| Thursday, January 4, 2018 |
| Mississippi State professor publishes complete works of poet A.R. Ammons | |
 | A Mississippi State University English professor has published two edited volumes of the complete works of a respected poet. "The Complete Poems of A.R. Ammons" was released Dec. 19 by W.W. Norton & Co. The two-volume set is the culmination of more than five years of research by MSU associate professor of English Robert West, and has been favorably reviewed by several publications including The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Publishers Weekly. Publishers Weekly included the volumes on its list of the year's books for 2017. West explained the process of putting the book together "Since no electronic files of the books were available, the entire text of the edition had to be built from scratch," West said. "To be certain that each poem was presented correctly, I spent a long time studying his papers in the large Ammons archives at Cornell and East Carolina University, and also studied a smaller collection of his papers at UNC-Chapel Hill." |
| Marlo Beason, a Mississippi State alum, named Farm Bureau Woman of the Year | |
 | There's a new award hanging at Beason Family Farm in the Fork community honoring a busy mom and young entrepreneur. Marlo Beason was named Mississippi Farm Bureau Woman of the Year for 2017 during the annual convention in December. Beason was humbled by the recognition. This busy farmer has a bachelor's degree in business with a minor in marketing from Mississippi State University. "Having my degree has helped our farm so much by being skilled to do most of the marketing myself," Beason said. The Beason family has a storefront and barn combo where all of the milk is processed and packaged under one roof. Their milk is sold at 35 locations in Mississippi being as far north as Starkville, as far South as Magee, as far west as Jackson and east as Meridian. |
| Break Time to open on Louisville Street | |
| A Break Time gas station and convenience store will open this spring on the corner of Lynn Lane and Louisville Street across from Dairy Queen. The construction firm for the project is M & P Construction, Inc. of Richland, and the property is owned by Sunny Singh of Break Time, LLC. Singh said the construction on the project began seven months ago, and the business will open in April or May, depending on weather conditions. "We are trying to open at the end of April, but it could be a little bit later," he said. "People are supposed to be installing underground tanks (Wednesday), but they said it is too cold and they cannot do it. The weather has pushed us back, so it may be finished in May." Singh said about six months after the Break Time on Louisville Street is complete, construction on a Break Time on Highway 182 will begin. |
| Aldermen sack Parks and Recreation director | |
 | The Starkville Board of Aldermen terminated Parks and Recreation Director Herman Peters, effective immediately, during a lengthy executive session Tuesday. Aldermen placed Peters and Parks and Recreation administrative assistant Dianne Evans on unpaid administrative leave during the board's Dec. 19 meeting due to "irregularities" that surfaced regarding both employees. Peters has faced criticism in the past for his job performance. In July 2016, Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver called for Peters' job, saying that the city parks' poor condition fell on Peters' shoulders. At the time, Carver unsuccessfully attempted to demote Peters to sports coordinator. Carver, at the time, also blasted the former parks and recreation director, saying the department was "basically falling (apart) from the inside" due to an "if you don't tell on me, I won't tell on you" attitude among its employees. |
| Candidates begin qualifying for chancery court race | |
| Four candidates, including three from Starkville, have qualified to seek judicial positions on the Mississippi 14th Chancery District Court. Qualifications for the non-partisan race, for which elections will be held on Nov. 6, opened on Tuesday. They will remain open until May 11. Two Starkville candidates -- Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins and attorney Paula Drungole-Ellis -- have qualified to run for the subdistrict 14-3 seat, which is currently occupied by Judge Dorothy W. Colom. Starkville attorney Lee Ann Turner and Okolona attorney Gene Barton qualified to seek the subdistrict 14-1 seat, which is currently occupied by Judge Kenneth Burns. Both Colom and Burns confirmed to The Dispatch they will not seek another term. |
| Oktibbeha fire services coordinator on hot seat | |
| Oktibbeha County's long-serving fire coordinator's post may be in jeopardy after District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard expressed some frustrations with him at Monday's board meeting. Howard asked supervisors to consider County Fire Coordinator Kirk Rosenhan separately as supervisors opened the meeting by unanimously reaffirming the county's other appointed positions. In the end, Rosenhan, who's served as fire coordinator since October 1988, was unanimously reappointed, but only for two weeks. Supervisors will conduct interviews of possible replacement candidates at the Jan. 16 meeting. Rosenhan, who was absent from Tuesday's board meeting, told The Dispatch he is aware of Howard's desire to improve the fire rating for Bell Schoolhouse and Rock Hill. However, he said the problem is both districts have struggled in recruiting new volunteer firefighters. |
| Starkville charges two men with sex crimes | |
 | Two Golden Triangle men were arrested this week on felony sex charges. On Jan. 2, the Starkville Police Department arrested Johnny B. Harris, 60, of Starkville, for sexual battery. He was transported to the Oktibbeha County Jail with a $50,000 bond. His was scheduled to appear in municipal court Wednesday. On Wednesday, Starkville police, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals task force, arrested 37-year-old Lacey McBeath, of Columbus, on a pair of felony warrants. He was charged with enticement of a child to meet for sexual purposes and enticement of a child to produce visual depiction of sexual conduct. |
| Former Armstrong Middle School teacher arrested on child enticement charges | |
| Starkville Police arrested a former Armstrong Middle School teacher Wednesday for allegedly attempting to entice a child. SPD, with assistance from the U.S. Marshal Task Force, arrested 37-year-old Lacey McBeath, of Columbus, on felony warrants issued for enticement of a child to meet for sexual purposes and enticement of a child to produce visual depiction of sexual conduct. The Dispatch has submitted a public records request for the affidavit on McBeath's arrest. The Dispatch requested information about McBeath on Dec. 13, 2017, after reports that he was escorted from Armstrong Middle School. OCSD Public Information Officer Nicole Thomas confirmed to The Dispatch on Wednesday that McBeath is no longer employed with the school district. |
| Mississippi lawmakers doing homework for budget process | |
 | Mississippi lawmakers are doing their homework as they get ready to write a state budget. The Legislative Budget Office director, Tony Greer, held a briefing Wednesday at the Capitol to explain the recommendations released in November by top budget committee members in the House and Senate. The early numbers are likely to change a bit as legislators work toward a deadline in late March to adopt a nearly $6 billion state budget. The upcoming state financial year begins July 1. The proposed budget would be about 1.3 percent smaller than the budget for the current year. Leaders want to follow an often-ignored rule that says some money should be set aside into cash reserves. |
| Tax Revenues Increase But Not Enough to Change Funding Plans | |
 | Mississippi sales, income and corporate tax collections increased over the past two months. State Department of Revenue Commissioner Herb Frierson says he's optimistic they'll meet the $5.6-billion estimate for the General Fund this year. "That means we get out of this fiscal year without having to make any cuts. If we exceed estimate that would be additional dollars for the Legislature to appropriate," said Frierson. Republican Senator Buck Clarke of Hollandale chairs the Appropriations Committee. He says the state's low 4.8 percent unemployment rate is also generating more revenue. "More people are receiving paychecks. I know the withholding tax numbers have been very strong. That's money into consumers pockets which then drives sales tax," said Clarke. Clarke doesn't think state agencies will see mid-year cuts for 2018. Democratic Senator David Blount of Jackson says it's too soon to tell if the uptick in tax revenue will continue. His approach: proceed with caution. |
| Mississippi House restarts push for road and bridge money | |
| The Mississippi House of Representatives and House Speaker Philip Gunn are wasting little time in the 2018 Legislature renewing their push for more road and bridge money. But even the leader of the House Transportation Committee Charles Busby said the five bills passed Wednesday by House committees are unlikely to raise the money needed to maintain state and local roads. "This does not fix our problems, nor do I think any of the bills we passed today fixes our problem," the Pascagoula Republican said. He said he hopes lawmakers will consider additional proposals, including increasing fuel taxes and raising fees for electric vehicles. |
| After failed efforts last session, Speaker Philip Gunn strikes early on roads funding | |
| Speaker Philip Gunn -- left with a sour taste in his mouth after multiple failed efforts last session to find additional infrastructure funding -- pushed five roads funding bills through committee on the second day of the legislative session. One of the bills, House Bill 355, removes the Mississippi Department of Transportation from the State Personnel Board, which leaders said would give the department more flexibility to spend more on infrastructure. "I don't think there's any devious or covert plan here," said Rep. John Read, R-Gautier and chairman of the House Appropriations committee. "It's to try to get some latitude and flexibility for the agency." Three other bills would direct additional funding to entities who pay to upkeep roads and bridges while a final bill addresses new road construction. |
| Transportation bills taken up, solutions in doubt | |
| The House leaders, anxious to show it is committed to addressing the state's road and bridge needs, passed multiple bills late Wednesday dealing with Mississippi's transportation problems. But many members were not convinced the five bills passed in three separate committee meetings Wednesday -- the second day of the 2018 session -- would solve the problem of what most agree is a deteriorating state transportation system. "I am tired of mandy-pandy, mediocre attempts to fix problems," said Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville. House Transportation Chairman Charles Busby, R-Pascagoula, referring to a bill passed by his committee that would ban the Department of Transportation from undertaking new construction projects, agreed with Holland. |
| House panel passes transportation funding similar to what Senate killed last year | |
 | A House panel on Wednesday passed measures to divert online sales taxes and borrowing to road and bridge work on the state, county and city level -- similar to measures the Senate killed last year. Another House committee on Wednesday approved a measure to halt any new state road or highway construction for which right-of-way acquisition hasn't been initiated, to divert money to maintenance of deteriorating roads. House Ways and Means Chairman Jeff Smith said one measure his committee adopted would borrow $50 million, with half going to repair dilapidated county bridges and half for city bridges. A similar measure was included in an omnibus borrowing bill that died last year. Another measure passed by Ways and Means and now headed to the full House would divert taxes being paid voluntarily by companies making online sales in Mississippi to state, local and county roads and bridges. |
| Want wine delivered to your door? It could happen if Coast lawmakers get their way | |
 | If Coast lawmakers get their way, wine could be coming to a doorstep near you. And the selection of wine would be wider. Charles Busby, R-Pascagoula, introduced a bill that would allow direct shipment of wine to Mississippi homes. It is similar to the bills he introduced the last two years when neither got out of committee. In 2015, Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, introduced a broader bill that would have allowed direct shipment of wines that also would have allowed wine-only package stores and wine tastings. It met a fate similar to Busby's bills. Busby's bill has several safeguards to try to prevent underage people from getting their hands on the alcohol, which has been a concern of opponents. |
| Sen. Willie Simmons discusses his priorities for the legislative session | |
| The Mississippi Legislature began the 2018 Regular Session Tuesday and Sen. Willie Simmons said transportation infrastructure and Medicaid are his priorities. According to data from the Office of State Aid Construction, 310 of the state's 10,825 bridges have closed. In Bolivar County, there are currently nine closed bridges. Simmons said, "In Bolivar County, we have several bridges that keep the ambulance service from being able to directly go to the homes and pick up someone that is having an emergency. "They got to go miles and miles around, which means that if you are dealing with a person who had a heart attack or stroke, (it could be) life or death." Simmons said, "Our roads are falling a part and bridges are not being able to be maintained. It is going to impact our safety and economy in the future." |
| Has the state flag discouraged people from spending money in Ocean Springs? | |
| Ocean Springs aldermen offered numbers Tuesday night that indicate flying the Mississippi state flag over City Hall has not hurt business in the city. The issue came up when a downtown business woman came before the Board of Aldermen to let them know there's a merchant mixer planned for Jan. 16 to give businesses concerned about the city's image a way to express themselves. Jan Rideout, owners of J. Laurie Shoes Boutique downtown, told aldermen she believes there are enough merchants concerned about the flag to convince the city to take it down. She said these are regular business people who are not "fringe" or "alt left." She said, "If we can't appeal to your hearts, we're going to have to talk economics." Alderman Rob Blackman, however, offered sales tax numbers to show flying the flag hasn't hurt the city so far. |
| State flag flies for first time at Tupelo police department | |
| After more than a year, a banner commemorating the state's bicentennial anniversary has been removed from the city of Tupelo's recently built police department headquarters and Mississippi's state flag with its controversial symbol of the Confederacy now flies over the new building for the first time. City officials early this week quietly removed a frayed bicentennial banner from one of the three flag poles at the police department headquarters on Front Street. The bicentennial banner had flown at the Front Street building in place of the state flag since it opened in December 2016. The banner was flown there by order of the Tupelo City Council, an order made in late 2016 as a way to forestall controversy that might mar the opening of the police building. That 2016 order mandated that the bicentennial banner come down Dec. 10, 2017, the actual date of the state's bicentennial anniversary. |
| Justice Department set to roll back Obama policy paving way for legal pot | |
 | As part of a crackdown on legal marijuana, the Justice Department is set to roll back an Obama administration policy to not challenge state laws that allow people to use pot for medical and recreational uses an official familiar with matter said Thursday. The move represents a dramatic shift in marijuana enforcement policy. The official, who is not authorized to comment publicly ahead of a formal announcement, said details of the new policy to reverse a 2013 Obama administration directive of non-interference would be outlined later Thursday. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has long signaled his disagreement with the previous administration's stance on pot, which did not challenge state laws, as long as marijuana sales did not conflict with federal law enforcement policies. |
| President Trump breaks with Steve Bannon in dramatic fashion | |
 | President Trump split from Steve Bannon in dramatic fashion on Wednesday after his once close political ally offered explosive criticism of the president and his family in a new book. In a 267-word statement, an infuriated Trump accused his former chief White House strategist and top campaign aide of having "lost his mind" and of being "only in it for himself." "Steve was rarely in a one-on-one meeting with me and only pretends to have had influence to fool a few people with no access and no clue, whom he helped write phony books," Trump said. The break could prove perilous for Bannon, who is trying to wage a war against the Republican establishment in an effort to elect conservatives he believes will be more loyal to Trump's agenda. Allies of Bannon’s sought to distance themselves as the extent of his break with Trump became clear. |
| Bannon-backed Senate hopefuls begin distancing themselves amid Trump feud | |
 | Several Republican candidates endorsed by Steve Bannon began distancing themselves from the former White House chief strategist Wednesday after President Donald Trump said Bannon had "lost his mind." In Mississippi, state Sen. Chris McDaniel is considering launching a primary challenge against Sen. Roger Wicker -- with Bannon's encouragement. McDaniel also didn't distance himself from Bannon on Wednesday. "The establishment's swamp monsters in Washington would like nothing more than to refill the swamp. Conservatives need to work together, not tear each other apart," he said in a text message when asked about the Trump-Bannon feud. "If we are divided, they win. We can't let them win." |
| Trump vs. Bannon: Conservatives are not ready to denounce the Breitbart chief yet | |
 | President Donald Trump on Wednesday repudiated his former chief strategist, saying Steve Bannon was never as influential as he claimed to be---but the far-right candidates who have long clamored for Bannon's support aren't willing to disavow him so quickly. In an explosive statement, the president suggested that Bannon had "lost his mind" and was a source of leaks in his White House. The new rift between Trump and Bannon creates an awkward and uncomfortable dynamic for GOP candidates who have courted Bannon for months. Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who has been in close contact with Bannon in the past and is weighing a Senate bid, didn't comment on Bannon's reported remarks, or answer directly whether he would still want Bannon's support. Instead, he blamed a familiar bogeyman for the situation: "The establishment." |
| Washington's growing obsession: The 25th Amendment | |
 | Lawmakers concerned about President Donald Trump's mental state summoned Yale University psychiatry professor Dr. Bandy X. Lee to Capitol Hill last month for two days of briefings about his recent behavior. In private meetings with more than a dozen members of Congress held on Dec. 5 and 6, Lee briefed lawmakers --- all Democrats except for one Republican senator, whom Lee declined to identify. Her professional warning to Capitol Hill: "He's going to unravel, and we are seeing the signs." The conversation about Trump's fitness to serve is ongoing -- and gaining steam after Trump's tweet this week taunting the leader of North Korea with my-nuclear-button-is-bigger-than-yours bravado. The tweet resuscitated the conversation about the president's mental state and the 25th Amendment, which allows for the removal of the president from office if the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet deem him physically or mentally "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." Some legal experts warned the conversation about Trump's fitness could be dangerous to democracy. |
| 'Smothered' and 'shoved aside' in rural America | |
 | Most of Iowa is farmland. The bellwether state voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012, but last year, Trump won 93 of its 99 counties. He lost Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, the largest cities, but he did not need them. Trump's winning formula was to dominate the vote in rural areas, which have fewer people but outsize clout in the electoral college and the Senate. Rural areas continue to be Trump's strongest base of support. Nationally, 52 percent of people in rural areas support Trump, compared with 25 percent in urban areas, according to a recent Washington Post/ABC poll. Republicans are hoping to build on that support as they head into the 2018 congressional elections. In June, Trump made his first visit to Iowa as president. Farmers and agricultural leaders joined Trump onstage as he thanked them for helping to flip the state from Democratic to Republican. |
| Senate Democrats push pension relief in effort to woo white working class | |
| Senate Democrats, trying mightily to win back the white working class voters who backed President Donald Trump are making a strong push for strong protections for blue collar workers' shaky pensions. Congress has until Jan. 19 to pass a bill to fund most of the federal government, and Democrats are eagerly trying to load it up with proposals that will lure the voters who left the party in 2016. They badly need those voters, since 23 Democrats and two independents are up for re-election this year -- including several with large union populations -- while just eight Republican seats are being contested. The Democrats' pension plan is expected to have a difficult, if not impossible, road to passage in the GOP-run Congress. |
| Dow Jones industrial average tops 25,000 for first time, continuing history-making rise | |
| The closely watched Dow Jones industrial average topped 25,000 points for the first time Thursday, continuing a run that lifted stocks by more than 20 percent in 2017. The bellwether gauge crossed the historic milestone shortly after the start of the day's trading. The latest surge comes as Wall Street analysts raise their forecasts for a wide variety of companies, betting they will benefit from the strength of the global economy and a move by Congress to cut business taxes. Technology and energy companies led the charge this week, the latter as anti-government protests in Iran sparked fears of oil disruptions and brutally cold weather fed demand for heating fuel. Asian and European stock markets were all up overnight as well, and a positive holiday sales report from retailer J.C. Penney Thursday morning boosted shares further. |
| U.S. Agriculture Markets Jump as Frigid Weather Blankets Farm Belt | |
 | Bone-chilling cold across the U.S. farm belt riled agriculture markets at midweek as concerns over crop damage and delayed export shipments sent prices of key food commodities soaring. Exporters along the Gulf Coast, the country's largest outlet for grains, scrambled for barge loads of corn and soybeans as two weeks of sub-freezing Midwest weather froze the Illinois River, a major grain barge shipping waterway. And although the harshest cold in the farm belt has likely passed, forecasters expect temperatures in the central United States to remain well below normal through at least the end of the week. "The worst may be over, but the damage is done," said Drew Lerner, chief agricultural meteorologist with World Weather Inc. |
| Meridian Community College reschedules fall graduation ceremony to Jan. 26 | |
 | Meridian Community College has re-scheduled its fall commencement program, which was postponed due to hazardous weather, for 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 26, in the Temple Theater. The announcement was made by MCC Dean of Students Soraya Welden. "It was regrettable that in the cause of safety that the original program had to be canceled," MCC President Scott Elliott said in a statement. "It was the last thing we wanted to do. Nonetheless, we want to provide this alternative opportunity for graduates and their loved ones to share in this time to celebrate a lifetime milestone and achievement." Welden said that fall graduates who elect not to participate in the Jan. 26 program will also be invited to be awarded their diplomas during the May 4 commencement program typically held at the Evangel Temple. |
| LSU frat installed cameras inside house, but weren't operational when student died | |
 | LSU's now-defunct Phi Delta Theta house had security cameras placed inside and outside of the house, but they were not working the night Maxwell Gruver died, a national fraternity spokesman told The Advocate. Sean Wagner, Phi Delta Theta chief operating officer, confirmed in an email that local chapter previously installed cameras for "security purposes." "However, the cameras did not work properly or stopped working shortly after being installed by the contractor and the system had been out of service for at least a year," Wagner said. Security camera footage has been a critical part of the investigation of the Penn State University hazing case, perhaps the nation's most high-profile hazing incident of 2017. Tim Piazza's slow, gruesome death was captured on hours of surveillance footage from the Beta Theta Pi house in February. |
| Lawmakers, governor float idea of reducing U. of Tennessee board of trustees | |
 | Gov. Bill Haslam has talked with lawmakers about reducing the number of people who sit on the University of Tennessee board of trustees, an idea that could come up as a formal proposal this legislative session. Haslam, who also serves as de facto chairman of the board, presented the idea to lawmakers from Knoxville's legislative delegation last week after a meeting at the Knoxville Scripps Networks headquarters, according to Rep. Roger Kane, R-Knoxville, and Rep. Rick Staples, D-Knoxville. "Like all things the governor is doing, he's looking for efficiency and effectiveness," Kane said. "The UT board has gotten rather large. Another consideration is there are some people on the board he just doesn't think bring value. Every governor has these opinions." Jennifer Donnals, press secretary for the governor, would not give specifics of what's under consideration. |
| At this year's MLA, many sessions focus on fake news in present and in literary past | |
 | The title of Lucas Wood's paper to be given today at the annual meeting of the Modern Language Association is "'All Ladies Cheat ... Sad!': Diffusing and Defusing the 'Fake News' of Courtly Adultery." The paper examines late-12th and early-13th-century French literature about the court of King Arthur. Wood's paper is among many on fake news at this year's MLA meeting, which opens today. There are sessions on "Fictionality in a 'Post-Fact' World," "States of Insecurity: Digital Writing in the Post-2016 Election Era," "'Alternative Facts' and Fictions," "Fake News: Truth and Truthiness in the 18th Century," and others, plus individual papers on these topics that are part of sessions with broader themes. The papers will mix analysis of the way news has come to be defined today with analysis of the roots of fake news long before the 2016 election. |
| Dozens more colleges will pay endowment taxes if growth rates continue | |
| No one is sure exactly how many colleges and universities will have to shell out under a new excise tax in the revamped tax code, as key definitions and details have yet to be decided. But the number seems likely to rise in the future as endowment values grow. So how many more colleges will be paying an excise tax in five years, 10 years or 15 years? An economics professor at Wellesley College has run some numbers to come up with preliminary estimates. The professor, Phillip B. Levine, pulled data on institutions' endowment values from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System in order to make his calculations. He used endowment values from the 2015-16 year as a base, finding that 23 institutions would have been subject to the new 1.4 percent excise tax on earnings had it been in place that year. Then he forecast endowment values for future years, assuming various annual total growth rates. The result: the number of institutions subject to the endowment tax could grow to a range of 31 to 41 in five years, depending on the speed at which endowments grow. |
| 'Forget About the Stigma': Male Nurses Explain Why Nursing Is a Job of the Future for Men | |
| Jake Creviston, a nurse practitioner, has been repeatedly mistaken for a doctor. Adam White says the veterans he cares for as a student nurse at the V.A. hospital feel comfortable around him because "I'm a big burly guy with a beard." Glenn Fletcher, after being laid off from a lumber mill during the financial crisis, found a new career in nursing. And with it, "a really good feeling putting your head on the pillow realizing you've helped other people." The experiences of male nurses offer lessons that could help address a problem of our time: how to prepare workers for the fastest-growing jobs, at a time when more than a quarter of adult men are not in the labor force. Only 13 percent of nurses in the United States are men, but that share has grown steadily since 1960. "It's not a flood, but it's a change," said Abigail Wozniak, an economist at the University of Notre Dame. |
| Joe Rutherford had widespread, personal influence on people | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "When I got a text from Frank Riley at 5:45 p.m. the day after Christmas informing me Joe had died, I immediately responded he must be mistaken. ...Joe Rutherford was a kind and sympathetic man. He was a deep thinker and passionate about his beliefs. He genuinely cared about people. Perhaps, most importantly for his chosen profession of journalism, Joe had an intense curiosity. He wanted to know about things -- especially about individuals. ...Joe Rutherford's life made a difference through the editorials he wrote influencing opinion not only in Northeast Mississippi, but throughout the state. But more importantly, he made a difference by how he treated people on a personal basis." |
SPORTS
| Familiar faces in Arkansas-Mississippi State matchup tonight | |
| Vic Schaefer and Mike Neighbors were once co-workers at the University of Arkansas in the early 2000's but tonight they will be on opposing benches as No. 5 Mississippi State hosts the Razorbacks at 8 p.m. on SEC Network. Schaefer and Neighbors also squared off in the Sweet 16 last season when Neighbors was coaching at Washington. Tonight also reunites Bulldogs' guard Jordan Danberry with her former team. Danberry played 36 games and made 13 starts over 1 1/2 seasons at Arkansas before transferring mid-year last year. The Razorbacks are 10-4 and won their SEC opener 73-72 at home over Ole Miss on Sunday. Junior guard Malica Monk paces Arkansas averaging 16.9 points. |
| Neighbors, Arkansas invade Mississippi State territory | |
| It didn't take long last Sunday evening for coach Vic Schaefer to make things clear to his team that a new season was underway. The No. 5 Mississippi State Bulldogs had rolled through their non-conference slate with a perfect record for the third time in four years and looked to be going through the motions within the first couple of minutes of their Southeastern Conference opener at Georgia. Trailing 4-0, Schaefer screamed for a timeout, took off his suit jacket and lit into his team. "He was very upset with us," MSU senior guard Morgan William said. "For us to go out there and get punched in the mouth first, it was not us. We've got four seniors out there on the court so that shouldn't happen. We've got to do better." State (15-0, 1-0 SEC) responded how championship contenders should and they took over the game from there. It routed Georgia 86-62 in the largest victory in Athens in school history and moved to 1-0 for the young SEC season. |
| Dan Mullen adds Sal Sunseri and Greg Knox as Florida assistants | |
 | New Florida football coach Dan Mullen has added a wealth of coaching experience to his staff with the hiring Wednesday of two new assistants, Sal Sunseri and Greg Knox. The two have more than 60 years of coaching experience between them. Knox worked under Mullen at Mississippi State, where he was the running backs coach from 2009-17 and special teams coordinator from 2014-17. He served as the Bulldogs' interim head coach for their win over Louisville in the Taxslayer Bowl last Saturday. At MSU, Knox had a 1,000-yard rusher five times and sent four running backs to the NFL. This past season, the Bulldogs averaged 249.6 rushing yards a game, third-best in the SEC and 14th nationally. Sunseri joins Mullen's staff after spending the past two seasons as the linebackers coach for the Oakland Raiders. |
| Greg Knox joins Dan Mullen's staff at Florida | |
| After guiding Mississippi State to a win in the TaxSlayer Bowl as interim coach, Greg Knox has gone to join Dan Mullen's staff at Florida. Knox served under Mullen for all nine seasons in Starkville as running backs coach and also served as special teams coordinator for the past four years. He guided Anthony Dixon, Josh Robinson, Vick Ballard, LaDarius Perkins and Aeris Williams to 1,000-yard seasons for the Bulldogs. "I would like to thank President Dr. Mark Keenum, Director of Athletics John Cohen and especially the players for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to lead this team and represent Mississippi State," Knox tweeted Wednesday. "My Family and I have enjoyed our 9 years with the Bulldog Family and there will always be Maroon & White in us. God had a plan and I'm just letting him have his way and following it. #HailState." |
| Home series vs. Mississippi State, Rice highlight 2018 Southern Miss baseball schedule | |
 | Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry announced Wednesday the schedule for the team's 2018 season, which includes 27 home games, a return trip to Pensacola for the Cox Diamond Invitational and a tournament appearance in the Stephen F. Austin event. The Golden Eagles look to build upon last season in which they established a school record for victories (50), captured a Conference USA regular season title and hosted their second-ever regional in which they made it to the finals. The 27-game home schedule includes a three-game, season-opening series against Mississippi State (Feb. 16-18) in the Mississippi Farm Bureau Classic, as well as three-game a non-conference home series against Georgia Southern (March 9-11). |
| USM baseball series canceled over state's 'religious freedom' law | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "Southern Miss will lose a home baseball series -- and an undetermined amount of revenue -- because of fallout from House Bill 1523, known as the 'religious freedom bill.' Stony Brook, a public university in New York, cancelled a three-game visit to Hattiesburg scheduled for Feb. 23-25 because of New York's state ban on non-essential travel to Mississippi and North Carolina, a story first reported by The Sun Herald in Biloxi. 'I just hate that politics has entered into college baseball,' USM coach Scott Berry told Mississippi Today. 'I mostly hate it for our fans. Our fans love their home games. We tried everything we could to play at home. We're just fortunate Stephen F. Austin let us in their tournament.' ...USM, which won 50 games and the Conference USA championship last season, will open the 2018 season Feb. 16-18 with a three-game home series against Mississippi State." |
| Ole Miss goes cold in loss at Georgia | |
| Ole Miss didn't shoot well enough to overcome Georgia's dominance on the interior as the Rebels fell 71-60 at Stegeman Coliseum on Wednesday. The loss snapped the Rebels' three-game winning streak. Georgia (10-3, 1-1) trailed just once and extended its lead to as many as 16 in the second half, doing most of its damage with a potent inside-out attack from its bigs. Ole Miss will return to The Pavilion on Saturday to take on rival Mississippi State. Tip is set for 3:30 p.m. |
| Sorry UGA students, title game doesn't mean break from class | |
| University of Georgia students hopeful their school's national championship football game Monday night might mean a day without class got a sobering message. Administrators emailed students and staff Tuesday reminding everyone there will be no university-wide interruption to the academic schedule. "We have consulted the practices of comparable universities that have played in the championship and have that it is not commonplace to formally cancel classes due to game participation," part of the message said. "Therefore, staff and administrators should coordinate with supervisors for any planned annual leave related to championship activities." UGA players, band members and cheerleaders will potentially require an excused class absence, the message said. |
| Rivalry games bring in business for Auburn | |
 | While the regular college football season has ended, off-the-field plans for next season have already begun. "Believe it or not, the preparation starts now," said Ben Duncan, inventory and website manager for J&M Bookstore in Auburn. "We do a lot of buying in January and February to get ready for football." During the 2017 regular season, Auburn University's football games against rivals Georgia and Alabama brought in more than $16 million in ticket sales alone. Both games were sellouts in the 87,451-capacity Jordan-Hare Stadium, said Kirk Sampson, associate athletics director for communications. Gross ticket sales for the Nov. 11 game versus the Bulldogs was $8,201,004 while the Nov. 25 Iron Bowl raked in $8,855,754 in gross ticket sales. Area hotels saw higher occupancy rates this year for the two rivalry games than any other weekends during football season. |
| Central Florida Claims a National Title; Want to Fight About It? | |
| It started New Year's Day, right after No. 10 Central Florida defeated No. 7 Auburn in the Peach Bowl, 34-27, and improved to a perfect 13-0. Central Florida Athletic Director Danny White turned to ESPN's roving camera and declared: "National champs -- undefeated." White is, among other things, a salesman for his school. Forgive him for a move that had a whiff of pro wrestling to it. But Central Florida is really serious about this. The university's president, John C. Hitt, congratulated "our undefeated, national champion Knights." White announced the Knights would hang a national championship banner and pay the team's coaches their national championship bonuses. Josh Heupel, the incoming head coach, tweeted about how excited he was "to defend our national title." (Scott Frost, who led the Knights to this season's 13 wins, is leaving to coach Nebraska.) The case against Central Florida's championship is clear, of course. |
| President Trump plans to attend CFP title game between Alabama-Georgia | |
| President Donald Trump is planning to attend the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday. The news was confirmed to USA TODAY by two people within the administration who were not authorized to speak publicly because Trump's schedule isn't yet official. The all-Southeastern Conference showdown between Alabama and Georgia will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Politically Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's politics blog, was first to report the news Wednesday. The president and First Lady Melania Trump are expected to be guests of Nick and Jamie Ayers. Nick Ayers is chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence and a native of Georgia. |
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