| Monday, September 25, 2017 |
| How a 3-Ton Mess of Dead Pigs Transformed This Landscape | |
 | In nature, mass mortality sometimes happens. The problem is the die-offs are unpredictable. The solution, Brandon Barton of Mississippi State University and his colleagues decided was simple: If they couldn't predict a mass mortality event, they would make one happen. For that the team needed an immense mass of dead animals. Luckily, wildlife biologist Marcus Lashley of Mississipi State had connections with people at state and federal agencies who are responsible for combating a wildlife pest that currently plagues Mississippi and many other states. A few phone calls later, the dead feral pigs started streaming in. Collecting the microbial data during this active decomposition phase was like playing Twister, says Heather Jordan of Mississippi State. |
| UMMC, Mississippi State take aim at early childhood health | |
 | A three-year $10.5 million grant is helping the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State University improve the health of the state's children. The grant is from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. UMMC's Center for Advancement of Youth and MSU's Social Science Research Center are launching the Child Health and Development Project. The pilot project, aimed at measurably improving health and development outcomes for children younger than six years, will provide screening and interventions in child care center, doctors' offices and other locations. |
| HackState highlights 'hacker' culture at Mississippi State | |
 | More than 200 students and industry professionals crowded into the ballroom at the Colvard Student Union on Saturday for the inaugural HackState hackathon. The weekend event on the Mississippi State University campus saw students from many different fields and backgrounds participate in an innovation and coding competition, along with gaining access to beginner workshops geared toward newcomers to the field. HackState is also the first Major League Hacking hackathon in Mississippi. Natalie Larkin, executive director of HackState, told the Starkville Daily News about 80 percent of the participants in the event have never participated in a hackathon before. Students from 25 colleges and universities were expected to attend. |
| MSU Inaugural Hack-a-thon Competition | |
 | This weekend more than 200 college students from across the Southeast gathered on Mississippi State's Campus for a 24 hour competition. Saturday afternoon, students from 25 colleges and universities commenced the inaugural hack-a-thon. Participants will make presentations of their individual work, to judges, to determine the winners. Throughout the hack-a-thon students got to interact with other programmers, they used skills like critical thinking, problem solving and independent researching. "One thing that there is a misconception about is, this event is for experienced programmers, that's absolutely not the case. We are very beginner friendly. We have a bunch of workshops for students to learn and we want to encourage you if you haven't done much programming, come learn and test your abilities," said Hack State Executive Director Natalie Larkin. |
| After DACA decision, Mississippi leaders ponder possible paths | |
 | The fate of the U.S. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program affects -- directly or indirectly -- thousands of people in Mississippi. The local impact is difficult to gauge, but officials whose work intersects with life in the Meridian area are weighing in with their thoughts about a program that has allowed people brought to the country as children to live and to work outside of the shadows. Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum has written to members of the Mississippi Congressional Delegation, urging them to act on the issue of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, said Sid Salter, MSU's chief communications officer, in an email. "Through no fault of their own, these young people have been placed in a situation which could have a dramatic effect on their lives at a critical time in pursuit of their higher education goals," Keenum wrote. Terry Dale Cruse, administrative director and head of campus for MSU-Meridian, also responded to a question about DACA during a recent visit to The Meridian Star. |
| Theatre MSU opens its season with 'The Little Mermaid' | |
 | A famous Danish fairy tale opens the 54th performance season of the Mississippi State communication department's theatrical program. "The Little Mermaid," playwright Linda Daugherty's two-act adaption of the well-known Hans Christian Andersen story, will be featured Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. on the university's McComas Hall main stage. Theatre MSU will continue its 2017-2018 season at McComas throughout the fall and spring semesters. "This is one of the most exciting seasons I've been a part of here," said Assistant Professor Cody Stockstill, Theatre MSU coordinator. The variety of shows during the school year "are sure to enhance audiences, but also be a great challenge for our student actors and designers." |
| 'The Pot of Gold': Lighten up with a Roman comedy at MSU | |
| Playwrights have been at their craft far longer than most credit. Titus Maccius Plautus is thought to have penned "The Pot of Gold" between 200 and 192 B.C. Numerous centuries later, a troupe of young thespians at Mississippi State will resurrect Plautus' tale of a stingy old man who barely trusts himself, let alone others. The production is part of Shackouls Honors College Classical Week 2017, a celebration of Greek, Roman and other cultures of the ancient world. As in years past, the Griffis Hall Courtyard at Zacharias Village on MSU's campus will serve as a backdrop for this Roman comedy. "The free outdoor shows begin at 6 p.m., and we invite everyone to bring a chair or blanket to sit on and bring food to eat, too," said director Donna L. Clevinger, professor and senior faculty fellow in the Honors College. The production's cast and crew includes 10 first-semester freshmen making their university stage debut. All are honors students and represent majors ranging from business and STEM to arts and sciences, Clevinger said. |
| Mississippi State, Delta Health Alliance to help students | |
 | Up to 400 low-income Mississippi State students will get money for school and financial education through a partnership with Delta Health Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes healthier lifestyles. The partnership will provide $1.15 million to assist the students through the MSU/DHA Delta DREAMS Savings Grant. MSU Financial Literacy Coordinator John Daniels, who initiated the partnership, will lead the recipients' financial education efforts. A two-hour financial literacy seminar will include discussions on budgeting, why saving is important and understanding interest and loans. |
| Keenum to speak at historical society event Wednesday | |
| The Columbus Lowndes Historical Society invites the community to its annual meeting at noon Wednesday at the Stephen D. Lee Home located at 316 Seventh St. N. Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum will speak on "Stephen D. Lee: A Higher Education Perspective." "We are very pleased to have Dr. Keenum address the 58th annual meeting of the Columbus Lowndes Historical Society," said the organization's president, Keith Gaskin. "Having the current MSU president speak on the topic of the first MSU president from a higher education perspective is a unique opportunity we encourage the community to take advantage of." |
| MSU-based Ulysses S. Grant Association announces bicentennial commission | |
| The Ulysses S. Grant Association is set to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the former president's birth after officially forming a bicentennial commission to commemorate the occasion. The commission will organize a series of events and celebrations planned for 2022 to commemorate Grant's April 27, 1822 birth in Clemont County, Ohio. A bipartisan U.S. Senate resolution was passed in 2015 placing the Mississippi State University-based Ulysses S. Grant Association in charge of the national bicentennial celebration. "The Ulysses S. Grant Association is honored that the U.S. Senate chose it as the organization to plan the 2022 celebration of U.S. Grant's birth in 1822," USGA Executive Director and MSU Professor of History Emeritus John F. Marszalek said. |
| Mississippi State-based association heads national Ulysses S. Grant celebration | |
 | The Ulysses S. Grant Association has officially formed a bicentennial commission that will spend the next five years organizing a series of events and celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the nation's 18th president. A bi-partisan U.S. Senate resolution was passed in 2015 placing the Mississippi State University-based Ulysses S. Grant Association in charge of the national bicentennial celebration in 2022. Frank J. Williams, former Rhode Island Supreme Court chief justice and Grant Association president, will chair the commission. Michael J. Devine, retired director of the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and an association board member, worked with senators to pass the resolution, which acknowledges Grant's significance as a two-term president and Civil War general. |
| Starkville Main Street Association presents annual awards | |
| Starkville Main Street Association honored seven local organizations for design, redevelopment and business practices at its annual meeting and awards program on Thursday. Greater Starkville Development Partnership Director of Tourism Jennifer Prather said Starkville's business community has blossomed in recent years and is an integral part of the city's growth and changing reputation as a culinary destination and "fun place to be." She said some of that is evidenced by people requesting pictures and videos from this year's Bulldog Bash, which was the largest in the event's history. During Thursday's event, the Main Street Association named the Mississippi Department of Transportation as 2017 Partner of the Year for its work in revitalizing Russell Street. The city of Starkville has worked with MDOT in recent years on improvements to Russell Street, which the city has focused on as a primary corridor between downtown and Mississippi State University. |
| Sorghum yields shine; acreage and prices sag | |
 | Mississippi's grain sorghum acreage is at an historic low, and market prices are not much better, but yields should be good. Erick Larson, grain crops specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said when market incentives went away after 2015, so did farmers' desire to plant grain sorghum, also known as milo. State growers may have planted 10,000 acres this year, the fewest since record keeping began in 1929. "Sorghum price is close to or similar to corn, except sorghum's yield potential is well less than corn, except when drought stress is considerable," Larson said. "Yields this year ought to be good, near the 89 bushels per acre level, and mirror what we are seeing in corn." Extension agricultural economist Brian Williams said sorghum prices have not changed much in the past year, and cash prices are running about $3.05 per bushel. |
| Hunger: Food desert in Mississippi Delta impacts health | |
| Dolecia Cody unloaded her groceries, bought with all the food stamps she'll get this month, into the refrigerator and cabinets at her aunt's house where she's living temporarily. "If it's not enough, it's just not enough, and I just don't eat that day," Cody said. She's not alone: more than 6,000 of the residents in Holmes County where she lives are "food insecure" -- they lack access to the amount and type of food to keep them healthy and active, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cody's story of struggle is also that of the colorful local politician, the farmers navigating the 21st century, the doctors at the county hospital and even the senior class president who knows that food habits die hard. "Access is critical," said Leslie Hossfeld, director of Mississippi State University's Food Insecurity Project. "But then there's the knowledge shift about what to eat and how to prepare it and having access to tools to prepare it." |
| Hunger in the Delta: Community uses soil to fight food desert | |
| Along U.S. 49 in Holmes County, "Farmers Market" appears in big red letters peeling off a white gas station structure. The defunct market serves to illustrate the food scarcity in one of the most poverty-stricken, yet agriculturally rich, counties in the poorest state in the nation. The building, owned by the Mileston farming cooperative, is also a reminder of promise in a community striving for food sovereignty despite few resources. "I am struck by the determination and motivation farmers have to change the way food is produced in their communities --- from food hub projects, to food sovereignty initiatives, to farmer apprenticeship programs --- all in low-resourced, high-poverty communities," said Leslie Hossfeld, director of Mississippi State University's Food Insecurity Project. "When asked why they farm, responses have consistently focused on the desire to ensure their communities have access to healthy, affordable food." |
| Three candidates certified in District 38 race | |
| The State Board of Election Commissioners qualified three candidates for the Mississippi House of Representatives District 38 special election earlier this week. Absentee voting begins today for the race, as well as for special elections for Oktibbeha County circuit and chancery clerks, District 1 constable and a county-wide referendum to determine whether supervisors should press on with a possible sale of OCH Regional Medical Center. Election day for all the ballot measures is Nov. 7. Commissioners qualified Narrissa Dawn Bradford, Cheikh A. Taylor and Lisa Wynn for the non-partisan District 38 special election. Every candidate is a Starkville resident. |
| Budget squeeze continues on second day of hearings | |
| With yearly budget talks coming amid sluggish revenue growth, legislators showed no willingness to increase state spending --- and many agencies seemed resigned to not asking for it. That includes one agency that has sounded alarm bells in recent years about its shrinking budget. Funding for the Department of Mental Health, which received $585 million in state funds in fiscal year 2018, has long been a sore spot for many state leaders who have publicly drubbed the agency for overspending on everything from patient services to travel. But after the agency's executive director, Diana Mikula, make her request Friday, legislators kept any comments they might have had to themselves. "Do we have any questions for the department?" asked Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, following Mikula's presentation. Reeves looked at his colleagues. A few exchanged looks, but no one spoke up. |
| Technical amendments bill to address managed care | |
| Legislation with the mundane label the "Medicaid technical amendments bill" could result in a high level of conflict during the 2018 session. The technical amendment bill could be the vehicle where efforts are made to limit the state Division of Medicaid's managed care program. Currently, about 70 percent of the approximately 710,000 Medicaid recipients are in MississippiCAN, the managed care program where Medicaid pays a set amount of money to insurance companies to provide health care services for each individual in the program. Medicaid officials say managed care holds down costs and has the potential to result in better health care for the Medicaid recipients since the insurance companies have a financial incentive in trying to provide preventive health measures for their clients. Many legislators, though, said the managed care companies are not operating to the benefit of the recipients or the health care providers, but instead are focusing solely on trying to increase their profit margins. |
| Sen. Tommy Gollott Mississippi's longest-serving legislator | |
| He's the ironman of the Mississippi Legislature. And, it's now official. Sen. Tommy Gollott, R-Biloxi, is its longest-serving member ever. Like Cy Young's 749 complete baseball games pitched, Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point basketball game and Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2,632 consecutive baseball games played, Gollott's record may stand the test of time. On Sunday, Gollott, who will soon turn 82, tied the late Walter Sillers Jr. as the longest-serving state legislator. Sillers served for almost 50 years, from when he was first elected in 1916 until his death on Sept. 24, 1966. Gollott has now surpassed Sillers' longevity mark. As the body's longest-serving member, Gollott is affectionately called the "Dean" and "Godfather" of the Mississippi Legislature. |
| Treasurer, Attorney General launch $2.5 million financial literacy program | |
| A new financial literacy effort will be taking place in schools and communities over the next two years thanks to $2.5 million from the state's legal settlements with three credit rating agencies and two financial institutions. The program, called Making Sense of Your Dollars and Cents, will focus on expanding teacher training from kindergarten through high school levels, provide incentives to teachers and schools to incorporate financial education into their students' studies, support teachers with learning experiences for their students in and out of the classroom, and finally, build a financial wellness network and implement financial coaching through community leaders. Making Sense of Your Dollars and Cents is a partnership among Treasurer Lynn Fitch, Attorney General Jim Hood, the Mississippi Council on Economic Education and the Mississippi State University Extension service. |
| For Gregg Harper, the issue of driverless cars is personal | |
| Livingston Harper always wants to be on the move. At least that's what his father, Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., says. Livingston, 28, wants to go to ball games, the book store -- a place he loves -- or to the local restaurant where he works Monday through Friday. But for Livingston, going to these places requires the help of his parents, sister or brother-in-law. The 28-year-old was born with Fragile X syndrome, a condition that causes intellectual disabilities. Livingston was one of the first two students to graduate from the ACCESS program at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss., which is designed to help students with disabilities with the transition to college, Harper said. Today, he works during the week at a local restaurant in Mississippi. But getting to and from work, and all the other places he wants to go, is difficult for Livingston. He can't drive, so he's dependent on others to take him places. But that could all soon change for Livingston, as Congress has begun to make progress on legislation to allow more self-driving cars on the road. |
| Dems launch $15M campaign for lawyers to take on Trump | |
 | Democratic attorneys general, aiming to take on the Trump administration on a growing number of fronts, are planning to spend $10 million to $15 million to elect more of their own next year. The offensive comes as Democratic attorneys general have already challenged the White House's travel ban, its planned border wall, rollback of environmental regulations and President Donald Trump's business dealings. It's also part of a longer-term effort to build a bigger and more diverse bench for the party to draw on in gubernatorial and Senate races over the next decade. The plan is to move aggressively into 2018, then gear up for 2019 races in Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana, before another batch of races in 2020. |
| Noel Wilkin named provost, executive vice chancellor at UM | |
 | Noel Wilkin, who served as the interim provost, was named provost and executive vice chancellor. Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter made the announcement Friday, which concluded a national search. Wilkin is familiar with the university. In addition to serving as the interim provost and the executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, he also is a professor of pharmacy administration and research professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Wilkin earned both his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and his Doctor of Philosophy degrees at the University of Maryland at Baltimore. |
| USM astronomer: No need to fear rare planetary alignment | |
 | Some internet predictions that the world would end on September 23, 2017 because of a rare planetary alignment haven't come true. Some say the cosmic event, which places the sun, moon and Jupiter in the constellation Virgo, and the planets Venus, Mars and Mercury above Virgo in the constellation Leo, is the fulfillment of a sign from Revelation Chapter 12 in The Bible. But, one Southern Miss professor says the alignment isn't all that spectacular and certainly is not as interesting as the recent solar eclipse. "There's no physical thing happening that's going to affect any of us on Earth, except that we have some neat little dots to look at in the sky," said Chris Sirola, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern Mississippi. "So, if you remember we had an eclipse not that long ago. There were all sorts of prophets of doom about that. We're still here. There was a transit of Venus across the face of the Sun back in 2012, where Venus went across the Sun. Prophets of doom, we're still here. Mars was as big as it's ever been, I think it was in 2004 or thereabouts. We're still here." |
| Whale recovering at Institute for Marine Mammals relocated to a new tank | |
 | After washing ashore on an Alabama beach three weeks ago, the melon-headed whale that's been recovering at the Institute for Marine Mammals in Gulfport is improving. Dr. Debra Moore, the veterinarian at the IMMS, has been monitoring the animal around the clock. She says experts never know what to expect when dealing with a rare animal. "We were very concerned about pneumonia and he was extremely sick when he stranded. We had [another whale] that stranded three or four days prior to him and that one ended up being euthanized. So we were very concerned, and we wanted to make sure he had the best medical care here. So we did diagnostic work on him and treated him." Now, he's all better and is moving out of quarantine and into a 30-foot deep pool. It's the first time that the species has been successfully rehabilitated under human care in the region. |
| Dogs are roaming Mississippi university, scaring students | |
| A university in Mississippi's largest city is warning students to be on guard amid complaints about a pack of dogs barking and threatening people walking through campus. Jackson State University this week sent a notice to students and others associated with the school. WAPT-TV reports that the university has been deluged with reports about the dogs. Officials tell the TV station that staff members and students are feeding the animals, making the problem worse. |
| Renovation begins on iconic Millsaps College building | |
| Millsaps College on Friday formally launched a $14 million renovation to its iconic Christian Center. The renovation to the center, built in 1950, will add and update classrooms and faculty offices, and transform the theater space into a new chapel for people of all faiths and backgrounds. Millsaps College has selected Dale Partners to provide architectural services. Yates Construction is serving as the contractor. This restoration will maintain the historic exterior of the building while transforming the interior. The plans for the restoration include construction of a state-of-the-art lecture hall, high-tech classrooms, faculty offices, suites and seminar rooms. At the heart of the building will be a newly constructed cruciform chapel, designed to serve individuals of all faiths. The building's front façade will be restored and enhanced with a new clock tower that will be reconstructed to match the original. |
| William Carey University School of Education posts record enrollment | |
 | William Carey University's School of Education has reached a record high enrollment for the third consecutive year. The fall 2017 enrollment of 1,325 exceeds last fall's record of 1,319 students. "With teacher education numbers down across the nation, we feel honored to have an increase for the fourth consecutive year and also our third record enrollment in a row," said Ben Burnett, dean of the School of Education. "Our main goal is still to increase the undergraduate program, but we are proud of how our graduate program, particularly our online program, continues to grow." Burnett attributes the growth to the school working to meet the needs of educators throughout the state and the addition of online classes, which makes it easier for professionals to pursue advanced degrees. |
| Safety at the forefront of Auburn students' minds after Tiger Transit incident | |
 | Female students at Auburn University say they are more aware of their safety now than they were prior to reports of an alleged sexual assault of a female student on a Tiger Ten transit bus last weekend. "I take the Tiger Transit all the time," said Ariel Lavish, a junior at the school. "I ride the transit that it happened on. And I've definitely ridden it by myself before, but I'm not going to do that anymore." Lavish added that while she will not stop riding the Tiger Transit -- which operates both day and night services -- based on the incident that occurred during Homecoming weekend, she intends to use it during the day as a ride to classes, rather than riding at night. "It's just kind of scary," she said. "I've always thought of the bus as safe, like I'll be ok. I'm still trusting of the other transit drivers, though. I still will ride it, I just won't ride it alone." The extra caution is a result of two Tiger Transit employees each facing charges of first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy. |
| U. of Tennessee raises $814 million so far in most ambitious fundraising campaign | |
 | A total of $814 million has been raised so far in an ongoing campaign by the University of Tennessee to invest private dollars in priority areas across the Knoxville campus. The university's goal of raising $1.1 billion by 2020 makes it the most ambitious campus fundraising campaign to date, and university leaders said they're confident in their ability to meet the goal. Since the campaign began in 2012, the Knoxville campus' endowment has grown from $442 million to $642 million. A total of 82,000 donors have participated in the Join the Journey campaign, contributing both large and small gifts. "Our alumni are obviously very invested in what's happening here at the university," said Chip Bryant, vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs for UT Knoxville. |
| UGA students cleaning up historic African-American cemetery in Athens | |
 | A new University of Georgia student group has taken on a Herculean task --- the cleanup of Athens' historic Gospel Pilgrim cemetery. The African-American cemetery off Fourth Street, founded in 1882 by freed slaves, contains the mostly unmarked graves of about 3,500 people in its 9 acres. Its notable burials include Madison Davis, one of the first two black state legislators from Clarke County during Reconstruction; and Monroe Bowers "Pink" Morton, who built downtown Athens' Morton Theatre. Nearly a decade ago, a $350,000 Special Local Option Task Force allocation and a large volunteer effort helped clear away decades of grown-up privet and other invasive plants from the cemetery, which had fallen into disuse and neglect decades earlier. |
| Texas A&M University System denies fired provost Karan Watson's appeal | |
 | The Texas A&M University System has denied a complaint and appeal filed by former Provost and Vice President Karan Watson after she was removed from her position in mid-July. Her removal came after an internal audit report found "significant" conflict-of-interest issues tied to business dealings her wife's company -- the Center for Change and Conflict Resolution -- had with the university. Watson filed the complaint and appeal July 24 -- six days after she was removed from her position as provost and vice president -- kicking off a further investigation of the situation, which included additional information to support the original finding. Watson -- who served as provost for six of her 34 years at the university -- said she stands by her belief that she and her wife, clinical professor in the College of Education and Human Development Nancy Watson, acted appropriately and followed A&M policies. |
| New federal policies may change U. of Missouri rules for sexual misconduct investigations | |
 | The University of Missouri recently overhauled its sexual misconduct investigation procedures -- but new federal guidelines may change those rules again. The Department of Education on Friday morning unveiled "interim guidance on campus sexual misconduct" as Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos works to rewrite rules for campus sexual assault guidance. DeVos rescinded previous Title IX guidance which directed university responses to and investigations of sexual violence and sexual harassment. Officials at MU were unable to comment on exactly how the new guidelines may affect their Title IX disciplinary and conduct review procedures. The university only became aware of the policy changes Friday morning, said Liz McCune, associate director of the MU News Bureau. "We're at the stage right now where we're reviewing if any policies will need to be changed," McCune said. |
| What Does the End of Obama's Title IX Guidance Mean for Colleges? | |
 | Practically speaking, federal guidance on campus sexual-assault policy has returned to the pre-2011 era. But colleges' policies won't. At least not right away. Campus Title IX officers told The Chronicle on Friday that their colleges would remain committed to sexual-assault prevention and response, despite the federal government's announcement that the approach to the gender-equity law that the Obama administration had championed was effectively over. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights rescinded a pivotal "Dear Colleague" letter, issued in 2011, that spelled out for colleges their responsibility to respond promptly and equitably to reports of sexual violence. Advocates for victims decried what they saw as the devastating consequences of the move. Advocates for accused students cheered, seeing the decision as a sign that federal officials were taking their concerns about due process seriously. |
| Education Department releases interim directions for Title IX compliance | |
 | Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued guidance Friday granting colleges new discretion in how they comply with requirements under federal Title IX law to resolve and adjudicate allegations of sexual misconduct on campus. DeVos at the same time rescinded 2011 and 2014 guidelines issued by the Obama administration that survivor advocates said have been critical to pushing for new protections, including guarantees that victims of assault are not denied access to an education. The new guidance from the department grants colleges the ability to set their own evidentiary standard for misconduct findings, to pursue informal resolutions such as mediation and to establish an appeals process for disciplinary sanctions. It also includes language dealing with protections for accused students. |
| Trump Unveils Revamped Travel Ban | |
| With just a few weeks before his controversial travel ban gets a Supreme Court hearing, President Trump has issued revamped restrictions on travelers from eight countries, including Iran, Syria, and North Korea. Unlike the original travel ban, which barred travelers from a half-dozen predominantly Muslim countries, the new rules, released Sunday night, vary from country to country, preventing the citizens of certain nations from visiting the United States while increasing scrutiny of visa applications from others. While the measure is more tailored, it is likely to cause continued headaches for colleges, which have spent the last nine months scrambling to convince an important and increasingly lucrative audience -- international students and their families -- that the United States remains a welcoming place. |
| Historically speaking | |
| Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: "Hot topics in today's educational literature include a great deal of density on the Every Student Succeeds Act, funding at every level, as well State's rights and responsibilities regarding education. Perhaps, it is now a good time to confront the challenges with the realities. While no political catch phrase is, in itself, going to transform schools, teachers or student learning, there is a wealth of information available to allow educators and educational leaders and legislators to better appreciate how far schools have come in the last 20ish years." |
| Rights, entitlements, public interest and health care | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "What, then, of the popular concept that U.S. citizens should have a right to health care? Because of Medicaid, Medicare, and Obamacare, health care is well on its way to becoming an entitlement, but not a right. Given the growing financial burden of existing entitlements, should health care for all become a national entitlement? The fiscal answer is 'no,' entitlements should be trimmed to reduce budget deficits. The emotional answer is often 'yes' due to mounting and extravagant costs for drugs and extraordinary care. These days there seems to be only frenzy in discussions about health care. However, some dispassionate discourse yields interesting ideas like this one. Why not treat and regulate access to health care as an essential public service like utilities and other industries 'deemed to be affected with a public interest?'" |
| Will Chris McDaniel join Steve Bannon's 'war on GOP?' | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "National news and politicos have again been focused on Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel, all wondering whether he'll be part of ousted Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon's 'war on the GOP' by taking on incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker next year. Chatter about McDaniel challenging Wicker in the GOP primary began in earnest early this year, particularly after a Breitbart article headlined: 'Mississippi's Chris McDaniel preps for potential 2018 Senate Run.' ...Now, I would respectfully say securing multimillion-dollar financing of a Senate run would be a big variable to consider. And like others, I've had doubts whether McDaniel could secure it. Wicker has appeared to get along well with Trump and hasn't appeared to draw the ire of national conservative groups as Cochran had. But he's apparently on Bannon's list. And if Bannon becomes a majordomo for McDaniel and can line up financing, to me that drastically changes the odds on a McDaniel run in 2018." |
SPORTS
| Corinth racer gets boost from friendship with Eagles' Fletcher Cox | |
| A Corinth man and professional football player have a unique friendship. Shawn Ayers of Corinth drag races for Cox Racing, which is owned by former Mississippi State standout Fletcher Cox, a defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles. "We enjoy a lot of time together at the racetrack and off the racetrack, too," Ayers said. "He loves to hunt, race and fish when he's not playing football." Ayers, 32, possessed the skills needed to get behind the wheel for the drag racing team, Cox said in a recent interview. "Shawn is a real experienced driver," said Cox. "Shawn wanted to go fast, and I put him in the seat." Both Ayers and Cox went to MSU and met at Holly Springs Motorsports a few years ago. |
| Former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze breaks silence with apology: 'I know I've hurt many people' | |
| Hugh Freeze has broken his silence. In his first public statement since abruptly being forced to resign in July, Ole Miss' former football coach apologized for the events that led his ouster. The apology was issued to RebelGrove.com, an Ole Miss-based affiliate of Rivals.com. Freeze's five-year tenure ended this summer after the discovery of a call placed from the coach's university-issued cell phone linked to a female escort service. A more thorough examination of Freeze's phone records uncovered what athletic director Ross Bjork called a "concerning pattern" of personal misconduct. A source told the EAGLE that Freeze made calls to escort services and massage parlors. Ole Miss is 2-1 under interim coach Matt Luke and has the week off before returning to action next Saturday at No. 1 Alabama. |
| Ross Bjork explains why Ole Miss hired a search firm for its coaching search | |
| In the wake of Hugh Freeze's resignation, Ross Bjork had a plan. First and foremost, he had to support the team and interim coach Matt Luke. Once the season started and Ole Miss finished its Committee on Infractions hearing, he'd start evaluating the landscape of college football in regard to the school's coaching search, which is his No. 1 priority, in earnest. That plan remains in place, and Bjork explained to The Clarion-Ledger where things stand with the Rebels' coaching search Friday. Turnkey was chosen for three reasons: to add more resources to the search, to keep things confidential and to aid in background checks. When asked if the background checks are paramount after Freeze's resignation, which was tied to calls to escort services, Bjork said: "We would do that part anyway, but the heightened nature of what has transpired, I think, puts more emphasis on that piece." |
| Auburn moves up in polls for first time this season after blowout of Missouri | |
| For the first time this season, Auburn is on its way up in the polls. After either dropping or staying steady in the AP Top 25 Poll after each of their first three games, the Tigers moved up from No. 15 to No. 13 after opening SEC play with a 51-14 drubbing of Missouri at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday. It's the highest ranking Auburn has had since losing at Clemson as the No. 13 team in the nation two weeks ago. The Tigers also rose in the coaches poll, moving from No. 16 to No. 15. Mississippi State, which dropped seven spots from No. 17 after a lopsided 31-3 loss at Georgia, will face Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium at 5 p.m. on Saturday. |
| 'SEC Nation' coming to Knoxville for Vols vs. Georgia | |
| Tennessee's game against Georgia on Saturday will get spotlight treatment before kickoff. "SEC Nation," the SEC Network's traveling pregame show, will air live from in front of Ayres Hall from 10 a.m. to noon ET on Saturday. The Vols (3-1, 0-1 SEC) will kick off against Georgia (4-0, 1-0) at 3:30 ET on CBS. Laura Rutledge hosts "SEC Nation," leading the Saturday morning conversation with analysts Tim Tebow, Marcus Spears and Paul Finebaum, along with reporter Lauren Sisler. his will be the Vols' 11th appearance on the show and fifth time hosting "SEC Nation." Additionally, Ayres Hall will host "The Paul Finebaum Show" on Friday from-3 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and 3-7 p.m. ET on SEC Network. |
| A Big College Sports Business Is About to Get Bigger | |
 | Learfield Communications was a farm radio network that stumbled into college sports when it began distributing radio rights for the University of Missouri in 1975. In a role largely invisible to fans, it proceeded to all but invent the industry of selling radio broadcasts, corporate sponsorships and in-stadium signage. Learfield is emblematic of how college sports programs -- notably football and men's basketball -- began operating like Fortune 500 companies over the past two decades. As public financing for colleges has declined, athletics departments had an "ever-increasing need for revenues," said Mike Palisi, the executive in charge of college multimedia marketing at Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment. Now Learfield is set to tighten its grip -- for nearly total control -- on this niche but robust market. It will merge with IMG College, its main competitor, according to Sports Business Journal. A spokeswoman for Learfield confirmed the companies were engaged in negotiations, but said a deal was not final. IMG declined to comment. |
| NCAA hands light punishment to Rutgers football program | |
| Rutgers University escaped the most serious punishments by the National Collegiate Athletic Association after its football players failed drug tests and were still allowed to compete and the team's former head coach tried to persuade a professor to raise an athlete's grade. The NCAA levied few consequences outside those the university already imposed. Rutgers will face probation from now until 2019, and both the former head football coach and an assistant coach have been slapped with a yearlong "show cause order," limiting their job prospects in college athletics. But neither is employed by the university anymore, and the head coach, Kyle Flood, now works for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was fired in 2015. |
| Trump comments condemned across NFL | |
 | The National Football League and other sports leagues went on the offense against President Trump on Sunday after a weekend of the president attacking sports players over what he said is a lack of respect for the country. By Sunday, Trump was subject to high-profile protests from coaches and players of professional football, basketball, hockey and baseball. The feud spread overseas -- with players taking a knee during the national anthem in London -- and the league announced it will once again air a TV advertisement promoting franchise unity on Sunday in the wake of the president's attacks. More players than usual knelt during the national anthem on Sunday during the first game following Trump's suggestion that players who kneel, rather than stand, for the anthem should be fired. Players in the past have knelt during the anthem to protest racial injustice as they see it in the U.S. |
| NASCAR owners side with Trump, take firm stance against protests | |
 | NASCAR again proved to be an insular oddity in American sports culture on Sunday as Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pre-race festivities at New Hampshire Motor Speedway were completely devoid of the type of national anthem protests that have permeated other professional sports. Demonstrations have increased in response to President Trump asserting that NFL owners should "get that son of a b---- off the field right now. Out. He's fired. He's fired!" if one of their players protested. On the day Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan linked arms with players in a silent protest before an NFL game in London, if any NASCAR competitors shared the political opinion of athletes expressing themselves elsewhere, they fell completely in line anyway. In a state whose motto is "Live Free or Die," crewman, including numerous African-Americans, stood in rows as usual for the national anthem, adhering to the prevailing opinion of the sport's team owners. |
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