velocity Inc., a drone solutions and technology company, jointly announced a definitive merger agreement to combine in an all stock transaction in September 2025. The combined company is focusing on the development of advanced drone technologies and providing AI-powered solutions in government agency and commercial applications. The Alliance said the expansion represents a significant opportunity to expand access to advanced technology and workforce development in rural Mississippi through partnerships with Holmes Community College and local government leaders. “With support from U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker, we are launching the Rural Transportation Resilience Center at Holmes Community College,” Mark Hastings, CEO of Aero Velocity, said. |
| Mississippi lawmakers negotiate state budget as session nears end | |
| Mississippi lawmakers are negotiating the state budget as the legislative session approaches its deadline. Negotiations have moved from public sessions to smaller groups working on details. Rep. Chris Bell said lawmakers are in a wait-and-see period. "This is how the sausage is really made here in the legislature," said Bell. Senate Appropriations Chairman Briggs Hopson said things have been going well and the legislature is on the right path to conclude on time. Lawmakers could work through at least part of the weekend as they enter the final days. Conference reports must be filed by Saturday at 8 p.m., and most of the major conference reports involve appropriations. "Sometimes the devil's in the details, but I think so far so good," Hopson said. Hopson said the biggest wildcard is Medicaid, with costs the legislature cannot negotiate away. "Many of the things we want to do can be limited by Medicaid," Hopson said. "Maybe nobody gets everything they want, but everybody's able to get something where, agency-wise, they can function." |
| Mississippi lawmakers rework disaster loan plan after governor's veto | |
| After Gov. Tate Reeves vetoed a disaster relief program and alleged an unconstitutional route was taken to lower the interest rate levied on local governments impacted by Winter Storm Fern, lawmakers moved Wednesday to reconcile the matter and still provide low-interest loans. Conferees from the House and Senate stripped a different bill, House Bill 1646, and agreed on a short-term loan program for storm-struck cities and counties with no interest upfront but a 3% annual interest rate after reimbursement has been received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency would administer the program and provide loans to local governments that apply for them. The conference report will still need approval from both the House and Senate floors before it can be sent to Reeves for signature. Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann guaranteed it will pass his chamber with sources telling SuperTalk Mississippi News it will pass the House, as well. Whether Reeves will sign it or not, though, remains unclear. The second-term governor gave rise to a firestorm of finger-pointing amongst Republican officials when he shot down a version of the program late Monday. |
| 'I don't see where the money's coming from.' House retirement plan would cost $1.25B to keep PERS level | |
| The Mississippi House's proposed changes to the state retirement system would cost $1.25 billion over the next three decades and $175 million immediately to keep the program stable, according to state actuaries. With a handful of pricey policies still being negotiated in the final weeks of the session, Senate leaders -- who have pitched a plan to spend $1 billion on the retirement system over 10 years -- say the House's plan costs too much for too little payoff. "I can't see where you can spend more money than what we're spending," said Sen. Daniel Sparks, a Republican from Belmont who's behind the Senate's retirement proposals. "I don't see where the money's coming from." ... "We can afford anything we want to afford," said House Education Committee Chairman Rob Roberson, a Republican from Starkville. "You do what you have to do to retain good people. If you don't have a good pay or retirement structure, you're not going to keep good people." |
| With ARPA deadline looming, Mississippi lawmakers intercept unspent money | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves has approved a bill to retain funding that came to Mississippi from a historic federal infrastructure funding package in 2021. As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal government allocated $1.8 billion to the state in 2022. Of that pot, the state awarded $423 million in matching water and sewerage grants for cities and counties, as well as $385 million for rural water associations. But the deadline to spend that money is sneaking up. The federal program requires that all money be spent by Dec. 31 of this year. In early February, lawmakers released a list of projects under those programs, showing millions in unspent money around the state. As of the end of 2025, only 56% of the grants for cities and counties, handled by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, had been spent while, as of Feb. 2, 69% of grants awarded to rural water associations, handled by the Mississippi State Department of Health, had been spent. In total, over $305 million from those two programs was still unspent, although that number has likely gone down since February. "It gives us the highest probability of the least amount of money going back to (Washington) D.C.," said Sen. Bart Williams, a Republican from Starkville and an author of the Senate's version of the bill. "If we hadn't done this, I would suspect there would be several millions of dollars that would have to go back to D.C." |
| Mississippi bill could make 50-50 joint custody the standard in divorces | |
| Mississippi lawmakers are considering legislation that would make joint custody the standard in all divorce cases -- something done in only five states. Advocates of the proposed legislation say it will even the playing field for fathers. But litigation to gain sole custody would become more costly and time-consuming. If enacted into law, opponents say this bill would disproportionately hurt low-income women and those who work full time caring for children and households. Critics also say women who get joint custody of their children may end up providing most of the childcare, but they won't receive child support that can make that extra care more manageable. In some cases, it could force women into contact with abusive ex-husbands or leave children in the custody of abusive fathers. In most states, including Mississippi, parental custody is considered on a case-by-case basis. Often, mothers are granted primary custody. Experts say this legislation, if passed, would affect tens of thousands of Mississippi parents each year. |
| Edney increasingly an unlikely choice as White House delays naming new CDC Director | |
| Multiple media outlets rushed out articles this week claiming that Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney and at least two others were under consideration to be the White House's pick to the lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the White House has yet to confirm that Edney along with former Kentucky Governor Dr. Ernie Fletcher and Johns Hopkins University cardiologist Dr. Joseph Marine were under consideration, as the various reports claimed. However, the New York Times has now reported that the administration is delaying naming a nominee to head the agency. "The administration faces a formidable challenge in finding a nominee who aligns with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again agenda while avoiding his unpopular stance on vaccines," the New York Times reported. Edney's public stance championing the importance of vaccinations and childhood immunizations would appear to be at odds with Kennedy if the New York Times' reporting is accurate, making the Mississippi State Health Officer an increasingly unlikely pick by the Trump administration. |
| DHS funding negotiations turn to stalemate in Senate | |
 | Senate Republicans immediately rejected a new offer Wednesday from Democrats to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, in a troubling sign for negotiations as lawmakers scramble to reach a deal before a scheduled two-week recess begins Friday. The stalemate is throwing the upcoming recess into question, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D, repeatedly threatening to keep lawmakers in town until DHS is funded. "I think it's awfully hard not to have the government funded if we're not here," he said. The Democratic offer retains their long-standing push for changes to immigration enforcement policy, including a requirement for agents to remove their masks and obtain judicial warrants to enter private properties, lawmakers said. It also includes some changes that the White House "has already agreed to in principle, like officer identification, body-worn cameras, protecting sensitive locations from enforcement standards, and basic training standards," a Democratic source familiar with the offer said. The long day of partisan sniping ended with little sign of progress, though lawmakers insisted they were not giving up on reaching a deal. |
| Republicans in Congress Fret Over Iran War as Pentagon Offers Few Answers | |
 | Republicans in Congress are growing more anxious about the Trump administration's handling of the war in Iran as their questions about its objectives and cost, including whether ground troops will be needed, go unanswered. Several G.O.P. lawmakers emerged on Wednesday from classified briefings with Pentagon officials on Capitol Hill complaining that they had not received crucial details about the way forward. Their frustration came nearly a month into a conflict in which Republicans have given President Trump broad latitude to wage war with no congressional input, and resisted calling administration officials to provide a public accounting of what they are doing. Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who attended one of the briefings on Wednesday, said senior officials had failed to provide basic details about the scope and direction of the military campaign. "We want to know more about what's going on," an uncharacteristically irritated Mr. Rogers told reporters. "We're just not getting enough answers." Across the Capitol, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Republican chairman of his chamber's Armed Services panel, suggested he was also frustrated about the lack of information. "Let me put it this way," Mr. Wicker said of his House counterpart, according to Politico. "I can see why he might have said that." |
| Trump Says the Energy Shock Will Be Short-Lived. CEOs Paint a Scarier Picture. | |
 | Standing in front of a crowd of oil-and-gas executives this week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright reiterated that the chaos in global energy markets birthed by the U.S.-Iran war would be "short term." But on the stage and sidelines of a global energy conference in Houston, chief executives painted a much bleaker picture: Financial markets aren't accurately reflecting the gravity of the crisis, the war is crippling the world's fuel supplies, and the industry's Middle East operations are at risk, they said. Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Jarrod Agen, executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council, fielded questions about the timeline for winding down the conflict in private exchanges Tuesday with oil-and-gas CEOs, according to people familiar with the matter. Weeks, not months, has been their response at recent meetings. Some executives are privately expressing frustration with the administration's optimistic messaging and say officials have shared no coherent plan for withdrawing the U.S. from a deepening crisis. They say price gyrations and the uncertainty hanging over the conflict make it all but impossible to plan investments -- and that the disruption is already far-reaching. "What they fail to understand is that daily tweets driving volatility in both the commodity market and the equity market isn't good for anybody," said Mark Viviano, a managing partner at energy investment firm Kimmeridge. "It's just really difficult to make any kind of intelligent decisions in that environment." |
| War with Iran disrupts fertilizer exports as U.S. farmers prepare for planting season | |
 | Spring planting season is starting across the Northern Hemisphere. But before seeds go into the ground, nutrients go into the soil. Typically nitrogen fertilizer. "Right now, we're kind of ... we'll be in the thick of it," farmer Matt Ubel said from the cab of his huge green fertilizer spreader near Wheaton, Kansas. "Lot of nitrogen gets put on in the spring." The high cost of fertilizer and other farming necessities pushed many row crop farmers into the red last year. Ubel says some were holding out for lower prices this spring, only to see the price of the most common nitrogen fertilizer, urea, spike close to 30% when Iran shut down shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, halting close to half the world's fertilizer trade. "This probably threw some guys for a loop," said Ubel. Farmers in rural Kansas, and across the world, are feeling the unexpected consequences of the war in the Persian Gulf because closing the Strait of Hormuz has bottled up almost 50% of the world's urea exports. "If you had sat us down before and said, 'Hey, I want you to think of the nightmare scenario for fertilizer. What would it be?' It would be this exact event during this exact time of year," said Josh Linville, who oversees the global fertilizer department at the brokerage firm StoneX. |
| Mississippi cattle farms face mounting costs from conflict in Iran | |
| A 125-year-old cattle farm is getting squeezed from every direction. A war overseas, rising fuel costs and fertilizer prices that jumped $200 a ton in just two weeks are putting pressure on ranchers trying to stay afloat. Gale Martin runs GAP Farm in Rankin County, home to more than 5,000 cattle. Martin says the conflict in Iran is hitting his farm from two sides. Fuel costs are up, and so is fertilizer. The conflict has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil and other products. That is driving up costs at home. Martin has 700 acres planted in ryegrass, which helps feed his cattle. It needs nitrogen fertilizer four times a year. In just two weeks, Martin says fertilizer costs him $10,000 more. "It's $200 a ton more in two weeks that the price has gone up, basically, or since the war has started," Martin said. Low water levels on the Mississippi River are adding to the problem. Barges can only be filled halfway because of the low water, but it costs the same in diesel to bring a half-full barge as a full one, Martin said. Higher beef prices are not making up the difference. "The farmer is not making all of the profit. It's the value added in the end in the retail side," Martin said. |
| 'Freaked people out': Iran war could crimp Gulf allies' US investments | |
 | President Donald Trump is counting on money from the Gulf Arab States to power his economic golden age. But as the war with Iran nears its fifth week and the regional economy enters a free fall, hundreds of billions of dollars that Middle Eastern governments have pledged for U.S. projects are under threat. That has the Trump administration concerned that Gulf leaders may not be able to fulfill promises to invest heavily in the U.S., according to three people familiar with the internal conversations, including one former administration official, granted anonymity to discuss them. "What has really freaked people out is that the Gulf Arabs have warned that they're a couple weeks away from having to repatriate tens of billions of dollars in investments from the United States," said one of those people. "When these guys do that, it is going to be immensely destabilizing and contradictory to the president's investment goals." Any pullback on investments from Middle Eastern governments will limit the amount of capital available to U.S.-based tech startups, investment firms and big businesses that have come to rely on the region's sovereign wealth funds and government-backed investment vehicles as a key source of cash. But the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has largely choked off oil and gas revenue that support Gulf-based financial institutions that are a major source of global capital. And Iran's attacks on critical infrastructure and flashy highrises have brought tourism to high-dollar destinations like Dubai and Doha to a standstill. |
| Gulf countries want Trump to end Iran war -- but not yet, officials say | |
 | As the Trump administration makes what is says are initial peace overtures to Iran, U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf, initially skittish about the war, have become fearful of a hasty settlement that leaves the region less stable than it was a month ago, officials and analysts say. While Iran has been battered by nearly a month of U.S.-Israeli attacks, the war has not succeeded in toppling its government. Instead, it appears to have made the leadership in Tehran even more defiant and hard-line. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are lobbying for a decisive end to the war, through diplomatic or military means, according to a person briefed on that matter and three officials involved in the affairs of the region. If Tehran doesn't agree to severe restrictions on its missile, drone and nuclear programs, Saudi and Emirati leadership have indicated they would support an escalated military campaign aimed at pressuring concessions at the negotiating table, the officials, two European and one Arab, said. Tehran, for its part, says it is not engaged in talks, and does not appear ready to give in. |
| Could this weekend's No Kings protests be the largest ever? | |
 | With more than 3,100 events planned nationwide to protest President Donald Trump's actions and policies, organizers expect the No Kings protests to draw millions of Americans into the streets on March 28. The previous two No Kings protests brought out huge crowds, and organizers hope this event will be among the largest days of protest in U.S. history. The ACLU estimated that the initial June 2025 No Kings protests drew approximately 5 million people to 1,800 events, and the October 2025 demonstrations drew 7 million to 2,500 events. The ACLU's estimate for the June 2025 protests matched the findings of Harvard University's Crowd Counting Consortium. Indivisible Cofounder Leah Greenberg said organizers expect people to protest for a variety of reasons − from immigration enforcement to impeachment. The important thing is they come out and build connections, she said. Indivisible is one of the organizers. The No Kings organizers have built a coalition spanning labor, progressive activists, civil rights groups and faith leaders. |
| Priced out of Oxford? Rising rents push graduate students to rethink their futures | |
 | Rising rent prices in Oxford are forcing some students at the University of Mississippi to rethink their futures, including whether pursuing graduate school in the city is financially realistic. For Ben McCollum, a junior accounting major from Walnut, Miss., the numbers no longer add up. "I definitely would consider staying longer and staying for graduate school here in Oxford if housing was more affordable," McCollum said. "I just cannot see myself being able to live here comfortably while there are more opportunities for me elsewhere." Between his sophomore and junior years, McCollum said his rent increased by $200 per month. It is set to rise by another $200 in his upcoming lease this fall. "It seems pretty typical for most student apartment complexes to jump $150 to $300 between each school year now," McCollum said. "My roommates and I have thought about moving, but it feels impossible to find places that are cheaper or even the same price." Compared to other Mississippi cities, Oxford's rental market remains significantly higher. For McCollum, those comparisons reinforce his hesitation about remaining in Oxford for graduate studies. |
| MSMS drone team takes flight in first year | |
| When Spencer Reid, a junior at Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, enrolled at the school earlier this year, he came from St. Martin High School in Ocean Springs with a dream. After hearing that MSMS didn't have a drone team, Spencer wanted to start the school's first because he enjoyed competing for his previous high school's program so much. "With drones, that's something that I feel like I'm really good at, and I wanted to continue doing in the future," Reid said. "... And so coming here I definitely want to bring that over, so I can continue to get better and have a career in drones." Melanie Busby, director of student engagement at MSMS, said she was happy to sign on as the drone team's sponsor in the fall. After presenting to Executive Director Ginger Tedder and Thomas Easterling, director for academic affairs, the team was cleared for take off, Busby said. The only thing missing was funding until Airbus Helicopters stepped in with a $5,000 grant to get the program off the ground. |
| EMCC Director of Adult Education discusses Launch Pad East with local business members | |
 | East Mississippi Community College has a continuing mission of helping people of all ages launch their education and careers. Tshurah Dismuke, the Director of Adult Education, spoke to business leaders in Columbus today about the program available through EMCC's Launch Pad East. Launch Pad is available to anyone who has less than a high school education or doesn't have the basic skills necessary for educational advancement or a career. Launch Pad offers free classes to help them prepare for high school equivalency testing, like the GED, or testing they may need to begin workforce training, such as WorkKeys. There are also classes to help people improve their scores on those and college preparatory tests. In Columbus, Launch Pad is centrally located at the former Greater Columbus Learning Center building on Military Road, but there are also online classes available. EMCC also has Launch Pad locations in West Point, Mayhew, and Scooba. |
| Parents see hope in back-to-back rulings that social media providers failed to protect young users | |
 | Walker Montgomery was just 16 when someone pretending to be a teenage girl messaged him through Instagram and seduced him into cybersex. Within hours he was dead. Caught up in a sextortion scheme, the Mississippi teen killed himself. His father, Brian Montgomery, will never get over losing his son but he was among many parents celebrating this week as social media giant Meta lost two court cases where juries in different states ruled the platforms hook young users without concern for their well being. Montgomery sees it as a reckoning. "We're talking about the most financially sound business that the planet has ever known. This will set an expectation," said Montgomery on Wednesday after juries in New Mexico and Los Angeles found social media providers failed to protect young users. And he isn't alone. Other parents agree: There have been too few safeguards, and kids are suffering. The verdicts illustrate a growing shift in the public’s perception of social media companies and their responsibilities in keeping young people safe on their platforms. |
| BridgeUSA, AUNSIS, others host Iran conflict discussion | |
| BridgeUSA Auburn, the Auburn University National Security and Intelligence Society (AUNSIS) and Pi Sigma Alpha-Epsilon Nu hosted a joint discussion titled "Engaging Iran: Policy, Intelligence and Regional Stakes," on March 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the ACLC room 108. The event, open to all students, focused on Iran and its role in current U.S. foreign policy and regional security. As students filed in, they were encouraged to grab free drinks and pizza. By the event's start, around 40 students filled the space, with officers from the different organizations preparing at the podium. Before the open-discourse portion of the event started, the secretary for AUNSIS, Kate McLain, welcomed attendees and then spoke about the best methods to be informed with unbiased and accurate information. McLain suggested a way to determine whether a source is trustworthy is to assess how much emotion it contains and by cross-referencing it with similar documentation. |
| Mizzou researcher is looking for ways to help alpha-gal sufferers lead normal lives | |
 | Chris Engelage's family takes care of goats, cattle and a mule on their farm in Warren County. Engelage also loves to hunt. But if he were to eat a burger made from his own meat, he would be hit with joint pain, stomach aches and excruciating headaches. Engelage has alpha-gal syndrome, an acute mammalian meat allergy caused by the lone star tick. Those who have the condition can be allergic to meat -- beef, pork, lamb -- as well as other products like eggs, dairy, gelatin and even some medications. "I walked into a butcher shop one time, and just from all the fumes and everything in there, I got very light-headed and almost passed out," Engelage said. There is no cure for the syndrome, and the condition is on a steep rise in the United States as warmer temperatures increase habitats for ticks. From just a few cases in 2009, the number of people affected by alpha-gal may now be close to 500,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As cases continue to climb, what scientists know about the syndrome remains scarce and unpredictable. But one medical researcher at the University of Missouri is looking for answers. |
| Up North Michigan, schools struggle between pull of home and promise of college | |
| Jaeden Briley lives on a road named for her homesteading family, a narrow dirt track packed with deep snow. After feeding the chickens, horses and cows on her family's Montmorency County farm before dawn, she climbs into her Ford Focus and slips and slides five miles to the highway, which is a straight shot to Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools. A few months remain of her senior year at the small, rural school, and the 18-year-old knows she now has a choice of roads. She's been accepted into the University of Findlay in Ohio, where she could study to become a veterinarian, a career that typically takes eight years of higher education. Or, she may become a welder. Being a vet would bring at least twice the paycheck. But welding offers the chance for something just as valuable, Briley said. "I want to stay here." Wide swaths of northern Michigan have high levels of poverty and low levels of college education. In areas like Mio, Harrison and Kincheloe, upward income mobility -- doing better than your parents -- is as low as the poorest neighborhoods of Detroit and Flint. College is typically seen as a ladder out of poverty, especially with net costs going down. Yet enrollment in higher education continues to be lower in rural Michigan than almost anyplace in the state. |
| UVA pauses search for next provost | |
| University of Virginia President Scott Beardsley has paused the school's search for a new provost, citing changes to the leadership and governance and the composition of the search committee. "This is a difficult decision, but I believe it will help us achieve a better outcome in the long term, ensure institutional stability, and continue building trust in our community," Beardsley wrote in a letter to the search committee, according to a UVA release. Beardsley said the plan is to relaunch the search in the next academic year with a reconstituted search committee and pledged a process that will be, "fair, transparent and caring." Beardsley thanked and praised both the committee and the applicant pool, and encouraged the candidates to apply again when the search resumes. Brie Gertler, who has been serving as the interim provost since being appointed by former President Jim Ryan in March 2025, will remain in that post. |
| Integrating AI Across the Liberal Arts | |
 | As institutions continue to grapple with the rise of artificial intelligence, the University of Richmond is investing in a cross-campus initiative to integrate AI into the student experience while addressing its ethical and societal implications. Launched last fall, Richmond's Center for Liberal Arts and AI aims to bridge AI with the critical inquiry and humanistic values of the liberal arts. A key piece of the initiative is engaging both student and faculty fellows in course development and campus programming focused on AI. Lauren Tilton, center director, said the initiative is designed to embed AI into the learning experience in ways that are both practical and critically informed. "To be a critical thinker in a liberal arts setting is to be creative and innovative and work with the latest technologies, but also to be an informed and critical user of them," she said. Tilton noted that AI is not new -- tracing back to academic research in the 1950s at Dartmouth University -- and said that understanding its history is key to grappling with where it's going. The initiative ranges from speaker series to workshops on integrating AI across disciplines, from the humanities to the social sciences. |
| Parents who borrowed for child's college face major policy changes | |
| Parents who have taken out federal loans for their children's college education are facing major policy changes that could cost them money. The One Big Beautiful Bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last summer places restrictions on Parent Plus loans, limiting the amount families can borrow and eliminating some options for repaying the debt starting July 1. But one key repayment option could still be available if parents act soon. As it stands, parents have far fewer choices for repaying federal loans than their children. The only way for Parent Plus borrowers to make payments tied to their earnings is to consolidate their loans and enroll in income-contingent repayment, the most expensive of the four income-driven repayment plans. Income-contingent repayment caps monthly payments at 20 percent of discretionary income -- earnings above 100 percent of the federal poverty line -- and forgives the remaining balance after 25 years. The plan, however, will be phased out in 2028, and parents who are not already enrolled have until June 30 of this year to consolidate for access to income-contingent repayment before it sunsets. |
| Area Studies, Once Vital, Wither Without Funding | |
| The Trump administration cut off funding for area studies and foreign language education in September, putting an end to the flow of financial support for centers and programs that assisted national security strategy for decades. Justifying the cuts, the administration has said these kinds of programs are "inconsistent with Administration priorities and do not advance American interests or values." For years, area studies centers were funded through National Resource Center grants as part of Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Congress partially restored this funding in its most recent budget, but the damage to area studies may be irreversible. The University of Washington, home to one of the nation's oldest area studies centers, lost $2.5 million in National Resource Center and foreign language grants -- half of which went directly to student scholarships -- for the 2025–26 academic year. The University of Michigan lost about $3.4 million and the University of Kansas lost $2 million. Western Washington University's Center for Canadian-American Studies reportedly took a 70 percent hit to its budget after the Title VI funds were pulled. |
| Mayor Horhn has big plans for Jackson | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: Jackson Mayor John Horhn spoke to the Rotary Club of Jackson this past Tuesday. First of all, it's great to have a mayor who visits civic clubs like Rotary to engage with constituents, especially engaged ones such as club members. Sadly, civic club involvement has declined over the last 30 years, just one more bad effect of the rise in social media and tribal inclusiveness. Mayor Horhn's take was encouraging. ... Horhn acknowledged that basic city services simply ceased normal functioning in the prior administration and that the priority is reinstating the normal functioning of these services. |
SPORTS
| Softball: Goold Tosses First Career No-Hitter Against UT Martin | |
| Peja Goold threw her first career no-hitter on Wednesday night as No. 12 Mississippi State defeated UT Martin, 7-0. It was the 28th no-hitter in school history and she is the 20th Bulldog to toss one. Goold had turned in four one-hit performances this year, losing her no-hit bid with one out remaining in two separate run-rule victories, yet against UT Martin she finished the job. Despite the offense not being able to end the game early, Goold struck out a season-high 13 batters over 7.0 innings. "Peja is one of the best pitchers in the country, and she's really shown that all year long," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. With the win, State improved to 30-6, marking the fewest games to reach the 30-win mark in program history. Last year, the Bulldogs reset that standard with 30 wins in 38 contests before bettering it this season. MSU will host No. 23 South Carolina for its annual Monday night series this weekend. The series begins on Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m. CT. Sunday and Monday night's games will air nationally on SEC Network with both starting at 6 p.m. Saturday is the Bulldogs' annual Think Pink game, and Sunday will be MSU's Faculty/Staff Appreciation game. |
| Ron Polk Ring Of Honor Class Of 2026 Revealed | |
| Two Major League managers and a World Series champion comprise the 2026 Ron Polk Ring of Honor Class. Nat "Buck" Showalter, Alex Grammas and Chris Stratton will be the latest group of Mississippi State Baseball legends to be immortalized onto the pillars of the Adkerson Plaza in right field at Dudy Noble Field/Polk-DeMent Stadium. The Diamond Dawg trio becomes the eighth class to be enshrined into the prestigious Ron Polk Ring of Honor, which was established in 2019. Showalter, Grammas and Stratton's induction day will be on Saturday, April 4 ahead of the series finale against Georgia. Gates will open to the public at 8:30 a.m. with the ceremony starting at 9 a.m. |
| Track & Field: Outdoor Season Set To Begin At Home | |
| Mississippi State track and field will begin the outdoor season at home, competing in the Alumni Bulldog Relays this weekend. The meet will span three days, with action beginning on Thursday, with the hammer as the only event. Track events will begin on Friday afternoon, intermingling with field events through the weekend. Saturday will also hold the annual alumni celebration and the fastest kid around race, before the 4x400m relays. The Bulldogs are gearing up for four consecutive weekends of competition, beginning with the home meet this weekend. This weekend, 45 Bulldogs will compete across 35 events. Of those competing, 24 will be making their outdoor debut either as a Bulldog or a collegiate athlete. The meet will be held at the Mike Sanders Track Complex, with free admission. |
| Mississippi wildlife officials conduct annual deer herd health evaluations across state | |
| Wildlife biologists in Mississippi have spent the past several weeks conducting annual deer herd health evaluations across the state to monitor reproduction, body condition and disease prevalence in mature female deer. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks said the evaluations are being carried out in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Mississippi State University. Officials said the surveys focus on female deer ages 2.5 years and older and are conducted each year on wildlife management areas, state parks, U.S. military lands and other public and private properties. According to the department, the evaluations are especially important in areas where updated breeding data is needed, hunting pressure is limited, or herd changes are being monitored. Officials said the information helps track deer herd health over time and identify potential concerns, including low body weights or high parasite loads. |
| How are schools divvying up money between sports in modern era? Here's an inside look at Duke's approach | |
| For the last three years, before or during the opening of the men's basketball transfer portal, coach Jon Scheyer frequented the office of his boss, Duke athletic director Nina King, to discuss the cost of basketball prospects as he prepared for recruiting. Surely, he'd tell her, the prices won't get any higher. "I'd go to Nina and say, 'I think we've reached the peak,'" says Scheyer. "And then I'd feel like a complete idiot." But as costs climbed, so did Duke's increases in resources for its athletic programs, most notably men's and women's basketball and football. The men's hoops team currently has the top-rated recruiting haul following consecutive years of finishing with the No. 1 class; the women's program signed three top-30 players this year; and the football program had enough investment to sign, a year ago, a quarterback to a two-year contract worth nearly $8 million. The investment rebuffed a narrative that emerged in this era of direct athlete compensation -- that small, private universities, with budgets dwarfed by fellow football powerhouses, might slip into irrelevancy. In fact, King heard the doubts enough to utter during a 2024 interview the words, "We do not want to be left out." Months later, the Blue Devils are in the midst of one of the most successful athletic seasons in the modern history of college sports. |
| Meta Trial Verdict Is Warning Sign for Sports Betting Apps | |
| A Los Angeles jury on Wednesday found Meta and YouTube negligent for designing their apps in ways that caused children to become addicted, leading to mental health harms. The two companies must pay the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified as KGM, $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages, with Meta held 70% responsible and YouTube 30%. The landmark ruling, which can be appealed, is a significant development in social media law, reminiscent of findings of liability against other addictive products, including cigarettes. The ruling could also open the door to liability against other apps that are alleged to be addictive and harmful, and we could see similar lawsuits across the country. As Sportico exclusively reported on Tuesday, such a case now exists in Sage & Thompson v. DraftKings et al. The plaintiffs argue that sportsbook apps -- especially when offering live, rapid and in-play wagering options known as microbetting -- cause addictions that in turn lead to financial, family and career harms. Sage & Thompson v. DraftKings doesn't involve children and adolescents, but rather two men who argue DraftKings and FanDuel have designed their apps to encourage addictive betting behavior. The case is led by the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) at Northeastern University School of Law. Among the attorneys is Northeastern Law professor Richard Daynard, who successfully led litigation against tobacco companies in the 1980s and 1990s. |
| IOC bans transgender women athletes beginning with LA Games in 2028 | |
| Transgender women are banned from competing at the Olympics, beginning with the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028. International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry announced the change Thursday, March 26, reversing more than two decades' worth of inclusive policies. Since the IOC began allowing the participation of transgender athletes in 2004, only one openly transgender woman has competed at the Olympics, a weightlifter from New Zealand who did not make it past her opening round of competition at the Tokyo Games. Women who want to compete at the Olympics will have to do a one-time genetic test. The IOC began examining the issue of transgender participation in September 2024 after several sport federations, including World Athletics and World Aquatics, took steps to limit or ban transgender athletes. A year later, Coventry announced the creation of a working group that looked at "scientific, medical and legal developments since 2021." |
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