Wednesday, January 10, 2018   
 
City, county, Mississippi State eyeing sidewalk expansions
The city of Starkville, Oktibbeha County and Mississippi State University are partnering to seek grant funding for three multi-use path extensions in the city and onto MSU's campus. City aldermen authorized applying for a Transportation Alternatives Project grant last week, with support from Oktibbeha County's board of supervisors and the university. The grant application, which is due by the end of the month, is seeking funding for an estimated $2.1 million project. That cost includes construction, engineering, inspection and contingency costs. The Mississippi Department of Transportation administers the TAP program. MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter also lauded the effort. "Maintaining safe and effective pedestrian access to the MSU campus is a longstanding priority of the university," he said.
 
Boeing's Insitu Subsidiary Demos UAS Situational Awareness System
Boeing's Insitu subsidiary has demonstrated a ground-based airspace situational awareness system designed to help unmanned aerial systems detect nearby aircraft. Insitu said Tuesday it developed the system with beyond visual line-of-sight capacities for UAS ground control operators to avoid "non-cooperative" traffic during flight operations. The BVLOS system test occurred in November at the Mississippi State University's Raspet Flight Center.
 
Insitu Demonstrates Situational Awareness System for UAS
Insitu has announced that it has successfully completed a flight demonstration for its ground-based Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) airspace situational awareness system. Insitu is tackling one of the toughest challenges for UAS -- the ability to detect nearby aircraft flying both within and beyond UAS operators' line of sight. Insitu -- in collaboration with Boeing Phantom Works International -- designed, developed, and tested the airspace situational awareness system in Australia under a program sponsored by the Queensland Government. Insitu conducted a test flight of its BVLOS system at the Mississippi State University (MSU) Raspet Flight Center in November 2017.
 
Contracts may secure area's high-tech jobs
A record-breaking unmanned aircraft made in the Golden Triangle has landed its manufacturer a new contract. Meanwhile, another of the region's big high-tech aeronautic companies says it needs a new U.S. Army contract to protect local jobs. Aurora Flight Sciences, which was bought in October by Boeing, has been awarded a $48 million Air Force contract for continued work on the Orion, the long-flying, high-altitude UAV that Aurora hopes to fly for more than 100 hours without landing. Aurora now employs almost 100 people at its three-building facility covering 19,000 square feet just south of Golden Triangle Regional Airport. Its Mississippi operations began in 2003 at the Raspet Flight Science Laboratory at Mississippi State University. Meanwhile, Airbus Helicopters, which employs about 200 people at its Golden Triangle operation, expects the U.S. Army to award it a $187 million contract to supply 28 of the company's UH-72 light-utility helicopters.
 
Farming Is An Ever-Changing Business
Farming is an ancient way of life, but a constantly changing business. This year, a national study will survey the latest trends.The National Agricultural Statistics Service is gathering the latest data for the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Farming is one of the biggest businesses in Mississippi. As prices vary, so do the ages of farmers, 60 was the average age back in 2012. "I think it just depends on the territory, but I think here in our region, you see a big number of younger farmers and I think in some of the areas, maybe outside of our region, in the Delta, you're going to see a little older group and a larger farm acres per farm operation," says Mississippi State University Regional Extension Specialist in Agronomic Crops, Dennis Reginelli. Five years ago, only four percent of farmers were under 35 years old, but Reginelli says here in east Mississippi, they're seeing a rise in the 25 to 35 age group getting into the field.
 
Mississippi State to offer workshop for child care and educational facilities
Child care centers are homes away from home for children of all ages, and a workshop offered by the Mississippi State University Extension Service will help keep those environments safe and healthy. The Creating Healthy Indoor Childcare Environments workshops for early-care and education providers are scheduled for Jan. 11, 18 and 25 starting at 6:15 p.m. at the MSU Extension Office of Clay County, 420 W. Broad Street. "Eight modules from the national Healthy Homes Partnership and the MSU Extension Healthy Homes Initiative have been adapted specifically to meet licensure requirements from the Mississippi Department of Health, the licensing agency of child care facilities in Mississippi," said Natalie Ray, agent for the MSUES of Clay County.
 
Gondolier Italian Restaurant & Pizza to open this summer
Gondolier Italian Restaurant & Pizza will open its doors in the 550 Russell development in early summer. The new Italian and pizza restaurant will be located next to The Mill on Russell Street, adjacent to downtown Starkville and Mississippi State University. Castle Properties owner Mike Castleberry said his company reached out to Gondolier about opening a location in Starkville. The new 550 development will also feature condominiums and other businesses. "The free-standing brick building will all be Gondolier," Castleberry said. "Then, Mugshots will take three quarters of the first floor of the three story building." Castleberry said 15,000 square feet are still available to lease. "There are eight condominiums on the second and third floor," he said.
 
'Making a Chef': Starkville teen films series for MPB
Mark Coblentz didn't take home the top prize when he competed on the culinary competition shows "MasterChef Junior" or "Chopped Junior." But he still got his own television show. Beginning in April, Mississippi Public Broadcasting is scheduled to begin airing the first season of "Making A Chef," starring the 14-year-old Starkville High School student. "We pitched the idea of a Mark-centric TV show to MPB and they were very interested in the possibility," said Mark's father, Robbie, who has Broadcast Media Group, a video production company in Starkville. "We'd done a variety of half-hour programs before, set in outdoor spaces, and some of the work was on MPB so we had a pre-existing relationship with them." Mark and his dad and their team produced a pilot and sent it to MPB and got the go-ahead last summer. Six of the eight half-hour shows have already been filmed in the Golden Triangle area.
 
Scott Waller named MEC president and CEO
Scott Waller, who has been serving as interim head of the Mississippi Economic Council for eight months, is now president and CEO of the state's chamber of commerce. The appointment was announced at MEC Capital Day 2018, where over 1,000 business and community leaders from across Mississippi joined with legislators and state leaders to discuss the upcoming legislative agenda. Waller, who has been with MEC for more than 11 years, had been serving in the interim capacity since the retirement of Blake Wilson in June. Waller is a graduate of Mississippi State University. He and his wife Kim live in Madison and are active at St. Matthew's United Methodist Church. Their son, Shane, and daughter-in-law, Whitney, are both graduates of Mississippi State and live in Washington, D.C.
 
Governor: Mississippi reality different from critics' view
Critics are painting a negative picture of Mississippi but the state is enjoying low unemployment and is improving its public education system, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said Tuesday night in a State of the State speech that offered a few new proposals. "The proverbial critics would have you believe that one is a declining state whose people are suffering mightily," Bryant said. "They search for problems as if there is a reward for finding them." At the midpoint of his second and final term as governor, Bryant said the state is filled with progress.
 
Governor hits familiar themes in State of State
Gov. Phil Bryant did not use the occasion of his seventh State of the State speech to unveil any new policy initiatives. Instead, the second-term Republican spoke for about 35 minutes Tuesday evening in the House chamber to a joint session of the Mississippi Legislature touting proposals that he had previously unveiled, such as providing "targeted work force training" in the community colleges for high-demand jobs and professions and expanding school choice. The governor was interrupted by applause more than 20 times and one of the lines receiving the most applause was when he thanked Republican President Donald Trump for visiting the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History when they were opened in early December as the culmination of the 200th anniversary of Mississippi's statehood.
 
State of the State: Bryant takes page from Trump playbook
Gov. Phil Bryant said he got a break-a-leg call of encouragement from President Trump before he gave his seventh Mississippi State of the State address on Tuesday evening. Bryant then went on to give a wide-ranging speech with a theme that could have come from the Trump playbook: Critics and media are all wrong -- he and Mississippi legislative leaders have made many great accomplishments in recent years. Bryant invoked Theodore Roosevelt: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points our how the strong man stumbles ... The credit belongs to the man -- or may I add, the woman -- in the arena."
 
Dem response: Bryant failed to note Mississippi problems
Republican Gov. Phil Bryant failed to acknowledge many of Mississippi's problems in the State of the State address, a lawmaker said in the Democrats' televised response. Bryant gave the speech Tuesday at the Capitol, saying critics are portraying Mississippi in a negative light. Rep. Jay Hughes of Oxford said Mississippi is last in public education, last in mental health care and first in poverty. He also said the state suffers from a "brain drain," with large numbers of college graduates leaving. While the governor mentioned low unemployment and robust job creation, Hughes said too many communities are stuck with low-paying jobs that don't provide a way out of poverty.
 
Infrastructure Left Out of State of the State Address
Reactions by lawmakers outside the House chamber after Governor Byrant's State of the State were predictably split down the aisle. Republican Representative Tracy Arnold, of Booneville, said: "I enjoyed his comments that he made about reconciliation, and coming together, working together to move Mississippi forward. I believe my colleagues will take on that initiative agenda. We'll pull together to make Mississippi a better place to live." Democratic Representative Stephen Holland, of Plantersville, said, "Fed the red meat to the base. But, it's ok. I think he did a good job. He just left a lot of big things out of the speech that should've been in it." The governor did not talk about one of the state's biggest issues: funding road and bridge improvements.
 
What did Democrats, others think of Mississippi governor's address?
Republican Gov. Phil Bryant failed to acknowledge many of Mississippi's problems in the State of the State address, a lawmaker said in the Democrats' televised response. Bryant gave the speech Tuesday at the Capitol, saying critics are portraying Mississippi in a negative light. Rep. Jay Hughes of Oxford said Mississippi is last in public education, last in mental health care and first in poverty. He also said the state suffers from a "brain drain," with large numbers of college graduates leaving. "Unfortunately, the policies that impact our quality of life have merely gone unchanged and underfunded," Hughes said. "Simply ignoring a problem is not a solution."
 
Bryant: 'Make Mississippi the most job-friendly state'
Gov. Phil Bryant used his State of the State address Tuesday to focus on job creation, economic development and "the other Mississippi" that "is filled with progress." "I do have a renewed faith in the outcome," Bryant said. "I have seen the results of our mutual efforts and know they far surpass the perceived and temporary gain of political posturing." Focusing on the good aspects of Mississippi -- a common theme from Bryant during his second term -- the governor also spoke movingly about the two new state museums that opened in December. Touching on improving the climate for new entrepreneurs, Bryant said he would sponsor legislation this session that will "reduce more government regulation and unleash the independent spirit that will make Mississippi the most job-friendly state in America."
 
Bryant allies tout what he did say about State of the State; critics zero in on what he didn't
In some ways, the biggest headline from Gov. Phil Bryant's State of the State address Tuesday was, well, headlines. Early in the speech, Bryant took aim at what he characterized as too many negative headlines from the news media, but it seemed that these very headlines were heavy on the minds of the lawmakers and other top officials who attended the address. Among them was fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who said through a statement after the speech concluded: "We have a lot of good news happening in Mississippi that doesn't always stay in the headlines, and I appreciate Gov. Bryant for shining a light on our accomplishments and job growth." It was the first time that new Rep. Cheikh Taylor, D-Starkville, was present to hear the governor address a joint session of the Legislature. Taylor, who replaced retired Rep. Tyrone Ellis, had qualms about Bryant's comments about education issues that have been in the news a lot lately.
 
Tate Reeves, Jim Hood would be close governor's race according to Millsaps poll
A potential race for governor between Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Democrat Attorney General Jim Hood has no clear winner and nearly 20 percent of voters are undecided, according to a new poll from Millsaps College. Millsaps College partnered with Chism Strategies for its second annual state of the state survey, which was released on the day Gov. Phil Bryant will give the State of the State address to the Legislature. Chism Strategies is a Democratic polling firm that also works with non-partisan groups and businesses. The poll also shows voters' views on the direction of the state falls along partisan lines, while only half of independents believe Mississippi is on the right track. In fact, about the only thing a large majority of Mississippians seem to agree on is a shared lack of support for lawmakers.
 
How strong is support for a lottery in Mississippi? This poll has an idea
A poll released Tuesday found overwhelming support for a Mississippi lottery. The Millsaps College and Chism Strategies on the State of the State Survey also found significant concern over the direction Mississippi is headed. It was released just hours before Gov. Phil Bryant's State of the State address. The telephone poll of 587 Mississippians was conducted Dec. 15-19. It has a margin of error of 4.08 percent, according to a release from Millsaps. Chism is a consulting firm that focuses on Democratic and progressive candidates. On the "creation of a lottery in the state," 68.8 percent said they supported it, 22.8 percent were opposed and 8.4 percent were unsure. More than half, 50.6 percent, favored using the money a lottery would generate for public education, 28.6 percent would spend it on roads and bridges, 5.5 percent to offset corporate tax cuts, 5.9 percent to restore budget cuts and 9.4 percent for "something else."
 
Long-delayed uninsured motorist crackdown moves forward
A long-delayed crackdown on uninsured Mississippi motorists took a step forward Tuesday, after a panel of lawmakers removed a glitch in the measure that halted it last year. Lawmakers in 2012 passed a law requiring the Department of Public Safety to create a computer verification system. It would allow law enforcement to check whether motorists have valid insurance when they are stopped for other reasons. A private vendor that operates a similar system in Alabama was hired, but the system has faced developmental delays and problems integrating it with local government systems. Lawmakers have had to tweak and extend the bill numerous times. House Insurance Chairman Gary Chism, R-Columbus, an insurance agent who has pushed for tighter enforcement of compulsory auto insurance for years, said the system "went live on Sept. 5" after a trial run of about six months. "And lo and behold, on Sept. 6, they found a glitch in the law and had to stop it," Chism said. "This we're doing today is called a fix-it bill."
 
Rep. Becky Currie: House, Senate should communicate better
The first week of the new Mississippi legislative session saw the House of Representatives pass a measure to restore public roadways. However, Rep. Bob Evans, D-Monticello, who serves Copiah, Covington, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence and Simpson counties, said very little progress is being made at the statehouse. "Everything's just coming down the row," he said. "The Republicans have got everything laid out, and they are in lockstep." "The biggest frustration is not really knowing what's going on ahead of time," Evans said. Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, who serves Copiah, Lawrence and Lincoln counties, said the main problem in Jackson is a lack of open communication between the two chambers.
 
Medicaid deficit lower than expected
On his fifth official day as the new interim director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid, Drew Snyder presented to senators a budget deficit lower than initially anticipated. The heavily debated agency, expected to see significant changes this legislative session, made a quick budget presentation, receiving no resistance from lawmakers Tuesday. In the Senate Appropriation subcommittee hearing, lawmakers heard from agencies who provide services to some of Mississippi's most vulnerable: health care for children, the elderly and disabled, foster care for children and rehabilitation services for the disabled. Instead of a $47.3 million budget deficit for the current fiscal year, Snyder said the agency will need a $26.4 million funding patch.
 
Mississippi holds title for highest infant mortality rate in U.S.
A report from the CDC shows Mississippi has the highest infant mortality rate in the country. According to the report, for every 1,000 live births in Mississippi, 9.08 infants die before their 1st birthday. University of Mississippi Medical Center Neonatalogist Mobolaji Famuyide said there are several factors that contribute to the state's high ranking. "If you look at the numbers, one of the things that contributes significantly to that infant mortality rate is the rate of prematurity in our state of Mississippi," said Famuyide. "That is a problem we live with here everyday in our NICU at UMMC and one of the things we have as a goal as an institution and as a division to work on improving in the state." Famuyide said there's not a single reason why some children are born prematurely. "It's going to take the whole village," said Famuyide.
 
Tupelo mayor orders Mississippi flag removed from police department headquarters
Mayor Jason Shelton has ordered the Mississippi state flag removed from the police department headquarters on Front Street and replaced by the City of Tupelo flag, reversing a City Council policy from 2016. This executive action was unexpectedly announced with little warning by Shelton at a Tuesday morning press conference and comes about a week after the state flag, with its controversial emblem of the Confederacy, was unfurled over the Tupelo Police Department headquarters for the first time. "The controversy surrounding the current design of the state flag of Mississippi will never go away until it's changed," Shelton said during his press conference. "Either our generation of leaders will deal with it, or we'll leave it to our children. I think it's incumbent on our generation of leaders to take a stand and adopt a flag that's representative of all the citizens of Mississippi."
 
Rural high-speed internet: White House, state lawmakers push to expand access
Many rural areas of Mississippi still struggle with accessing high-speed internet, but a spotlight on the issue nationwide and here at home could push lawmakers to lead the way in providing faster internet service in areas that need it. President Donald Trump signed two executive orders this week aimed at promoting the expansion of broadband internet into rural areas. The signings took place just after his speech Monday at the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention in Nashville. Top Mississippi government officials have also recently shown support for broadband access expansion. Mississippi Public Service Commission chairman Brandon Presley called Mississippi's rural broadband access issue an "infrastructure crisis."
 
After Trump's convention visit, here's what farmers hope to see this year
A day after President Donald Trump addressed farmers and ranchers at the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention, delegates outlined priorities for 2018 to improve the industry's declining financial state. The AFBF's 99th annual convention, being held through Wednesday at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, culminated in an address from Trump on Monday, the first president to speak at the event since President George H.W. Bush in 1992. On Tuesday, AFBF delegates approved resolutions providing a "clear roadmap" on issues facing farmers, who are approaching a fifth consecutive year of shrinking net farm income, said bureau president Zippy Duvall, a farmer from Georgia. In a statement, Duvall noted that the organization was optimistic and believed "Official Washington feels more like a partner than it did just a short time ago."
 
House GOP mulls lifting a ban on earmarks
House Republicans are wading into an election-year fight over pork-barrel spending. Republicans on the House Rules Committee plan to revive a debate over earmarks in hearings launching next week, even as members of their own party blast the banned practice as a symbol of the Washington swamp. Rules Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) has assured members that the hearings are not intended to rush into a new policy. The committee will hold its first hearing on Jan. 18 for members, and another on Jan. 19 to bring in outside groups, according to a source familiar with the plans. Some House members, particularly those who write spending bills, argue that banning earmarks had the undesired effect of ceding some of Congress' "power of the purse" to federal agencies.
 
Judge blocks Trump move to end DACA
A federal judge in San Francisco on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects certain immigrants from deportation. Judge William Alsup said the Obama-era program must remain in place while litigation over Trump's decision to end the program plays out. In a court ruling, Alsup said the Department of Homeland Security's "decision to rescind DACA was based on a flawed legal premise." As a result, DACA recipients who failed to renew their status by last year's deadline will have a chance to submit renewal applications. The decision does not, however, allow new applications to be submitted.
 
GOP Retirements Hit Record Level Ahead Of Midterm Fight
Ahead of the 2018 midterms, a record number of House Republicans are heading for the exits -- perhaps seeing the writing on the wall of a possible wave election. There are now 30 Republicans who will not seek re-election in November: 18 who are retiring outright and another 12 who are running for higher office. And that list is expected to grow in the coming weeks. The last time a party had nearly that many members retire during a midterm year was in 1994 when 28 Democrats left, and the GOP subsequently took back control of Congress in the Republican Revolution. Now, it's Republicans who find themselves in the opposite and unenviable position.
 
Alabama picked for Toyota-Mazda plant, sources say
Toyota and Mazda have apparently picked Alabama as the site for the company's new $1.6 billion auto plant, according to sources in North Carolina and Alabama. Reuters is reporting that a formal announcement is expected Wednesday. Sources for months have said the decision was between North Carolina and Alabama. The Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that North Carolina lost out on the plant because it does not have the supply chain logistics that the car companies desire. Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. announced in August a joint venture to build a $1.6 billion assembly plant in the U.S. which would create 4,000 jobs and be up and running by 2021. A 1,252-acre tract of farmland in Limestone County's Greenbrier community, which is part of Huntsville, is apparently the site where Toyota-Mazda might locate the plant.
 
37% of Gen X say they won't be able to afford to retire
Add Gen Xers to the long list of Americans who fear they won't have a sizable enough nest egg to retire. Nearly four out of 10 (37%) of Generation X -- those born between 1965 and the late 1970s -- say they would like to stop working for good and "fully retire" someday, "but will not be able to afford to," a new survey from TD Ameritrade, an online broker based in Omaha, found. The savings shortfall has been exacerbated by the phasing out of traditional pensions funded by employers. In their place is the increasing reliance on 401(k) plans and IRAs that require workers to do most of the saving on their own. Gen Xers aren't alone in their financial angst.
 
MUW's Jim Borsig plans to 'refocus' his career in the nonprofit sector
After 6-1/2 years with Mississippi University for Women, Jim Borsig will step down from his role as university president at the end of June. Borsig, 61, announced his decision Monday morning at the spring 2018 faculty and staff convocation and said he has decided not to retire but to "refocus." "It is easy to overstay in a position like this, and we've had a pretty productive and challenging almost seven years," Borsig told The Dispatch after the convocation. "There's just a sense to me of completion of things I set out to do, which indicates a need for someone else to have the opportunity to see what comes next." Borsig said he began to mull the decision of leaving his current position around Thanksgiving, and made a final decision over MUW's holiday break. Borsig's wife, Kate, who is the director of school advancement at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, said a trip to Maine over the break solidified her husband's decision.
 
Our View: Jim Borsig's legacy
The Dispatch editorializes: "On April 8, 2015, just days before he was to officially leave his post as president at Mississippi University for Women to become the commissioner of the state college board, Jim Borsig had a change of heart. Borsig's announced his decision to remain at MUW at a hastily assembled gathering at Poindexter Hall. The news was greeted with a prolonged ovation from about 300 students, faculty and staff. On Monday, Borsig again addressed students, faculty and staff, this time announcing he will leave his post at The W at the end of the fiscal year in June. The applause he received Monday was for a job well done."
 
Mississippi universities shine in online education
When it comes to online graduate programs, Mississippi is seeing high rankings. U.S. News' various rankings include the best online graduate programs. The following Mississippi universities ranked.
 
Alum Michael Marks will speak at USM's Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast
Southern Miss alumni Michael Marks will be the keynote speaker at the 12th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prayer breakfast at the University of Southern Mississippi. Marks, a public relations coordinator for Forrest General Hospital and a retired educator, will speak at the breakfast 7:30 a.m., Jan. 15 in the Thad Cochran Center ballroom. The theme for this year's breakfast is "Our Chance - Our Choice." "Having received the Community Service Award at the 9th annual MLK Prayer Breakfast, I am deeply honored to return to my alma mater two years later to deliver the keynote address at this great event," Marks said.
 
Dr. Jerryl Briggs Named Eighth President of Mississippi Valley State University
In October, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning named Dr. Jerryl Briggs as the eighth President of Mississippi Valley State University. Dr. Briggs had served as Acting President of the University since June 15. He previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Briggs was named as Acting President of Mississippi Valley State University when Dr. William Bynum moved to the same position at Jackson State University. "Dr. Bynum and I both have a passion for higher education, particularly for our HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities)," Dr. Briggs says. "It's critically important for universities such as MVSU to continue to thrive and build on our continued need to be a part of the overall higher education landscape."
 
Head of national medical organization speaks at William Carey University
The head of a prestigious national medical organization visited William Carey University's medical school for the first time. Dr. Rodney Wiseman is head of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. Tuesday afternoon, he spoke to students at WCU's College of Osteopathic medicine. He spoke about changes in the medical profession and the importance of the field of family medicine. "I would like them to know that becoming a physician, whether it's family physician, internal medicine or pediatrics, that trust and respect with your patients is the most important aspect of the learning system," Wiseman said.
 
East Central Community College announces annual HEADWAE honorees
Sophomore Reagan Gorgas and sociology instructor Michelle Lee, both of Decatur, will represent East Central Community College in Decatur at the 2017-18 Higher Education Appreciation Day: Working for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE) program scheduled Feb. 20, in Jackson. The annual HEADWAE observance was established by the Mississippi Legislature to honor academically talented students and faculty members from each of the 36 public and private member institutions of the Mississippi Association of Colleges. A sophomore pre-physical therapy major, Gorgas is a President's List Scholar and a graduate of Newton County High School. Lee has served as a full-time sociology instructor at the college since 2014. She is a 1998 graduate of ECCC, earned her bachelor of arts degree in social sciences in 2008 from Southern New Hampshire University and her master of arts in teaching with an emphasis in sociology in 2013 from Mississippi State University.
 
Four Auburn online programs receive top rankings from U.S. News & World Report
Four of Auburn University's online graduate programs placed in the top 15 according to U.S. News & World Report's 2018 Best Online Program rankings released Tuesday. Online programs that received high marks include the non-MBA programs (No. 6) and MBA (No. 11) in the Harbert College of Business, the College of Education (No. 13) and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering (No. 15). "These most recent rankings reflect Auburn's commitment to translate our high-quality academic programs into first-rate, online learning experiences," said Bill Hardgrave, Auburn University's provost and vice president for academic affairs. The rankings come at a time when the university steps up its strategy to increase the number of online course offerings and programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
 
U. of Kentucky will pay Texas company $1 million to run its next capital campaign
The University of Kentucky will pay $1 million to a Texas consultant to help with its next capital campaign, aimed at raising between $1.5 billion and $2 billion for the endowment. The contract with the Expo Group of Irving, Texas, appeared before the legislative Contract Review Committee on Tuesday for approval. According to committee documents, the company will provide strategic design services, production of the campaign launch, and regional events around the nation. The money to pay the company will come out of the endowment. At its December meeting, the UK Board of Trustees approved a temporary increase in the amount of money that could be taken out of the endowment for this purpose, spokesman Jay Blanton said. The value of UK's endowment in December was $1.45 billion.
 
Arkansas governor's budget: colleges asked to freeze in-state tuition
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday pitched to legislators a $5.63 billion spending plan for next fiscal year that would be nearly $173 million more than the current general revenue budget, with most of the new money devoted to the state's Medicaid program. Hutchinson also said he sent a letter dated Tuesday to the chiefs of the state's four-year colleges asking them to freeze in-state tuition rates for the coming school year. He also asked the two-year colleges to keep any tuition increases to the consumer price index. He said four-year colleges have averaged annual tuition increases ranging from 3.03 percent to 6.2 percent during the past 10 years. Hutchinson told reporters that his request to colleges to limit tuition increases isn't "a trade" for more general revenue for them.
 
As federal aid policy heats up, student groups see blueprint in fight over tax bill
In the weeks after Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives proposed to tax graduate student tuition waivers, many students were stunned by the potential for a big tax bill and unsure about how to respond. "We were approached by a lot of students who didn't really know how to engage in the process," said Brenna Lin, director of internal affairs for Student Advocates for Graduate Education. House GOP proposals would have stripped out a number of student benefits from the tax code, including the tax-free status of graduate students' tuition waivers. The tax bill fight revealed to the student groups, which before had operated mostly independently, the value of tapping into a network of national higher ed lobby groups and professional associations for intelligence on developments in Washington.
 
No College Kid Needs a Water Park to Study
James V. Koch, who served as president of the University of Montana and Old Dominion University, writes in The New York Times: "In a competition to woo students, public universities are increasingly offering lavish amenities that have nothing to do with education. The latest trend is lazy rivers, which have been installed at several big institutions, including the Universities of Alabama, Iowa and Missouri. Last year, Louisiana State University topped them all with a 536-foot-long 'leisure' river in the shape of the letters 'LSU,' part of an $85 million renovation and expansion of its gym. It was L.S.U. students who footed the bill. At a time when college has never been more expensive, this is the last thing students should be paying for."
 
Poll: Bannon endorsement less significant than Trump, could hurt in Senate race
The Clarion-Ledger's Sam R. Hall writes: "A new poll shows not only does President Donald Trump's endorsement mean more than that of his former top strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, but a Bannon endorsement could actually hurt a candidate with nearly 30 percent of Republican primary voters. More striking: the poll was taken in December, well before the recent fallout between Trump and Bannon. While most of the findings are not surprising, take the poll with a responsible dose of skepticism as it was conducted for U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker's campaign. Most of the time these polls are conducted by campaigns to get legitimate data and only released publicly if the numbers are favorable to them. Still, it's interesting that they did not release any head-to-head data. Either they didn't poll it in this survey, or they chose not to release those results. A December poll by Mason-Dixon showed Wicker leading 49 percent to 33 percent with 18 percent undecided."
 
Gregg Harper's decision brings increased intensity to state's 2018 mid-term elections
Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "The decision by Third District U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Pearl, to step down from his post at the end of the year can't help but bring increased intensity to what already promised to be a watershed Republican primary in Mississippi's 2018 mid-term congressional elections. Despite some rather predictable conspiracy theory social media rhetoric from Tea Party or 'insurgent' Republicans, Harper's decision to retire from Congress after a decade of service appears to be exactly what Harper said it was in his formal announcement -- a matter of a public servant who never intended to be a career politician coming home to resume his previous life and provide the best life possible for his family. ...in practical political terms, Harper's announcement dropped the political checkered flag on what may prove a free-for-all race to choose his successor the likes of which hasn't been seen in the Third District since 1996."


SPORTS
 
Bulldogs seek to reverse road trend
The common theme in both of Mississippi State's losses this season has been quick 3-point shots on the road. The Bulldogs shot poorly from the perimeter in a 65-50 loss at now-No. 14 Cincinnati and also in a 64-58 setback at Ole Miss over the weekend. In hopes of remedying that issue in tonight's 6 p.m. game at Florida on the SEC Network, coach Ben Howland had his team watch the Ole Miss game to see those rushed attempts early in the shot clock during the second half. "We shot the ball super quick and didn't have very many possessions where we moved the ball four or five times," Howland said. "Especially when you're on the road, you've got to be real patient when you don't have a good shot." The Bulldogs (13-2, 1-1 SEC) will have a tough task tonight as well as they travel to the newly renovated O'Connell Center, a venue where they haven't won in a decade.
 
Gators looking to carry over improved offense back home against Mississippi State
Florida has found more offensive rhythm with strong performances on the road in back-to-back wins at Texas A&M and Missouri last week. The Gators will look to carry that momentum back home when they host Mississippi State on Wednesday at the O'Connell Center. After back-to-back 100-point-plus games at home to start the season against Gardner-Webb and North Florida, Florida is averaging 70.5 points and shooting just 25 percent from 3-point range (37-148) in its last six home games. The Gators are 4-2 at home during that span. Last season, when Florida re-opened the O'Connell Center following its $64.5 million renovation, the Gators practiced in the O'Dome more often during the season to get used to the new sight lines and lighting in the building. Florida hasn't practiced as much in the O'Connell Center this season.
 
Mississippi State's Mangum, Pilkington named Perfect Game Preseason All-Americans
As the 2018 baseball season swiftly approaches, Mississippi State juniors Jake Mangum and Konnor Pilkington were named Preseason All-Americans by Perfect Game. State's Friday-night starting pitcher, Pilkington was named to the second team, while outfielder Jake Mangum was named to the third team. MSU is ranked No. 13 in Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Poll with Perfect Game's to be announced on Wednesday. Fans can get a chance to meet Mangum, Pilkington and the rest of the 2018 Diamond Dawgs at the Opening Night Banquet on January 13.
 
No. 22 Auburn fights back to beat Ole Miss for first win as ranked team in 18 years
The last time Auburn played a game as a ranked team didn't go particularly well. The Tigers broke into the AP Top 25 Poll at No. 24 late in January 2003, but promptly lost back-to-back games to Kentucky and Georgia to tumble out of the polls. The last time Auburn played Ole Miss didn't go particularly well, either. The Tigers held a 23-point second-half lead in Oxford, Miss., and went on to lose the game by six. Tuesday provided Auburn a chance to create a fresher, more positive memory in both regards, and it took advantage. In beating the Rebels 85-70, the newly minted No. 22-ranked team in the country won its first game with a number next to its name since March 16, 2000, and snapped a 10-game losing streak against Ole Miss that dated back to 2012.
 
Alabama-Georgia draws 2nd-largest CFP championship TV audience
he national championship showdown between Alabama and Georgia drew 28.443 million viewers, making it the second-most watched title game in the four-year-old format of the College Football Playoff. Alabama beat Georgia in overtime, rallying from 13 points down in the second half before winning with a game-ending touchdown pass. Viewership for the all-Southeastern Conference matchup was up 13 percent from last season's Clemson-Alabama rematch from the season before. The first CFP championship game between Oregon and Ohio State after the 2014 season drew nearly 34 million viewers, a record for ESPN. This season's CFP semifinals on Jan. 1 and Monday night's championship game averaged more than 26.2 million viewers, up 21 percent from last year.
 
Back in Traditional Time Slots, College Football Thrives on ESPN
ESPN executives had some nervous moments during halftime of Monday night's college football national championship. It appeared that a Georgia blowout, which looked likely, might lead fans to turn the game off. They needn't have worried. The network announced Tuesday that Alabama's thrilling 26-23 comeback was watched by 28.4 million people; 27.4 million on the flagship channel, and another 1 million on ESPN2 and ESPNU as part of its "MegaCast" production. Last year's game was watched on ESPN by 24.4 million viewers, with 25.7 million watching in 2016. The game capped a hugely successful college football bowl season for ESPN, as viewership was up for both its New Year's Day slate of high-profile games and its entire 35-bowl-game season.
 
Jeremy Pruitt has clocked in as UT Vols football coach
New Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt officially traded in his Crimson Red for Vols Orange on Tuesday. His role as Alabama defensive coordinator came to an end with another national championship for the Tide. UT's Twitter account for football sent out a tweet and video of a smiling Pruitt that lasts eight seconds as the new coach walks out of the elevator at the Neyland-Thompson Sports Complex to his office. The tweet just says "Clocking in." Tennessee hired Pruitt as its coach on Dec. 7. For the past month, he's juggled duties of the two jobs. Pruitt will meet with the media on Wednesday.
 
Contract extension talks underway for South Carolina's Will Muschamp and his staff
The executive committee of South Carolina's Board of Trustees met Tuesday morning to discuss contract extensions for Will Muschamp and his staff, athletics director Ray Tanner said. No action was taken, but finalization of the new deals is expected soon. "It was proposed contractual matters as they related to our assistant football coaches and our head football coach," Tanner said. "It was strictly a conversation, as it was intended to be all along."Since the deals are still considered in progress, Tanner wasn't at liberty to discuss details of the contracts. "We all know we're in an era right now where football coaches' salaries are escalating at a rapid pace," Tanner said. "I think that athletic directors and presidents around the country are certainly concerned about the marketplace, but we deal with it."
 
College football coaching moves costing schools at least $110 million
Football-related coaching and administrative moves likely will cost major-college athletics departments at least $110 million in buyout-related expenses, a USA TODAY Sports analysis has found. The figure is based on commitments connected to the firings and hirings of head coaches, assistant coaches and athletics directors at public schools, according to school documents and interviews with athletics departments officials. The final total will not be known for several years, as some amounts are being spread over time and subject to offset from the future income of fired employees who could get raises from new employers. Also, there are payments that have not been determined. For example, Arkansas is still negotiating with former head coach Bret Bielema over the amount of his buyout, university spokesman Kevin Trainor said in an email Monday. Tennessee athletics director John Currie remains suspended with pay while the nature of his eventual departure from the school is determined.
 
Under Armour Could Be the Next Reebok
Under Armour, facing falling sales and a stock-price rout, could be heading down the path of struggling sportswear brand Reebok. "The Under Armour brand remains at risk," said Sam Poser, an analyst at Susquehanna International, in a research note Tuesday downgrading his outlook on the stock. "Given poor brand distribution decisions, we believe [Under Armour] risks are becoming more like Reebok than Nike." Long a darling of Wall Street analysts and investors for its consistently strong growth, Under Armour has recently been facing a slew of challenges. Mr. Poser says Under Armour has eroded its reputation as an "aspirational sports brand" by selling its gear at discount retailers like DSW and Famous Footwear. He says Under Armour should shut down those sales channels and work to win back shelf space at higher-end retailers like Dicks Sporting Goods Inc. and Hibbett Sports, which have been cutting back their Under Armour inventory lately. Otherwise, Mr. Poser warns, "Under Armour will likely suffer the same fate as Reebok."



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