| Thursday, January 25, 2018 |
| Glo plans to shine in new home on Lampkin Street | |
 | A Starkville business recently moved in to a new home downtown after its humble beginning in a closet three years ago. Glo is a line of liquid-activated, glowing cubes used as drink enhancers. Glo also partnered with Musee to create bath bombs with a glowing cube inside. The company was founded by Mississippi State University students Hagan Walker and Kaylie Mitchell in 2015. Glo's new location had been empty for about a year before the company began leasing the building from owner Rick Underwood, who owns Rick's Furniture, Walker said. The front space in the new building will be used for office space for the Glo team and for retail space. A small back portion of the building will be used for inventory and supplies. A larger area in the back of the building will be used by young entrepreneurs from MSU to rent while they start their new businesses. |
| Three systems pitching affiliation to OCH Regional Medical Center | |
 | Three hospital systems have expressed interest in affiliating with OCH Regional Medical Center, the Starkville hospital's CEO, Richard Hilton, announced at a trustees meeting Tuesday evening. North Mississippi Health Services of Tupelo and Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center have already pitched affiliation proposals to trustees in previous executive sessions, Hilton said, while Baptist Memorial Health Services of Memphis, Tennessee is expected to present in the near future. "This is not a bid process," Hilton told The Dispatch after Tuesday's meeting. "These systems are talking about things they think they can offer small community hospitals. ... Once a decision is made (by the trustees on whether to affiliate), there will be a public announcement and more elaboration on what kinds of things we're looking at." |
| OCH in talks with three companies for potential affiliation | |
| OCH Regional Medical Center is moving forward with discussions to affiliate after talks with three different entities. The three corporations OCH is in conversations with are Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, University of Mississippi Medical Center and North Mississippi Health Services Inc. Administrator and CEO of OCH Richard Hilton told the Starkville Daily News he has already met with both UMMC and North Mississippi Health Services, and already has a scheduled meeting with Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation. "No discussions have taken place on what's been presented," Hilton said. "It's presenting things of what those systems have to offer, that would be beneficial in having an affiliated arrangement." The OCH Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees unanimously passed a motion to create a community advisory board to help create a "better route" for those in the community to provide their input on OCH's operations. |
| MEC 'road show:' Stakeholders encouraged by economy, concerned with workforce | |
| Nearly three-fourths of attendees at a meeting of business and community leaders from the Columbus area Tuesday said the state economy is doing better now than it was five years ago. That number -- 74 percent -- is the highest Mississippi Economic Council CEO Scott Waller said he'd seen since MEC began its 69th annual tour of communities around the state. "There obviously is some optimism of what's happening with the economy, not only here in this area but across the state," Waller said. "...That is great news." The MEC's "road show," as Waller called it, travels throughout the state every year meeting with business owners, educators and other community leaders to discuss economic issues facing cities and the state at large. Columbus is the tour's 20th stop out of 24, Waller said. Between 120 and 130 stakeholders were polled at a Columbus Rotary meeting at Lion Hills Center about their opinions on various economic issues facing the state. |
| State center releases hard gang figures in threat assessment | |
 | Within a two-year period, more than 400 juvenile gang members passed through the Hinds County Youth Court, according to a study released late Tuesday by the Mississippi Analysis and Information Center. Some people have downplayed the existence of gang activity within the state, but the new study contradicts those assertions in hard facts. As of Dec. 14, 62 percent of the Mississippi Department of Corrections' 19,150 inmates, or roughly 11,873, have been identified as active gang members. In 2017, 773 Gangster Disciples, 416 Simon City Royals, and 195 Vice Lords were released from MDOC facilities. The same study shows all 82 counties in Mississippi have gang activity. |
| Poor crime reporting jeopardizes federal law enforcement funds for Mississippi | |
| In the dead of night, two intruders break into a house. While one is stealing something from another room, the second one shoots and kills the homeowner, steals his car and leaves his accomplice behind. The homeowner is a drug dealer and a foot soldier for a local gang, and is the ex-husband of one of the suspects. The other suspect is her new boyfriend, a member of a rival gang. Under the Uniform Crime Reporting system -- a summary-based reporting system most Mississippi law enforcement agencies use to report crimes -- what is at least a domestic situation, a drug and gang-related incident, a home invasion, a homicide and an auto theft, would be classified simply as one thing: a homicide. The FBI has designated a system known as the National Incident Based Reporting System to take its place around the country. And in less than three years, those that don't, which right now includes all but a handful in Mississippi, could lose federal law enforcement grants that pay for equipment and other resources. |
| Efforts to weaken laws limiting medical expansion halted | |
 | House Medicaid Committee Chairman Chris Brown was unable to pass out of his committee Wednesday a bill that would significantly weaken the law that requires state approval to build certain health care facilities. After Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, made a motion to lay the bill on the table, Rep. Joel Bomgar, R-Madison, made a substitute motion to adjourn the committee. That motion passed without a vote ever being taken on the bill. The bill still can be called up for another vote at a later meeting. But the debate Wednesday afternoon before the House Medicaid Committee displayed the bipartisan concerns with the legislation. |
| Mississippi's sickest children could get new home, but where? | |
| Mississippi is on its way to receiving its first palliative care facility, which will serve as a home for some of the most medically vulnerable patients in the state, some of whom are currently living at the Children's Hospital. A bill before the Legislature would lease state-owned property in east Jackson to a non-profit that would pay to build a new facility. It's a proposal hard to reject, except that another group has been working for years to do just this in west Jackson and now they're crying foul. About five patients with serious illnesses currently live at Batson Children's Hospital on the University of Mississippi Medical Center campus, where they receive multidisciplinary care. Roughly five others in Mississippi would benefit from the option to live in a palliative care facility and even more children from Mississippi live in these kind of facilities in other states. |
| Is there a double standard for Capitol events? | |
 | Public school advocates say they are being denied the opportunity to hold a rally inside the Capitol similar to the one Tuesday that featured state leaders promoting school choice. The large, boisterous rally in the Capitol rotunda featuring Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn far exceeded the rules restricting such events to a press conference of no more than 25 persons. Jackson-based public school advocates who are planning an event in February were told the 25-person limit will be strictly enforced. Both groups sought permits last fall for their events from the agency that controls the space, the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration. The crackdown on the limit has raised eyebrows because its enforcement comes after the school choice rally that gained wide media coverage and left the Capitol jammed with participants. |
| House Committee kills bill to raise minimum age to 21 to buy tobacco | |
| A House committee has killed a bill to raise the minimum age from 18 to 21 to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products. It was the first tobacco bill to be voted on this year in a legislative committee. House Ways and Means Chairman Jeff Smith said he promised Rep. Deborah Dixon, D-Raymond, and author of the bill, that he would bring it up. Dixon didn't comment on the legislation. Smith, R-Columbus, said he wasn't a big smoker, dipper or drinker. He didn't signal any position on the bill. |
| 'Good ol' boy system' of giving jobs to family needs to end, Coast supervisors say | |
 | Several Harrison County supervisors say they rejected a bid for a state legislator's wife to be on the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport board because they are tired of nepotism and favoritism in county government. They also fear House member Rep. Richard Bennett of Long Beach had a hand in ordering up a state investigative report on the county because his wife did not get the airport appointment. Bennett said Tuesday in a telephone interview from the Capitol that he had nothing to do with requesting the report by the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review, a standing nonpartisan committee of the Legislature known for delving into spending at state-supported entities. Bennett and Supervisor Marlin Ladner acknowledge that Bennett's wife, Tricia Bennett, was considered for a seat on the five-member airport board after longtime member Travis Lott of Long Beach died in July. But Bennett says his wife never knew she was considered and probably would not have accepted the appointment. |
| Mississippi pushes for Medicaid work requirements | |
 | Thousands of Medicaid recipients in Mississippi would be required to work to be eligible for the program if the Trump administration approves a controversial state waiver request that recently opened for public comment. The proposal is likely to set off a firestorm of criticism from Democrats and health advocates, who argue that work requirements, combined with Mississippi's strict Medicaid eligibility requirements, will result in thousands of people losing their coverage. The five-year waiver request from Republican Gov. Phil Bryant seeks to require nondisabled adults, including low-income parents and caretakers, to participate in at least 20 hours per week of "workforce training." To be eligible, Medicaid beneficiaries must work, be self-employed, volunteer or be in a drug treatment program, among other approved activities. If people don't comply, they'll be kicked off Medicaid. Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the country, and consistently ranks among the worst in the nation in terms of overall health of its citizens. |
| Rep. Trent Kelly blames Senate for shutdown, touts Israeli relations | |
 | The recent shutdown of the federal government took place due to Senate inaction on funding bills the House of Representatives passed on to them months ago, according to Mississippi First District Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Saltillo). In Olive Branch for the weekly Rotary Club meeting, where Kelly and former state Sen. Merle Flowers spoke about their visits to Israel last summer and fall with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Kelly expressed frustration that senators could not come to an agreement on appropriations measures that House members had voted on last September. Kelly, recently promoted to Brigadier General status in the Mississippi Army National Guard, added the shutdown directly affected him as a member of the Guard. |
| Meridian Mayor Percy Bland meets with Trump; some mayors boycott | |
 | Despite issues surrounding the Justice Department's continued pressure on sanctuary cities, Meridian Mayor Percy Bland was in Washington D.C. on Wednesday to meet with President Donald Trump. While attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Bland and the president discussed "key challenges for Meridian and how the federal government can provide assistance," according to a statement from the city. "As mayor I am charged to govern day to day, guided by changes that [affect] real life and pocketbook issues," Bland, a Democrat, said in the statement. "We are working to build partnerships across party lines, in the public and private sectors and to work beyond partisan divides to find new solutions, remove barriers, and develop innovative responses to challenges of the day." Mayors from 1,408 cities with populations of 30,000 or more were invited to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors. But a number of those mayors boycotted the meeting because of tensions related to sanctuary cities. |
| Feds threaten to subpoena Jackson; advocates fight immigration crackdowns | |
| Federal justice officials have officially put the city of Jackson on notice for what President Trump's administration considers a sanctuary city policy. The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that 22 other cities, counties and states must submit documents that could reveal if they are refusing to share information with the department and other federal immigration agencies. The department sent letters to 23 cities, counties and states. Kai Williams, communications manager for the City of Jackson, said the Mayor's office has not received a letter, and did not comment further. Jackson has gained attention from state and federal officials for its 2010 anti-racial profiling ordinance, which prohibits police officers from asking about suspects' immigration status during routine traffic stops. It has also drawn the ire of state leaders who say undocumented immigrants are a costly burden to taxpayers. |
| Mayor George Flaggs meets in D.C. with Trump | |
| Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. called an afternoon meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump "very productive" and believes it will help the city acquire funding for infrastructure needs in the future. Flaggs was a member of a delegation of mayors, including the mayors of Meridian, Crystal Springs and Gulfport, who were invited by the Trump administration to meet with the president. He said the meeting was separate from another meeting the president had with members of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which was reportedly boycotted by New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and several other mayors over the president's sanctuary cities policy. "I was not a member of that group," Flaggs said. "My invitation was a separate one from the White House." |
| Department of Justice steps up campaign against Jackson's sanctuary status | |
| The Department of Justice is demanding all documents involving Jackson's immigration policy, marking an elevation of the department's campaign under Attorney General Jeff Sessions to go after so-called sanctuary cities and federal funding. On Wednesday, the DOJ's Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Assistance sent its second letter to Jackson this time demanding all city documents "reflecting any orders, directives, instructions, or guidance" to law enforcement employees, as well as communications with the DOJ, Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The DOJ says the documents could show whether Jackson is unlawfully restricting information sharing by its law enforcement officers with federal immigration authorities, which it says would be in violation of federal immigration law. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has vowed to keep the ordinance, arguing DOJ's policy would undermine public safety. |
| Correspondence With Congressional Offices 'Through the Roof' | |
 | You'll seldom see "absorbing the occasional F-bomb" on a Capitol Hill intern's LinkedIn page under the "responsibilities" tab. Nor will you see "twirling the landline cord while a constituent takes off on a racist immigration rant." "It's basic customer service, like you would have in any other industry," one Democratic congressional staffer said of answering calls for lawmakers. But for the interns and staffers in member offices, these expletive-laced rants often cut deeper because the callers aren't complaining about products: they're complaining about lawmakers, their bosses. On the Hill -- where "Have a wonderful day!" is the preferred substitute for "Good riddance!" when dealing with rude callers -- the line separating what's considered abusive language and what's considered a threat is often unclear. |
| Chris King named new East Mississippi Community College band director | |
| The East Mississippi Community College Mighty Lion Band is under new leadership with the appointment of Chris King as the ensemble's new director. King served as an assistant director of the EMCC Band for six years and was appointed director at the beginning of the spring semester. Prior to working at EMCC, King served as an assistant director of bands at Vanderbilt University. He has also served as band director of Vicksburg High School and Quitman High School. An Aberdeen native, he attended Itawamba Community College and holds a bachelor's in music from the University of Mississippi and a master's in music with emphasis in jazz from Auburn University. His primary instrument is trumpet. He replaces Steve Stringer as director. |
| William Carey U. hosts annual Careers in Healthcare Symposium | |
 | Hundreds of Pine Belt high school students learned about jobs in the heatlh industry at William Carey University Wednesday. They participated in an annual Careers in Healthcare Symposium. About 250 students heard from professionals in various healthcare fields, including music therapy. They also toured the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the School of Nursing. The students came from nine different schools. |
| Two U. of Alabama System trustees confirmed by Senate | |
 | The Alabama Senate confirmed University of Alabama System trustees Britt Sexton and Kenneth Vandervoort to additional six-year terms. The Senate confirmed the re-appointments on Tuesday. Vandervoort and Sexton were re-appointed by the UA board in September. Vandervoort, who represents the 3rd District on the board, was first appointed to the board in 2012. Sexton, who represents the 5th District, was first appointed in 2009. Trustees may serve up to three consecutive six-year terms or until they reach the age of 75. |
| Website: Auburn's fashion design, merchandising, architecture programs among nation's best | |
 | Auburn University programs in fashion merchandising, fashion design, architecture and industrial design are among the tops in the nation in 2018, according to www.theartcareerproject.com. The Art Career Project, a nationally recognized resource for art students and art professionals, ranked Auburn second in its 2018 list of the top 30 U.S. colleges and universities with fashion merchandising programs. For fashion design, Auburn ranked 11th in the nation and third among public universities and colleges. "These rankings prove what we've always known: Auburn University is an ideal place to study fashion merchandising or fashion design," said Pam Ulrich, head of the Department of Consumer and Design Sciences in Auburn's College of Human Sciences. "Our students find the curriculum challenging and rewarding, and we are constantly told they are exceedingly prepared for the rigors of the fashion industry." |
| LSU task force looks at random drug tests, banning booze to curb frat bad behavior | |
 | Random drug tests for fraternity members, adult supervision during new member activities, eliminating hard alcohol and kegs at frat houses, and relocating fraternity tailgates are some of the ideas an LSU panel is considering in an effort to overhaul the university's hard-partying Greek organizations. The full report from the 11-member task force will be made official by Feb. 21, and President F. King Alexander said he'll offer his response by the end of next month. Rob Stuart, the chairman of the task force, said he expects the majority of the ideas discussed on Wednesday to be codified into their recommendations. His ideas were largely echoed by another set of recommendations made by a group of Greek alumni and advisers that were presented to the task force. Stuart explained that tailgate parties have been identified as a source of problems. |
| UGA president announces new grant to help struggling seniors graduate | |
 | The University of Georgia has launched a new grant program to help needy seniors facing financial challenges complete their degrees. UGA President Jere Morehead announced the new "completion grants" initiative Wednesday during his annual State of the University speech in the UGA Chapel. The pilot program, funded with $250,000 in private dollars, will award grants of up to $2,000 to help seniors graduate. Every year, some 200 UGA seniors struggle with financial shortfalls, often less than $1,000 but enough to force some to drop out before meeting graduation requirements, said Morehead, in his fifth year as UGA president. The initiative was one of several Morehead announced Wednesday, some of them from a Task Force on Student Learning and Success headed by UGA Vice President for Instruction Rahul Shrivastav. Other initiatives will include drives to make writing a more important part of the UGA curriculum and to ensure students are data literate. |
| Two U. of Florida communicators are leaving | |
 | Two University of Florida communicators are leaving this calendar year. Jane Adams, vice president for university relations, will retire April 20. She has been with the university since 2004 after working with the Walt Disney Co. As vice president for university relations, Adams, who was paid $300,668 a year as of fall 2017, has handled relations with the government and the public as well as marketing and external relations. "I've loved every minute of it, but it's time for a change," Adams said. She said Tuesday that she plans to travel with her sister and her sister's family. But she might take on some consulting work as well. "I'm not sure what I would do sitting around the house all day," she said. In an administrative memo, UF President Kent Fuchs said Adams' position will be split into two after she leaves: a vice president for strategic communications and marketing and a vice president for government and community relations. Janine Sikes, assistant vice president of public affairs, announced she will resign effective the beginning of the fall 2018 semester. She joined the university relations office in 2007 and as of fall 2017, was paid $102,617 a year. |
| Endowment Returns Rebound After a Dismal 2016, but the Long-Term Outlook Is Cloudy | |
 | As the stock market has soared to record highs, college endowments have been buoyed by strong investment returns. During the last fiscal year, college endowments returned an average of 12.2 percent, according to an annual survey released on Thursday. The Nacubo-Commonfund Study of Endowments looks at data from more than 800 North American education institutions with endowment assets totaling $566.8 billion. The annual survey is compiled jointly by the National Association of College and University Business Officers, or Nacubo, and the Commonfund Institute, the research group for the asset-management firm Commonfund, which serves nonprofit institutions. The data represent endowment returns for the 2017 fiscal year, which for most institutions ended on June 30. The new report shows a significant uptick in returns from last year, when endowment values dropped by 1.9 percent, badly underperforming the Dow Jones industrial average. The increase is largely a result of improved global market conditions. |
| College endowments rise 12.2 percent in 2017, but experts worry about long-term trends | |
 | College and university endowment returns rose to their highest level in three years in the fiscal year ending June 2017, rebounding from a down prior year to average 12.2 percent, net of fees. It was the highest average net return since fiscal 2014, when returns averaged 15.5 percent, according to an annual study released today from the National Association of College and University Business Officers and asset management firm Commonfund. In 2016, returns dipped below zero to average -1.9 percent. They were also relatively low in 2015, averaging 2.4 percent. Net endowment returns are closely watched because the amount of money an endowment earns significantly influences its ability to provide funding for college and university operations in the future. Endowments are not intended to be checking accounts institutions draw down over time. They are considered permanent investments generating earnings that can be put toward spending priorities like research, salaries or student financial aid. Therefore, endowment returns over time are closely tracked. |
| Michigan State President Resigns After Torrent of Anger Over Nassar Scandal | |
| Lou Anna K. Simon, the Michigan State University president who has faced a barrage of criticism for the university's failure to respond to sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, resigned on Wednesday night, the university said in a statement. "As tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable," wrote Ms. Simon in a university news release. "As president, it is only natural that I am the focus of this anger." In a separate statement, the chair of the university's Board of Trustees said that the board would accept Ms. Simon's resignation and that it was "now time for change." The announcement quickly followed news that a second of the university's eight trustees had called on Ms. Simon to resign. And that call quickly followed the passage of a resolution by the Michigan House of Representatives urging the embattled president to step down. Only 11 of the 107 voting representatives voted no. |
| Debate often not factor in legislative process | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "During debate in the state House of the legislation to rewrite the Mississippi Adequate Education Program school funding formula last week, Democrats offered 17 amendments. Some were well thought out, well researched, well presented. Some were not. Hey, this is the Legislature. Not everybody is a shining light. But regardless of the amendment, House Education Chair Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach, simply stood up and said he opposed the amendment. That was enough. In each instance, the Republican majority followed the lead of Bennett and voted to kill the proposal. ...In days gone by, debate mattered and made a difference in the process." |
SPORTS
| Challenge for Mississippi State fans is to pack the Hump | |
| It's down to five. Through 20 games, the Mississippi State women's basketball team has displayed all of the qualities to make another run at a national title. The Bulldogs have done it in front of hostile crowds on the road, small crowds in Mexico and in Las Vegas, and before packed houses at Humphrey Coliseum. The challenge in the next two months rests with the MSU fans. How many times will fans of the Bulldogs pack the Hump to see what likely will go down as the most accomplished class in history? The only remaining guarantees MSU fans have to watch seniors Victoria Vivians, Morgan William, Blair Schaefer, and Roshunda Johnson will be at home games against Florida (7:30 p.m. Thursday), South Carolina (6 p.m., Feb. 6), Kentucky (1 p.m., Feb. 11), Texas A&M (1 or 4 p.m., Feb. 18), and Auburn (7 p.m., Feb. 22). |
| No. 2 Mississippi State seeks best start hosting Florida | |
| Vic Schaefer reiterated during his last press conference that "being 20-0 isn't normal." While that feat is rare on the landscape of women's basketball, it might be becoming the norm in Starkville as Mississippi State has reached that feat in each of the last two seasons. The second-ranked Bulldogs attempt to establish the best start in school history tonight as they host Florida at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network. A win tonight would also be MSU's best start in SEC play and tie its longest league winning streak. Florida (10-10, 2-5 SEC) is coming off back-to-back wins over Arkansas and Ole Miss and has five players averaging double figures. |
| Victoria Vivians is more focused than ever and her rebounding shows it | |
| As soon as Victoria Vivians finished answering a question about a hustle play that led to an offensive rebound and put-back, Vic Schaefer looked at her, put his arm around her and beamed. "You had nine (rebounds)," Schaefer whispered to Vivians inside the press conference room Sunday following Mississippi State's win over Tennessee. "That's a good job." It's also becoming close to the norm for Vivians. In a season highlighted so far by significant statistical jumps -- her shooting percentage, for example, is up 18 points from last year to 55 percent -- Vivians' rebounding numbers help construct a deeper depiction of her growth. Mississippi State will honor Vivians Thursday with her senior poster night when the No. 2 Bulldogs (20-0, 6-0 SEC) host Florida (10-10, 2-5) at 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network). So it's as good a time as any to offer perspective on Vivians' rebounding prowess and what it means. |
| Victoria Vivians playing at high level; Bulldogs host Gators | |
| Despite the No. 3 ranking heading into the top 10 showdown at Knoxville, Tennessee, last Sunday, Mississippi State still had some disadvantages on paper against No. 6 Tennessee. The Lady Volunteers had the noticeable size advantage in the battle and were one of the top rebounding teams in the country coming in. MSU (20-0, 6-0 SEC) was working with a four-guard lineup and not nearly the length of their counterparts. Though smaller in stature, the Bulldogs took the fight to the home team. By the end of the game, they had out-rebounded the Lady Vols 44-33. Teaira McCowan dominated her counterpart in the post Mercedes Russell with 18 rebounds to four. It was a game that made MSU head coach Vic Schaefer very proud. "I just think we're getting better, especially on the defensive end," Schaefer said. "Every loose ball on the floor we were on the court. I thought we did a really good job of taking away driving lanes and being handsy. That's a strength of this team and we've gotten better at it." |
| Konnor Pilkington set to anchor healthier Mississippi State baseball staff | |
| Exciting days are ahead for Mississippi State's Konnor Pilkington. The big junior left-hander, who is slated to once again serve as MSU's Friday night ace this coming season, will likely be a high pick in this June's Major League Baseball Draft. It's not his professional future though that has Pilkington all amped up. It's the potential of the 2018 Bulldogs. "We can be the best," Pilkington said. "Our one goal is to do what this program has never done and that's to win the whole thing. "Everybody has their minds set on that and that's what we're looking towards." As Mississippi State strives to accomplish its mission this year, Pilkington will be at the forefront of the effort. The southpaw is coming off a sophomore season in which he started a team-high 17 games and led the Bulldogs in innings pitched (108) and strikeouts (111). He was second on the club in earned run average (3.08) and batting average against (.199). A year removed from all that success, expectations are even higher for Pilkington this season. |
| Mississippi State's Tate Clayton carries on family tradition | |
| Tate Clayton remembers being a middle schooler in the stands at Humphrey Coliseum watching his older brother, Reed, play as a walk-on at Mississippi State during the 2011-12 season. Little did Tate know, he would follow in his footsteps six years later. "In the back of my mind, I always knew it would be something awesome to do," Tate said. Reed only logged nine minutes in nine games during his lone season with the Bulldogs during Rick Stansbury's final year but did score against North Texas. With that experience, big brother was able to offer advice to Tate about the ups and downs of being a walk-on in the Southeastern Conference. |
| Mississippi State's Cory Thomas springing back from injury-laden season | |
| Cory Thomas expected to have a breakout junior season this past fall. Week 1 went exactly according to plan as the Mississippi State defensive tackle made a career-high four tackles to go along with a forced fumble in a win over Charleston Southern. However, Thomas' season took a turn in the second week at Louisiana Tech when he injured his foot. "I just landed wrong and something just didn't feel right," Thomas said. "I went to the trainer and got it checked out." Surgery was required which kept Thomas sidelined for the next six weeks. The 6-foot-5 Bessemer, Alabama native missed a total of seven games over the next three months, including five straight following the procedure. |
| In appearance at Liberty, Hugh Freeze apologizes for 'private sin' | |
 | In his first public appearance since resigning last July, former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze expressed remorse for what he called "private sin" that became public, apologized and said he wants to "finish well." Speaking Wednesday morning during a chapel service at Liberty University, Freeze told students his "world got rocked in 2017," when the discovery of a call made to a female escort service led to his ouster for what Ole Miss officials termed a "pattern of personal misconduct." The talk was streamed live on the school's Facebook page. "All the walls came crumbling down when what I thought was a private sin that I had struggled with, confessed to my wife to two of my friends in 2016, that I thought I was dealing with and was in my rear-view mirror, when it became public knowledge," Freeze said. Jill Freeze and the couple's pastor Chip Henderson also spoke and vouched for him. Jill Freeze said she forgave her husband because she knew "his heart. I know he's gonna do whatever it takes to get right with God." |
| Former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze asks for forgiveness in first public appearance since resignation | |
 | In his first public appearance since his abrupt resignation in July, former Ole Miss head football coach Hugh Freeze made his first public appearance Wednesday, at which he asked forgiveness for his wrongdoing. "I had to say to people that I loved, 'I am sorry. Please forgive me,'" he said. "And today is really the first day I can tell the faith family, 'I am sorry. Please forgive me.'" Freeze's coaching acumen comes with few questions, but whichever program gives him a second chance will certainly take a PR hit regarding his prior missteps. However, history shows that college football coaches often get a second chance following improper behavior, and his wife, Jill, is among those who believe her husband will someday return to coaching. "I could look at him and I could automatically see in the beginning that he was believing the lies of Satan -- that he's not worthy, that he's blown it, that we can't get past this," Jill said about her husband. |
| Alabama athletics brought in $174.3 million last year | |
 | University of Alabama athletics continues to be profitable and football remains the driving force, according to budget documents the school files annually with the NCAA. The school made $15.6 million more than it spent in 2017, according to the document obtained by AL.com through open records requests. The profit was down $3.1 million from last year's $18.7 million. Total revenue was up slightly more than $10 million to $174.3 million. In terms of football, the profit was $45.9 million with total revenue of $108.2 million. With expenses rising last year, the profit was down $1.8 million from the 2016 report filed with the NCAA. The revenue, however, was up from $103.9 million in 2016. For perspective, USA Today reported the University of Texas had revenue of $215 million in 2017 (compared to Alabama's $174.3 million). |
| Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards: 'Obscene' football coaching salaries need a cap | |
| Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards believes that multimillion-dollar college football coaching salaries are "obscene" and a cap to limit them should be in place. Edwards, during a meeting with The Advocate editorial board last week, expressed his concern over escalating staff salaries that have "gotten out of control." Louisiana's flagship college football program, LSU, is one of the country's leaders in football staff spending. In addition to the 2017's staff price tag of $9.4 million, the university is paying four staff members who are no longer employed at the school, including a remaining buyout of about $7 million to former coach Les Miles. The money is generated by the athletic department through private funds, rather than state funds. "I am concerned. I'm not as concerned as I would be if those were tax dollars being spent," Edwards said. "I do think that there has to be some look nationally at some sort of salary caps for the organizations. This is an arms race, and it's gotten out of control. Some of the salaries and buyouts are obscene, and they can create all sorts of problems." |
| Kevin Faulk hired as LSU football's director of player development | |
 | LSU officially announced Wednesday the hire of all-time leading rusher Kevin Faulk as a part of Ed Orgeron's staff. Faulk will join the staff as the Director of Player Development. According to an LSU press release, Faulk will work with LSU's football student-athletes on their academic direction, social development and overall quality of life with the goal of enhancing their development in the classroom, the community and on the football field. Faulk's hire took some time to become official as LSU needed to get SEC approval because Faulk was being hired as an off-the-field coach coming from a job as an assistant coach at Carencro, his high school alma mater. Faulk played at LSU from 1995-98 and then spent his entire 12-year NFL career with the New England Patriots. |
| Investigation finds Tennessee athletics employees accepted trips from vendors | |
 | Two University of Tennessee athletic department employees accepted impermissible golf trips, according to the results of an audit released Wednesday by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office. The report investigated trips that occurred in 2014 and 2016, including a pair of trips to the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga. Tennessee Comptroller Justin P. Wilson said in a news release that the investigation started after the university's Office of Audit and Compliance brought the possible discrepancies to the state's attention. At least twice in 2016, the report states, UT's director of sports surface management accepted paid golf trips and related entertainment from a department vendor, which is a violation of university policy. University policy doesn't allow employees to accept gifts or entertainment exceeding $75 in value. This is the second time in less than a week the UT athletic department has been the subject of an audit released by the comptroller's office. |
| Four suspended players rejoin Florida football program | |
| Four of the nine Florida football players suspended indefinitely before the start of last season for credit card fraud have rejoined all team activities. Running back Jordan Scarlett, wide receiver Rick Wells, and linebackers Ventrell Miller and James Houston will all join their teammates in the offseason conditioning program starting today. In response to reports of the players' return, UF released a statement from coach Dan Mullen on Tuesday night. "All of our players understand the standards and expectations we have of them to be members of the Florida football program," Mullen said. There is still a chance the players could be facing a suspension of games by the university at the start of the 2018 season, but that has yet to be determined. The players received pre-trial intervention that will allow their third-degree felony charges to be dropped if they meet requirements set by the State Attorney's Office. |
| With investigation of Michigan State, Nassar, NCAA stepping out of traditional role | |
| Widespread public opinion holds that the National Collegiate Athletic Association botched its punishment of Pennsylvania State University and the sex-abuse scandal of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Most of the meaningful sanctions applied to Penn State were reversed. The NCAA was accused of overreaching its bylaws in investigating the university, and simultaneously of being toothless. The association is setting itself up for a similar dilemma with Michigan State University and the horrors committed by Lawrence G. Nassar, a former doctor with the American gymnastics team who also spent decades treating athletes at the university. More than 160 women accused him of sexual abuse, and Nassar, already serving a 60-year sentence on federal child-pornography charges, was sentenced Wednesday to up to 175 years in prison for his crimes, to which he pleaded guilty. The NCAA will investigate Michigan State, it confirmed Tuesday, but its questions around Nassar far exceed its usual inquiries into what is usually much milder misconduct -- misbehavior by coaches or impropriety among boosters. Once again, questions arise: Do NCAA rules allow the association to intervene in criminal matters? If so, does the Michigan State investigation, if done correctly, mark a new era of NCAA enforcement? |
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