| Friday, June 3, 2016 |
| Regional ready: Starkville, Oxford putting on their game faces | |
 | It's not as big as a football weekend, but close enough. Starting today, thousands of college baseball fans will flood into Starkville and Oxford for NCAA baseball for the next few days. Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi are among the 16 sites across the country hosting regional tournaments. For the first time, MSU is a national seed -- No. 6. While players and fans are in town, they'll be paying for hotel rooms, buying food and shopping at stores, pumping thousands of dollars into the communities. "Having the regional is a boost because the students are out and it's normally a slower time of the year," said Jennifer Gregory, CEO of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership. "We expect a great turnout." |
| Mississippi State updates drone-use policy | |
 | Mississippi's leading research university has updated its unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and model aircraft policy. According to Mississippi State's chief research officer, the purpose of the new policy is to ensure that UAS and model aircraft are acquired and operated efficiently, safely and ethically, and in compliance with applicable laws and other university policies and procedures. "This updated policy clearly defines acceptable usage of UAS and model aircraft on university property," said David Shaw, vice president for research and economic development at MSU. "I encourage anyone with an interest in operating unmanned aircraft on campus to review this policy carefully." |
| Mississippi State student hopes to make big splash in tech pool | |
 | A Mississippi State University student is hoping to make a big splash in the tech pool. Terrence Williams recently received a scholarship to attend Apple's annual conference this month in San Francisco. "I'll be working with Apple developers, which is, like, completely amazing," Williams said. Williams will show off MSU ingenuity at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. Williams got the invitation because of his Bully Walk app, which helps users easily navigate the Starkville campus. The app already has more than 2,000 downloads and has been used more than 10,000 times. |
| Surplus drives down dairy farmer profits | |
 | An abundance of cool-season grasses and legumes means plenty of forage for Mississippi dairy cows, but increased nationwide milk production is driving down profits for the state's producers. Producers are receiving $12.75 per hundredweight, or about $1.10 per gallon of milk. A year ago, they were being paid just under $20 per hundredweight. Brian Williams, an agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the sharp decrease is driven by supply. "Higher U.S. production combined with sharply higher European milk production has contributed to what is currently a global surplus," Williams said. "The price of milk has experienced a linear downward trend since November, when futures were $16 per hundredweight." |
| Highway 182 redevelopment plan expected Sept. 30 | |
 | Planners with the Alabama- and Tennessee-based firm Farmer Morgan LLC announced Wednesday they'll complete a Highway 182 redevelopment and marketing initiative by the end of September. Starkville residents and property owners will have ample public input sessions this month to shape its contents as a community design charrette is scheduled from June 20-24. While planners map out the area this summer, Mississippi State University marketing professor Michael Breazeale and his students will work on a branding campaign for the area that captures its cultural history and distinguishes it from other areas of Starkville. "From a marketing standpoint, it's going to be really important to know what makes that area unique," he said. |
| Starkville surgeon dies during labor | |
 | The Golden Triangle-area community is mourning the loss of a beloved Starkville surgeon who died Wednesday during labor. Dr. Nikki Shoemake, 40, died at OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville, according to Oktibbeha County coroner Michael Hunt. Hunt said he considered Shoemake a personal friend and described her death as "tragic loss to the community." Shoemake received her undergraduate degree in microbiology from Mississippi State University in 1998 and her medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 2003. |
| Dawg House Sports Grill closing in Starkville | |
| Dawg House Sports Grill in Starkville is closing. The restaurant opened in the 17,000-square-foot old State Theatre on East Main Street two years ago. On Monday, this note appeared on the restaurant's Facebook page: "Unfortunately the time has come that we close our doors and spend time with our family. Thank you to our loyal customers and team members over the past couple of years." Danielle Boren, the grill's owner, told The Dispatch that the business will close for good after Saturday night. |
| Area counties, including Oktibbeha, remove 'No Guns Allowed' signs | |
| It is still possible to encounter "No Guns Allowed" signs around the area. You just won't see them at any county-owned buildings. Oktibbeha County removed its "no guns" signs at the first of May, said Oktibbeha County administrator Emily Garrard. "The attorney general's opinion was pretty clear," Garrard said. "Our signs were in violation of the law, so we took them down. There is some thought that we could put up signs as long as they had the proper wording, but we really haven't researched it to the point where we know what the proper wording would be." |
| Northrop Grumman unmanned systems center celebrates 10 years in Moss Point | |
 | Thursday morning in Moss Point featured the celebration of one of the state of Mississippi's best kept secrets in Northrop Grumman celebrating 10 years of manufacturing aerial ships for their allies in their state of the art 101,000 square-foot facility. On hand for Thursday's festivities was Mississippi Governor, Phil Bryant along with civic leaders and special guests. According to George Freeland of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, Thursday's celebration marked the longevity of what Northrop Grumman has been able to accomplish in their 10 years and to let the rest of the world know that not only is the Mississippi Gulf Coast known for its shipbuilding industry, but also for its aerial vehicles. |
| Mississippi setting stage for Kim Davis-like showdown, critics fear | |
| Mississippi is setting the stage for a likely showdown weeks from now between local court clerks and same-sex couples seeking a marriage license unless a federal court intervenes, a new legal brief contends. Roberta Kaplan, an attorney for the Campaign for Southern Equality, says in the brief filed Wednesday with U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi that when Mississippi's "Religious Freedom" law takes effect July 1, "it is highly likely that some clerks will unlawfully refuse to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples." The legal debate comes as Gov. Phil Bryant publicly defends the "Religious Freedom" law, couching it in religious terms that critics believe is setting the stage for another confrontation reminiscent of Kim Davis, the Kentucky court clerk who refused to abide by the Supreme Court ruling. |
| Mississippi Supreme Court says it won't hear 'demon chipmunk' read | |
| The state Supreme Court says it won't listen to recordings of a state House computer cranked up to top speed and reading bills in a garbled voice some have described as a "demon chipmunk" when it hears arguments between a freshman Democratic lawmaker and Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn next month. Freshman Rep. Jay Hughes, D-Oxford, sued Gunn and a Hinds County Circuit Court judge ordered Gunn to slow down the reading. But he appealed and the Supreme Court struck the order and Gunn cranked up the computer speed over several days of filibuster. In early May, the state Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments on whether the judiciary should get involved in the legislative dispute. |
| Supreme Court opts not to listen to evidence in bill reading | |
| The Mississippi Supreme Court has opted not to hear the audio evidence in deciding whether House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, was violating the state Constitution in having bills read at a incomprehensible speed. The court has set oral arguments in the unusual case for July 19, but rejected a motion this week to have audio of the bill readings be entered into evidence. Rep. Jay Hughes, D-Oxford, who sued Gunn for the speed he was having bills read through a computer application, asked the court to allow him to enter the recording into evidence. The court rejected the request by an 8-0 margin with Justice Ann Hannaford Lamar, whose son, Trey Lamar of Senatobia, is a Republican member of the House, not participating. |
| Trump Could Threaten U.S. Rule of Law, Scholars Say | |
 | Donald J. Trump's blustery attacks on the press, complaints about the judicial system and bold claims of presidential power collectively sketch out a constitutional worldview that shows contempt for the First Amendment, the separation of powers and the rule of law, legal experts across the political spectrum say. Even as much of the Republican political establishment lines up behind its presumptive nominee, many conservative and libertarian legal scholars warn that electing Mr. Trump is a recipe for a constitutional crisis. "Who knows what Donald Trump with a pen and phone would do?" asked Ilya Shapiro, a lawyer with the libertarian Cato Institute. Beyond the attack on judicial independence is a broader question of Mr. Trump's commitment to the separation of powers and to the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution. |
| Clinton: Trump is 'dangerously incoherent,' 'temperamentally unfit' to be president | |
 | Hillary Clinton lacerated Donald Trump in a much-anticipated foreign policy speech Thursday, effectively launching her general-election campaign by declaring him "temperamentally unfit" to lead the most powerful nation in the world. In an address that signaled clearly how she plans to defeat Trump in November, Clinton did not delve into the details of her own policies but focused instead on how she views his shortcomings. She framed the real estate magnate with contempt and mockery, and she rejected the central tenet of his campaign -- that America is no longer great. |
| Job gains weaken dramatically: Only 38,000 added in May | |
 | The labor market slowed dramatically in May as employers added 38,000 jobs, raising concerns that a sluggish economy is taking a bigger toll on employment and lowering the odds of a Federal Reserve rate hike this month. The unemployment rate fell from 5% to 4.7%, lowest since November 2007 the Labor Department said Friday, but that was because nearly 500,000 Americans stopped working or looking for jobs. The paltry employment gains were the smallest in 5 1/2 years. Fed policymakers are expected to scrutinize Friday's report, likely the most significant piece of data they will review before deciding whether to raise interest rates at a June 14-15 meeting. |
| Mississippi Governor's School session to kick off Sunday at MUW | |
| Approximately 60 scholars from around the state will attend Mississippi Governor's School at Mississippi University for Women from June 5-24. This year's theme is Think Globally to Grow Mississippi. MGS is a residential honors program established in 1981 by Gov. William F. Winter and the faculty and administration at MUW. MGS is designed to provide academic, creative and leadership experiences for a limited number of rising high school juniors and seniors who have demonstrated exceptional ability and achievement in academics and community involvement and who show high intellectual, creative and leadership potential. |
| Delta State President Lands Gulf South Conference Leadership Spot | |
 | Delta State University President William N. LaForge will add another prestigious leadership post to his list of accomplishments this week, as he officially takes office as the President of the Gulf South Conference at the league's annual summer meetings. He has spent the past two years as Vice President of the GSC. "I am thrilled and honored to be able to serve the GSC and Delta State in this new capacity," President LaForge said. The Gulf South Conference, with offices in Birmingham, Ala., sponsors 17 sports at the NCAA Division II level and features membership across Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee. |
| William Carey University releases second video showing advancements in telemedical drone | |
 | A new promotional video from William Carey University is showing how a recently-developed telemedical drone can integrate into local 911 systems. It demonstrates how the Health Integrated Rescue Operations (HIRO) drone can deliver medical supplies and coordinate life saving measures within an emergency response system. WCU associate dean of preclinical sciences Italo Subbarao and medical student Guy Paul Cooper, Jr., first developed it about one year ago. It's the second video promoting the system. |
| Construction underway on Auburn's poultry research and education center | |
 | Alabama's largest agricultural industry is seeing construction begin this week on a comprehensive, state-of-the-art research and teaching facility at Auburn University. The university's Department of Poultry Science and National Poultry Technology Center broke ground last week on the Charles C. Miller Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center, being built about two miles north of Auburn's main campus. The three-phase construction project is beginning with two poultry research houses and a poultry equipment testing and evaluation house. "The commencement of this project is significant for Auburn University and for the Alabama poultry industry," said Paul Patterson, dean of Auburn's College of Agriculture and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. |
| With help from U. of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, olive growers taking baby steps | |
 | On a recent Monday evening, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences threw its annual Flavors of Florida gala to showcase the homegrown seafood, fruit, vegetables and meat that IFAS faculty had a hand in producing. On the pool patio outside UF's University House, a formally dressed crowd moved from table to table, sampling Cedar Key oysters, bacon and honey from university labs. There were blueberries, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables from farms that IFAS faculty work alongside. At a rustic wooden table draped in a green runner, guests lined up to dip bread in extra virgin olive oil made at the family-owned Florida Olive Farms & Mill in Live Oak. In recent years, IFAS, the nonprofit Florida Olive Council and farmers around the state have toiled to see if olives, which have been grown in Florida since the 1700s, can become a viable commercial crop here. |
| Texas A&M joins initiative program to promote entrepreneurship | |
 | Texas A&M University will be one of three Texas universities to take part in a new entrepreneurship opportunity for students, giving them access to the various resources available through the Blackstone LaunchPad program. Announced by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation in Dallas on Thursday in The University of Texas at Dallas Visitor Center Atrium, the partnership will provide Texas A&M, the University of Texas and the University of Texas at Dallas each with a three-year, $1 million grant to help promote entrepreneurship as a career path for students. In a press release following the announcement, Blackstone officials explained the program will "connect the university campuses, the business community and local entrepreneurs throughout the state to create an environment that nurtures students and provides them with the skills and network necessary to succeed as entrepreneurs." |
| Collaboration to be key at Texas A&M's RELLIS campus | |
| Nearly a month after the announcement of the Texas A&M University System's forthcoming RELLIS campus, Chancellor John Sharp on Wednesday appointed James Nelson as director of special academic initiative, taking the next step toward making the campus a reality. The renovated RELLIS campus, which will take over the system-operated land in west Bryan formerly known as the Riverside Campus, was announced by Sharp in May as a space dedicated to pursuing cutting-edge research, testing and workforce development as well as offering a local alternative for students to earn a four-year degree without attending Texas A&M University. Nelson said he is excited to be joining the project, which he called a "very exciting opportunity." |
| Pell Grant Program Projected to See $7.8 Billion Surplus Next Year | |
 | The Pell Grant program, a federal financial aid offering earmarked for the neediest college students, is expected to have a $7.8 billion surplus next year. The fight is on to claim that money. Reps. Robert Scott (D., Va.) and Ruben Hinojosa (D., Texas) sent a letter Thursday urging leaders of the Senate and House appropriations subcommittees that deal with education and human services to keep the funds in the Pell program for fiscal 2017. "We are concerned there will be proposals to raid Pell to address other" funding needs, Messrs. Scott and Hinojosa wrote. The government hasn't doled out as much money as anticipated because college enrollments have declined slightly and fewer students qualify for the aid as their families continue to recover from the recession, according to Robert Kelchen, an assistant professor of higher education at Seton Hall University. |
| Colleges expand access to mental health services on campus | |
 | In recent months, several colleges have announced that they will expand the hours and locations at which counselors can be sought out. Nearly 10 percent incoming freshmen who responded to last year's American Freshman survey reported that they "frequently felt depressed." It was the highest percentage of students reporting feeling that level of depression since 1988, and 3.4 percentage points higher than in 2009, when the survey found the rate of frequently depressed freshmen to be at its lowest. The mental and emotional health of students has been of increasing concern to colleges in recent years, even as many institutions struggle to find the resources to better address those concerns. |
| Scared and Unprepared, UCLA Students Improvised a Lockdown Response | |
 | Daphne Ying, a senior at the University of California at Los Angeles, was in a language class on Wednesday when she and her classmates received a text alert notifying them of police action, and then a shooting, at an engineering building on the campus. When they tried to lock down the classroom, the students realized its door swung outward and was unlockable. They brainstormed, then rigged a lock by wrapping an extension cord around the doorknob and weaving it through a chair bolted to the floor. Photos and videos of such innovative locks spread on social media, and prompted the university to say it would investigate the problem. Each of several UCLA students interviewed by The Chronicle said they had received no training from the university about what to do during a campus shooting. So they relied on improvisation and, remarkably, personal experience. |
| Rhodes Scholarship Program to Expand | |
| The Rhodes Trust announced on Wednesday the largest expansion of the Rhodes scholarship program in its 113-year history. The trust will open the program, which finances graduate study at the University of Oxford, to students from Ghana, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Palestinian territories, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. "Our goal is to be completely a global scholarship," Charles Conn, the warden of Rhodes House and the chief executive of the Rhodes Trust, said in a telephone interview. "There's never been an increase like this before." The number of scholarships awarded each year will rise to 95 from 83, an increase that includes four new scholarships for Chinese students, announced last year. The number of Rhodes scholars studying at Oxford at any time will rise to about 250, from around 220. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's state of mind resembles that of 2013's College World Series club | |
| John Cohen raved about every team within the Starkville Regional on Thursday. He labeled the changeup of Southeast Missouri State's ace the best in the country. He referred to Cal State Fullerton as one of the nation's most underrated teams and pointed out the turnaround of Louisiana Tech. Mississippi State's eighth-year coach saved the best compliment for his club, though. "Our kids our loose. It kind of reminds me a little bit of the '13 group," Cohen said. That 2013 team advanced to the program's only College World Series championship series. It's also the last time Mississippi State hosted a regional. The talent from this year's squad and how far it advances in college baseball's NCAA Tournament remains to be seen as it plays Southeast Missouri State at 1:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN3). |
| 'Battle' awaits Mississippi State in Starkville Regional | |
 | It might not have been the matchup that Mississippi State thought it would be awarded with being a national seed, but the Bulldogs are ready for the challenge. MSU starts off regional play Friday as it hosts a team that John Cohen said had no business being a four seed in the tournament. The Ohio Valley Conference champions Southeast Missouri boasts one of the top left-handers in college baseball and an offense that hits over .300. In other words, Cohen is expecting a battle. "Our regional has the best RPI average of any regional in the country," Cohen said on Thursday. "Southeast Missouri is a great club and they have arguably of the best left handers in the country. (Joey Lucchesi) led the country in strikeouts." |
| Bulldogs haven't named starter | |
| John Cohen and Steve Bieser will match wits from their respective dugouts today when they square off today at 1:30 p.m. in Game 1 of the Starkville Regional. But the chess match between the two started much sooner during Thursday's press conference. Cohen was reluctant to release top-seeded Mississippi State's starting pitching plans until Bieser named his for No. 4 seed Southeast Missouri State. "We're really close to making that decision, we're just waiting to see which direction SEMO is going to go first," Cohen said. "As soon as we hear something about who they're going to start that could -- and I'm not saying it will -- but it could alter where we are with that decision." |
| Nation's strikeout leader may not face Mississippi State | |
| The nation's leader in strikeouts didn't sleep well Wednesday night and Mississippi State could benefit from it. Southeast Missouri State ace Joey Lucchesi woke up not feeling right Thursday morning. It placed his start against MSU at 1:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN3) in doubt. "We thought he was going to be able to go," Southeast Missouri State coach Steve Bieser said. "He had a little rough night of sleep, woke up stiff. I think he's going to be more of a game-time decision." If Lucchesi cannot pitch, Clay Chandler, who is 4-5 with a 3.91 ERA, would start against the Bulldogs (41-16-1). T |
| Jack Kruger, Nathaniel Lowe earn trust of Mississippi State teammates | |
| Jack Kruger wants nothing more than to be respected by his teammates. Coming from Oregon and Orange Coast (Calif.) College, Kruger arrived at Mississippi State in the fall hoping to fit in and to earn the respect of his teammates on the MSU baseball squad. When asked how he went about gaining the trust of his new teammates, Kruger channeled "The Office's" Michael Scott. Scott, played by Steve Carell, asked, "Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." Kruger laughed when he quoted Scott, but he believes that quote helped him find a way to fit in and enabled him to emerge as a leader. "They can love you all they want, but if they respect and trust you, it's kind of like a parent type thing," Kruger said. "I'd rather be feared and have them take seriously what I have to say rather than think of it as a joke." Kruger and fellow junior college transfer Nathaniel Lowe have played big roles in MSU's success. |
| Mississippi State's Zac Houston looks to ride the momentum of strong start in Hoover | |
| Zac Houston's performance last week was an eye-opener. In front of a large crowd in Hoover, Alabama, at the Southeastern Conference tournament, the Mississippi State baseball right-handed pitcher recorded 26 outs before Alabama was able to push a run across. Houston began the season as a starter, but because of struggles, he was moved back to the bullpen. After working with pitching coach Wes Johnson, Houston and Johnson approached coach John Cohen about letting Houston take the mound to begin the SEC tournament. "I really hadn't thrown as much as I'd like to have this season," Houston said. "I pitch better when I've got a chip on my shoulder, when I'm trying to prove something. I wanted the ball and I told them that. They gave me that opportunity and I ran with that." |
| D1Baseball.com's Kendall Rogers feels Starkville Regional will be 'tough' | |
| The top-seeded and No. 4 Mississippi State baseball team (41-16-1) will play Southeast Missouri State (39-19) at 1:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN3) in the first game of the Starkville Regional at Dudy Noble Field. Second-seeded and No. 21 Cal State Fullerton (35-21) will play third-seeded Louisiana Tech (40-18) at 6:30 Friday night (ESPN3) to complete the first day of action in the double-elimination event. Here are the thoughts of D1Baseball.com's Kendall Rogers about the Starkville Regional and its teams. |
| Regional Notebook: John Cohen sees similarities between 2016 and 2013 Bulldogs | |
| Mississippi State baseball coach John Cohen is seeing some similarities with this year's team to a team from the past. Cohen feels like the 2016 club is a lot like the 2013 team that finished as the national runner-up to UCLA in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. He feels this way mainly because of the team chemistry. "They're really relaxed and loose, they have fun being around each other and they have fun practicing," Cohen said. "Not every group in the country has fun when they're practicing and this group does and it's really important." |
| Starkville Regional Notebook: Jason Dietrich returns to Starkville | |
| When Butch Thompson left Mississippi State last October to take the head coaching job at Auburn, John Cohen had two pitching coaches in mind to take Thompson's place. Although Cohen ultimately hired Wes Johnson away from Dallas Baptist, he was also in pursuit of Cal State Fullerton's Jason Dietrich. In fact, Dietrich and his family flew to Starkville to speak with Cohen about the position before both parties mutually agreed it was not a good fit and three days later Johnson was hired. Now Dietrich is back and is bringing his Titan pitching staff with him, which also happens to hold the nation's lowest earned run average at 2.21. |
| Southeast Missouri enters regional with SEC comfort level | |
| Southeast Missouri State will attempt to play a professional type of game today when the Starkville Regional opens at Dudy Noble Field. Four-seeded Southeast Missouri (39-19) takes on top-seeded Mississippi State (41-16-1) at 1:30 p.m. to open the four-team, double-elimination event. Second-seeded Cal State Fullerton (35-16) faces third-seeded Louisiana Tech (40-18) at 6:30 p.m. in the other opening-round game. The Starkville Regional winner plays the Lafayette Regional winner next weekend for a trip to the College World Series. Southeast Missouri sixth-year coach Steve Bieser has an idea of what to expect when facing the No. 6 national seed based on earlier experiences against the Southeastern Conference. |
| Mississippi State's Dakota Hudson, Nathaniel Lowe named Louisville All-Americans | |
| Dakota Hudson and Nathaniel Lowe earned Louisville Slugger All-American honors on Thursday. Each earned second-team honors. Mississippi State hadn't had multiple Louisville Slugger All-Americans since 2013. It was the latest honor for Hudson, who was named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist on Wednesday. He and Lowe were also named first-team All-SEC selections last week. |
| Top recruit Jeffrey Simmons allowed to enroll at Mississippi State 'with conditions' | |
| Mississippi State announced that nine football players from the 2016 signing class have enrolled as classes started for the June term on Thursday. One will attract more immediate attention than the others, partly due to off-the-field issues. Among those beginning both their academic and football careers as Bulldogs is Noxubee County defensive end Jeffrey Simmons, who was charged with disturbing the peace and simple assault for striking a female in an altercation involving his sister at an apartment complex in Macon on March 24. Simmons, a five-star prospect and the top-rated recruit in Mississippi, has been permitted to enroll at MSU "with conditions," according to a news release from the university. |
| Kentucky baseball searches for a successor | |
 | A rain shower fell on the field at Cliff Hagan Stadium on Thursday morning as Gary Henderson sat in Kentucky's home dugout, the same dugout where he had worked the past 13 seasons, five as the head baseball coach, and talked what about it was like to be out of work. "I don't know if it's six weeks or six months or 12 months," Henderson said, "but you just get to a spot, you're 55 years old, you've been doing it for 30 years, you work 355 days a year, they're 80-to-100 hour work weeks and I just got to a spot where I knew I just needed a little bit of time away." Tuesday morning, the day after UK failed to make the NCAA Baseball Tournament for the second consecutive season, Henderson woke up with his mind made up. He submitted his resignation to Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart. As associate head coach under John Cohen, Henderson helped UK to the 2006 SEC title. |
| Vanderbilt pitcher Donny Everett dies in drowning accident | |
 | Vanderbilt pitcher and Clarksville native Donny Everett drowned at a Coffee County Lake on Thursday night, according to sources close to the situation. Coach Tim Corbin met with players and coaches late Thursday night to inform them of Everett's death. The Commodores are scheduled to play Xavier in their NCAA Regional game at 7 p.m. Friday. Vanderbilt spokesman Rod Williamson said the status of Friday's game has not yet been decided because the university is still gathering information and athletics director David Williams is traveling back from the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Fla. |
| Gag order issued in U. of Tennessee sex assault lawsuit | |
| A judge set a May 22, 2018 trial date in a sweeping sexual assault lawsuit filed against the University of Tennessee by eight former students earlier this year, while also ruling that attorneys stop making comments to the media in the high profile case. The jury trial is expected to last approximately three to four weeks. The trial date was picked to accommodate end-of-year finals and graduation for the dozens of university coaches, students, faculty and staff who are expected to be called as witnesses. The lawsuit filed in February alleges that the university fostered a culture that enabled sexual assaults by student-athletes. The lawsuit laid the blame at the very top of the UT administration. |
| More than half of athletes in study say they engaged in sexual coercion | |
| Driven by negative attitudes toward women and misperceptions about rape and consent, more than half of athletes surveyed for a new study say they have pressured women -- through physical and verbal threats -- into having sex with them. And it's not just big-time basketball and football players who are guilty of sexual coercion. The athletes included in the study were mostly those who play recreational, not intercollegiate, sports. "What we see in this study speaks to a larger issue than just the high-profile and sensational reports we hear about," said Sarah Desmarais, an associate professor of psychology at North Carolina State University and the study's co-author. "There are some attitudes and beliefs prevalent among all kinds of male athletes that seem to be leading to high levels of sexually coercive behavior." |
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