| Tuesday, February 27, 2018 |
| Internationally Acclaimed Journalist Visits Mississippi State | |
 | An internationally known journalist and author unpacked some of her experiences for a crowd at Mississippi State Monday night. Lisa Ling was the featured speaker for MSU's Student Association's Global Lecture Series. Ling hosts CNN's "This is Life" which focuses on people bringing about positive social change around the world. The former "Nightline" anchor made her reputation as an investigative reporter. She also found herself in the diplomatic arena, as she had to work with the State Department to help negotiate her sister's release from a North Korean prison. Ling had some advice for her audience. "What I want to do tonight is encourage young people to try and travel as much as they can. Before they leave college while they have the time to while they aren't encumbered by having kids or having a full time job, I want to encourage them to leave their comfort zone and experience the world as they can." |
| MSU-Meridian gains new master's programs | |
 | Mississippi is in need of rural health care providers and MSU-Meridian is doing something to help lower that need. The school is implementing a new program designed to train and educate people to provide health care. MSU-Meridian is preparing to offer new master's programs, including the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. "PA's are licensed health care professionals who work in collaboration and under the supervision of physicians," says program director Dr. Debra Monsell. Dr. Monsell says the state needs a program like this because there is shortage of rural health care providers in Mississippi. MSU-Meridian is hosting a graduate fair on Tuesday for students interested in earning a graduate degree in business or education. |
| Lawmakers move to arm teachers, allow universities to prohibit guns | |
 | A Senate judiciary committee has amended a House bill to allow universities to prohibit guns at sporting events and elsewhere, and to allow some K-12 teachers with advanced training and permits to carry in public schools. The Senate committee with an amendment overhauled House Bill 1083. The original House bill would allow people with enhanced concealed carry permits to file a complaint with the attorney general's office and more easily sue if they believe a public agency has a gun ban or other policy in violation of gun-rights laws the Legislature has passed in recent years. The Senate overhaul of the bill would allow universities and colleges to have policies to prohibit guns at stadiums and sporting events. |
| EPA Awards $25K to Mississippi State University for Rural Voices Radio: Voices Along the Gulf | |
 | The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Gulf of Mexico Program announced on Monday a $24,925 award to Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute at Mississippi State University to work with students to develop environmental content for Rural Voices Radio: Voices Along the Gulf. The award will support two school groups, Bay-Waveland Middle School in Bay St. Louis and Stone High School in Wiggins, and one non-profit organization, the Hancock County Historical Society. "This project will expand environmental awareness and promote EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment throughout Mississippi," said Trey Glenn, EPA Region 4 Administrator. "Hands-on opportunities help to change behaviors of Gulf residents as 'keepers of the coast' with vested interest in its protection." Rural Voices Radio, a partnership that began in 2003 between the Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute at MSU and Mississippi Public Broadcasting, works with children and adults to write and record radio content. |
| Cold weather months may help control insects | |
 | Mississippi temperatures got into the single digits this winter but experts say it takes freezing temps for several days in a row to kill off some species said entomologist Blake Layton. "Unfortunately, cold winter temperatures don't affect insect numbers as much as we might wish," Layton said. "Most of our native species are also in more northern regions of the country and are very well adapted to surviving cold winters." Mike Brown, state climatologist and Mississippi State University professor of geosciences, said the state saw a low of -1 degree at Independence in Tate County on Jan. 18. Overall, the state averaged temperatures about 4 degrees lower than normal in January. |
| Joe Max Higgins gives industrial park update at Rotary Club | |
 | Golden Triangle LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins spoke to the Starkville Rotary Club Monday, giving an update on the LINK-backed industrial park project. Higgins told the club the anticipated completion date was July 2019, and said in addition to heavy industry, some of the land will be zoned for shipping and receiving facilities. He also gave some updates on the current Supreme Court case the site is involved in and some archeological work going on at the site. The site is located north of Starkville along Highway 389. Higgins also updated the SDN on two additional projects involving the LINK. He said "Project Polar," a cold storage plant in West Point that will be the new site for poultry producer PECO, was going as planned. In addition, he confirmed another project, known as "Project Snoopy" was off the table. |
| Brandon Presley touts PSC's Hire Mississippi rule | |
 | The Public Service Commission's Hire Mississippi initiative, designed to urge public utilities to hire in-stare companies, kicks off Thursday. Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley of Nettleton touted the program Monday at the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute of Government/capitol press corps luncheon. Presley, a Democrat and in his third term on the three-member Public Service Commission that regulates public utilities, said the five largest public utilities spent $870 million in fiscal year 2017 on contracts for operations and maintenance, but only 30 percent of those funds went to Mississippi companies. He said he wanted to see companies from Okolona instead of Oklahoma winning contracts to provide services like cutting trees for power lines or "laying pipes" for natural gas lines. |
| PSC chairman seeks 'outside-the-box' ideas to solve infrastructure problems | Mississippi Today | |
| Now that the Mississippi Public Service Commission has completed its work regarding the Kemper County energy facility, Brandon Presley, chairman of the Public Service Commission, laid out the commission's priorities moving forward, this time with a focus on infrastructure around the state. At a luncheon for the Capitol press corps Monday afternoon, Presley, who represents the commission's Northern District, called on utility and telecommunications companies to cooperate with the commission on solving some of Mississippi's rural infrastructure issues, such as limited access to natural gas and high-speed internet. He said many broadband providers operate for profit, which has led to a lack of adequate services in rural areas. |
| Northern District PSC Brandon Presley talks infrastructure improvements at Stennis lunch | |
 | Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley spoke to guests at the Stennis Luncheon in Jackson on Monday about the current infrastructure crisis in the state, especially within rural areas. He said a major part of that problem is a lack of access to broadband internet. "High speed internet service is the electricity of the 21st Century. The fact of the matter is if you live in rural Mississippi, or anywhere in our state and you want to participate in the modern economy you have to have connectivity to do that," said Presley. Presley emphasized that this push in the infrastructure of the state is about education and economic development and making sure rural areas in the state feel cared about. Presley has hosted 170 town meetings, to date, to find out what residents are struggling with and how the PSC can help. |
| Starkville Pride sues city of Starkville | |
 | Starkville Pride has formally sued the city of Starkville. The suit, filed late Monday afternoon in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi's Eastern Division, seeks an injunction against the Starkville Board of Aldermen's vote on Feb. 20 to deny the request. Federal Judge Sharion Aycock is presiding over the case. Roberta Kaplan, of New York law firm Kaplan and Company, is representing Starkville Pride as a whole, as well as organizers Bailey McDaniel and Emily Turner. Starkville Pride is a grassroots lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) support group. The 12-page complaint contends the four aldermen who voted against the parade did so purely for content-based reasons, and in doing so, violated the members of Starkville Pride's First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. |
| Starkville Pride marches into court over parade permit | |
| For the fourth time in as many years, a Mississippi government body is going to court over gay rights issues. On Monday, Starkville Pride, a Mississippi gay, lesbian, transgender and queer community organization, sued the city of Starkville in U.S. District Court over the board of aldermen's rejection last week of the group's application for a gay pride parade. The four aldermen who voted against granting the permit offered no explanation at the time and have not answered multiple requests for comment from Mississippi Today. Members of Starkville Pride have said that the board's decision to reject their application came as a surprise. Rejections for permit applications are unusual. The board has approved every similar application filed between 2014 and 2018, according to the lawsuit. "If you ask a given number of attorneys, most would tell you you don't have much legal standing for denying (the parade). And I say that with the benefit of hindsight," said Sandra Sistrunk, an alderman for Ward 2, who is in favor of a Pride parade. |
| Gay Pride Parade Organizers Sue Mississippi City Over Denial | |
 | Two women sued a Mississippi college town Monday over its denial of a permit for a gay pride parade, saying the city had denied their constitutional rights to free expression and equal protection. Mississippi State University students Bailey McDaniel and Emily Turner filed the federal lawsuit Monday against the city of Starkville, asking a judge to overrule the city and immediately grant a parade permit to Starkville Pride. Thanks to the university, Starkville is more cosmopolitan and diverse than many Mississippi towns. Turner said the weekend was meant to showcase LGBT people's place in the community. "For us, I think Starkville Pride is a way to celebrate the diversity of Starkville," Turner said last week. "It's a very diverse and accepting community. It's also about showing that we're here." |
| Equal pay supporters in Mississippi divided on latest amendment | |
| An equal pay bill could become reality in Mississippi if it makes it out of a Senate committee by Tuesday. However, some supporters of past equal pay legislation are questioning the merits of this latest attempt. In early February, the House approved an amendment that would allow workers to file for compensation in response to discriminatory pay. The move came during a debate on House Bill 1241. The legislation introduced by Judiciary A Chairman Mark Baker, R-Brandon, is aimed, in part, at prohibiting cities from setting minimum wage amounts above the state's current rate. |
| Hazing rumors at trooper school bring 'aggressive internal investigation' | |
| A release from the Department of Public Safety on Monday says DPS will be doing "an aggressive internal investigation into allegations of mistreatment of cadets in MHP Class 62 by MHP personnel." DPS personnel confirmed that there has been talk of some kind of hazing in the recruit class that is set to graduate next week. "These are very serious allegations that will not be tolerated in any form and any personnel found to have committed any act of misconduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," said Commissioner Marshall Fisher in the release. DPS spokesman Warren Strain said there would be no further comment on the active investigation. |
| Bill passed by Senate 'political hijacking of MDOT,' says Commissioner Tom King | |
 | More money could be leaving the Mississippi Department of Transportation thanks to Senate Bill 3046, which was introduced last week by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. "To get where we are now, we need more money, not monies being taken away from our budget," said MDOT Southern District Transportation Commissioner Tom King. "This proposal takes $25 million a year for the next five years away from our budget, not adding to our budget." According to King, that $25 million would be coming out of state funds. "That's directly from the gasoline tax reimbursements and other fees that we receive from state funding methods," said King. "So, it will not come from federal money." This bill could impact projects right here in the Pine Belt including a project on the Evelyn Gandy Parkway. |
| DeSoto legislator says tourism dollars pay dividends | |
 | Passage by the Mississippi House of Representatives of tourism tax incentives for both Horn Lake and Southaven will continue to pay dividends for years to come, according to the author of the bill, State Rep. Jeff Hale, R-Nesbit and the bill's co-author, State Rep. William Kinkade, R-Byhalia. The measure is now headed to the Senate which it appears to have solid support. "I have nephews who play up there at Snowden (Grove Park)," Hale said Monday in an interview from the House floor. "I do see the fundamentals of why this is needed. There is always upkeep. If we are going to maintain Snowden for the Special Olympics and for the Dizzy Dean World Series, we need to have this in place." Hale said he has been informed that other cities are trying to snatch such events away from Snowden due to the lack of sufficient monetary support for continued upgrades to the 18-year-old facility. |
| Tea Party hints at GOP Senate challenge in Mississippi | |
 | Mississippi Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel is moving closer to announcing a Senate primary challenge to Sen. Roger Wicker, setting the stage for another contentious primary fight for McDaniel. He appeared to be telegraphing his likely bid during a Facebook Live video on Monday evening, telling supporters to join him for a rally on Wednesday. "I'll be holding an event. You can probably read between the lines as to why I'll be holding an event," McDaniel said during the video. "We're looking for a fight and i cant wait to have you on my team again." McDaniel will hold the rally at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss., where both of his parents worked. Even after his strong 2014 campaign, McDaniel could struggle against Wicker. |
| Mississippi Firebrand Appears Set to Challenge Republican Senator From Right | |
 | State Senator Chris McDaniel, who nearly beat an incumbent senator in 2014, is expected to announce this week that he will challenge Mississippi's junior United States senator, Roger Wicker, testing the potency of an anti-establishment message in the Trump era. After months of speculation about his intentions, Mr. McDaniel said in a Facebook video Monday night that he would reveal his decision at a hometown rally in Ellisville, Miss., on Wednesday, the day before the filing period to run in 2018 comes to an end. Mr. Wicker, 66, could prove difficult for Mr. McDaniel to defeat. President Trump, stung by the defeat of Roy S. Moore last year in Alabama, has already conveyed his support to Mr. Wicker and has little appetite to risk another Senate seat in the Deep South. In fact, Mr. Trump has wooed Mr. Bryant to appoint himself to Mr. Cochran's Senate seat, should it come open, to block Mr. McDaniel and pre-empt a nasty intraparty feud. |
| GOP showdown: McDaniel expected to challenge Wicker for Senate | |
 | Mississippi Republican Chris McDaniel is expected to announce later this week that he will wage a 2018 primary challenge against GOP Sen. Roger Wicker, according to two people briefed on his plans. He has recruited two senior Republican strategists, Rick Tyler and John Yob, to assist him. Tyler most recently worked as a spokesman for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign, and was a staffer on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's 2012 White House bid. Yob was a top aide on Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's 2016 presidential campaign. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee will do what is necessary to defend Wicker, said the campaign arm's chairman Cory Gardner of Colorado. "Sen. Wicker's been an incredible senator for the state of Mississippi ... he will have our 100 percent support," Gardner said. |
| Mississippi's Chris McDaniel Expected to Announce Senate Bid | |
 | Mississippi Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel is expected to announce a primary challenge to GOP Sen. Roger Wicker this week, according to a source close to his campaign. McDaniel held a Facebook Live event Monday night to invite supporters to a rally he's holding Wednesday, where he is expected to announce his candidacy. A super PAC supporting McDaniel released a statement Monday in anticipation of McDaniel's announcement. "We are looking forward to the announcement and certainly hope Chris McDaniel challenges Senator Wicker," said Tommy Barnett, treasurer of Remember Mississippi PAC, which ended 2017 with $852,000. Wicker had $4.1 million in his campaign account at the end of 2017. His campaign released two ads on Monday. |
| Chris McDaniel of Mississippi plans to hold rally amid Senate-run intrigue | |
 | A conservative insurgent pushed the Republican Party closer to another explosive war with itself by positioning himself Monday to launch a campaign for the Senate. Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel announced that he would hold a rally on Wednesday -- a platform he could use to announce a bid for either of the two Senate seats he has been eyeing. The possibility of a challenge against Sen. Roger Wicker, or perhaps a bid for Sen. Thad Cochran's seat, put party officials on edge. Hours ahead of his comments, which came in a Facebook Live event Monday, speculation was rampant among Republicans about what he would say. Whatever McDaniel decides will probably have a direct impact on the Republican Party well beyond the state's borders. |
| Reports indicate McDaniel running against Wicker | |
| State Sen. Chris McDaniel of Ellisville, an anti-establishment Republican, appears poised to challenge incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Tupelo in the Republican primary. Various national publications have reported on McDaniel's plan to challenge Wicker. McDaniel, 46, a Jones County attorney, announced on Facebook Monday night his intention to make an announcement at noon Wednesday at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville. He presumably will officially announce his challenge of Wicker. McDaniel led Mississippi's senior U.S. senator, Thad Cochran, in the 2014 Republican primary but just missed garnering the majority vote needed to avoid a runoff. In the hotly contested runoff, Cochran defeated McDaniel. |
| Chris McDaniel expected to challenge Roger Wicker: 'I'm looking for a fight' | |
| State Sen. Chris McDaniel is expected to announce his Republican primary challenge to U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker during a Wednesday rally, sources close to the campaign confirmed Monday. McDaniel held a Facebook Live broadcast Monday night to announce a rally at Jones County Junior College at noon Wednesday. During the social media broadcast, he strongly telegraphed his intention, saying "you can read between the lines" as to why he was holding a Wednesday event. The Wicker campaign would not comment on McDaniel on Monday. The Remember Mississippi super PAC that supports McDaniel on Monday released a statement urging McDaniel to "Bring it on" and reiterating the PAC's recent report that it had raised more than $1 million. |
| Chris McDaniel just made Mississippi's Senate race a lot more interesting | |
 | Mississippians, voters and nonvoters alike, may need to buckle up for another bruising statewide campaign, a flood of attack ads and arguments over who's the most conservative among conservatives. Several national outlets on Monday said it appears state Sen. Chris McDaniel will run against Sen. Roger Wicker in the June 5 Republican primary. McDaniel didn't return messages but Remember Mississippi PAC, which is his main backer, just pointed to those reports, and said it would be watching it closely. McDaniel was relatively unknown in South Mississippi in 2014 when he ran against Sen. Thad Cochran in what turned out to be a wild and nasty campaign. McDaniel spent the years since his defeat honing his social media skills and his message, picking fights with liberals on Facebook. |
| Sen. Roger Wicker may be drawing a crowd of challengers | |
| As Chris McDaniel, the state's anti-Republican establishment standard bearer, approaches a formal decision to challenge U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in the June Republican primary, Democrat David Baria confirmed Monday that he is still strongly considering a run as well. Baria, a state representative from Bay St. Louis, told Mississippi Today that he would give "serious thought" to running for the seat should McDaniel challenge Wicker in the Republican primary. McDaniel teased supporters with a social media request to visit his Facebook page Monday evening for news about his decision. Numerous media reports said the formal kickoff of McDaniel's bid is expected at political rally in his hometown of Ellisville on Wednesday. |
| Q&A: McDaniel on Roger Wicker, Donald Trump, Steve Bannon | |
| Mississippi Today political writer Adam Ganucheau spoke with state Sen. Chris McDaniel recently about his political plans. The text of that conversation published here has been edited for clarity and timeliness. |
| Rural Deep South at most risk of being overlooked in 2020 Census | |
 | Political, operational and funding uncertainties surrounding the 2020 Census have put rural residents in the Deep South at heightened risk of being overlooked in the decennial headcount. Another possible hurdle to a comprehensive census count: demands for a question about citizenship that researchers say could lay the groundwork for a loss of seven congressional seats from the nation's three most populous states, California, Texas and Florida. Home to large numbers of traditionally hard-to-count groups like the poor, minorities, immigrants and children, the South had the highest regional undercount rate in the 2010 Census, according to federal data. And with a larger percentage of Southerners living in rural areas than the nation as a whole, the region will again prove challenging for headcounters in 2020. |
| Anti-Semitism in U.S. surged in 2017, a new report finds | |
 | Harassment, threats and vandalism cases targeting Jews in the United States surged to near-record levels in 2017, jumping 57 percent over the previous year, according to a new report by a prominent civil rights organization. The Anti-Defamation League counted 1,986 anti-Semitic incidents -- the second-highest number since the group began tracking them nearly four decades ago. The figure represents the largest annual jump the organization has ever recorded. Physical attacks, which accounted for fewer than 1 percent of the incidents, was the only category that fell. The overall count, based on data from law enforcement, victims and local Jewish organizations, includes an increase in bomb threats against Jewish centers, vandalism at synagogues and Jewish cemeteries and threats at schools. |
| Georgia's Lt. Gov. Threatens To Kill Tax Break For Delta Airlines Amid NRA Spat | |
 | Georgia's lieutenant governor has threatened to block a proposed tax break for Delta Airlines unless the Atlanta-based carrier restores a discount program for National Rifle Association members that was pulled in the wake of the shooting in Parkland, Fla., earlier this month. In the latest fallout from the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people, Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said he would "kill" legislation to give the airline a sales tax exemption on jet fuel "unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with" the powerful gun-rights advocacy group. "Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back," Cagle said. Cagle is a leading candidate to succeed Gov. Nathan Deal. |
| UMMC affiliates with Vanderbilt to share programs, cut costs | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center announced Monday that it will officially affiliate with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, a move that UMMC said would improve health care quality at both institutions while allowing them to cut costs. "(Vanderbilt) and UMMC share the common goal of improving the health of the populations we serve through outstanding patient care, biomedical research and teaching," said Dr. Charles O'Mara, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs at UMMC. "As the leading academic medical centers in our respective adjoining states, we also face many of the same or similar opportunities and challenges in today's changing health care landscape. Fortunately, both institutions currently enjoy an upward trajectory on many fronts and have strengths that nicely complement one another." |
| Ole Miss discussion aimed at business beginners | |
 | Business experts from the University of Mississippi and the local community will lead a Wednesday discussion about questions potential business owners need to investigate before forming a limited liability company. Part of the Spark Series, the panel discussion is titled "Questions You Should Ask Before You Begin Your Business." The event, set for 4 p.m. in the Jackson Avenue Center, Auditorium A, is free and open to the public with no registration necessary. The panel includes Marie Saliba Cope, UM assistant dean for student affairs, assistant clinical professor at the UM School of Law and director of the Transactional Clinic; Neil Olson, former general counsel with mortgage technology company FNC Inc., and startup and tech business consultant; Will Wilkins, director of the Mississippi Law Research Institute; and Allyson Best, director of the UM Division of Technology Management. |
| What does the U. of Southern Mississippi hope to do with 100,000 pounds of waste? | |
 | Tammy Thompson has been recycling since she was 12 years old. She's kept up the habit as a student at the University of Southern Mississippi. "I recycle mostly plastic and paper," she said. "We have recycling bins in our dorm rooms. "I feel like it's an easy way to protect the Earth, keep things out of landfills and prolong human life on Earth." Melissa Covington-Olsen is hoping students like Thompson will help send 100,000 pounds of waste from Southern Miss to the recycling center during a two-month period ending March 31. The school's sustainability coordinator has set that amount as the goal for students, faculty and staff as they participate in the recycling championship RecycleMania 2018. he national competition pits colleges and universities against each other for the coveted title of top recycler. Last year, Southern Miss finished in the top 140 of 320 participating schools by recycling more than 78,000 pounds of waste. |
| Bayou Academy senior awarded full tuition to Delta State | |
| Constantly giving 110 percent 110 percent of the time has paid off fort Bayou Academy senior Erin Wilson. Wilson was recently awarded, along with 10 other future Delta State University students, the Statesman Scholarship, which covers tuition, room and board, fees, and up to $300 for textbooks. The scholarship was based on ACT scores, high school GPA, academic leadership and service demonstration. Wilson, who has a 4.0 GPA and received a 26 on the ACT, said she almost missed the deadline for the scholarship. "You apply for the scholarships when you apply to Delta State and you have to have a minimum of a 26 on the ACT for this. There was an interview process as well. It's a funny story because I thought I missed the deadline," said Wilson. Wilson plans to major in the entertainment industry with the Delta Music Institute. |
| William Carey expands nursing program to include Baton Rouge General | |
| William Carey University announced Feb. 22 that it will expand its nursing program to offer a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Baton Rouge General Medical Center beginning in the fall. "This is another example of Carey seeking to meet the educational needs of the area," WCU President Tommy King said. Baton Rouge General invited Carey to establish the onsite nursing program after the Baton Rouge School of Nursing accepted its final class of students under its current two-year diploma program, which will close in December 2019. "This onsite pre-licensure BSN program, with the addition of our online RN to BSN and online MSN in nursing education, will greatly add to the educational availability for nurses in the Baton Rouge area," said Dr. Janet Williams, associate vice president of health programs at William Carey University. |
| Co-Lin campus police investigate assault complaint | |
 | Campus police at Copiah-Lincoln Community College Monday were investigating a complaint by a student of what could be a possible assault, said Natalie Davis, director of public information. "There was no assault that I'm aware of," Davis said. "No charges have been filed." However, campus police are taking the complaint seriously, and will review footage from surveillance cameras scattered around campus. "Safety is the highest priority," she said. "We don't want anyone to feel threatened or uncomfortable." |
| 'Focus on changing the culture:' How parents hope to stop hazing after South Carolina meeting | |
 | It was healing for many parents to share the pain of losing a child at this weekend's Greenville conference on college hazing. Now, the families want to turn that pain into action. The parents of 15 children came together in South Carolina to remember the sons they lost to fraternity hazing incidents gone fatally wrong. They also planned steps they can take to stop any more families from losing their children the same way. The meeting was hosted by Cindy Hipps, whose son Tucker died at Clemson University in 2014. She said the group will focus on developing educational tools to help high school students recognize and avoid hazing, as well as a shared template for anti-hazing laws in their respective states. But, mostly, the parents want to continue to support each other. |
| LSU unlikely to penalize prospective students who walk out, protest related to Florida shootings | |
 | LSU has joined other higher education institutions in assuring prospective students they are unlikely to be penalized for participating in peaceful protests in regards to the shooting in Parkland, Florida. A message sent out Monday via the LSU twitter account says, "LSU makes admission decisions based on academic, leadership, and service records. Unless all of these are severely affected, it is unlikely a walk-out will alter admission to the university." The message is directed at all LSU applicants and admitted students. In wake of the early February shooting that took 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and sparked protests around the U.S. by people of all ages, multiple school systems around the nation have threatened suspension to any student who participates. |
| James Patterson donates $3M for U. of Florida reading initiative | |
 | James Patterson has a soft-spot for childhood literacy -- not only as America's best-selling author, but as a student whose adolescent reading would launch him on a path to that title. "I wasn't terribly interested in reading until my family moved when I was 18 or so (to a spot) outside Cambridge," he explained. "I worked at a mental hospital there, and I would go into Cambridge three nights a week and buy every book I could get my hands on because I worked the night shifts." In trying to crowd out the eerie aura of a mental hospital at midnight, Patterson developed a deep love of reading. It was during this time that he first put pen to paper. On Monday, at a luncheon gathering at the state Capitol, Patterson announced a $3 million donation to the University of Florida's College of Education, money he hopes will give millions of children across Florida the same opportunity he had to fall in love with reading. |
| Mom: U. of Tennessee student who died after boxing match was 'a phenomenal man' | |
 | A 20-year-old University of Tennessee student who collapsed Friday night during a charity boxing tournament was pronounced dead on arrival at UT Medical Center. Joseph Tanner Wray of Lawrenceburg was participating in a match in the Ace Miller Memorial Boxing Tournament at the Knoxville Expo Center. He collapsed about 9:26 p.m. as he was about to sit on his stool inside the ring between the second and third rounds of the match, the Knoxville Police Department said in a press release. Medical assistance was provided to Wray by on-scene medical personnel until he was taken to the hospital by ambulance, police said. The Ace Miller Memorial Boxing Tournament is an annual event where University of Tennessee fraternities box against each other. The three-night 38th annual tournament began Thursday at the Knoxville Expo Center on Clinton Highway. The remainder of this year's event was canceled after Wray collapsed Friday. The tournament is not organized through the university. |
| Survey: Political beliefs top reason U. of Tennessee students feel excluded | |
| Political beliefs are the leading reason students feel excluded or intimidated on the University of Tennessee campus, according to survey results released last week. The MyCampus Student Experience Survey conducted in the spring of 2017, is the first system-wide survey to look at the student experience, diversity and inclusion. Of the 4,747 students who took the survey at the Knoxville campus, 76 percent were "very comfortable" or "comfortable" with the campus climate. But the survey, conducted by Rankin & Associates Consulting, also points to a few areas where improvement could be made. "I am encouraged by these trends," UT Chancellor Beverly Davenport said. "Am I also alarmed? Yes. If 15 percent (of students) feel excluded and they've experienced intimidating or hostile experiences, that is problematic and we're going to have to continue to work on that." |
| Debate at U. of Tennessee over post-tenure review plan | |
 | A joint committee of faculty members and administrators from across the University of Tennessee's four campuses spent months revising the system's post-tenure review policy, which it acknowledged was outdated and needed strengthening. The committee included the university system's Board of Trustees in its process and its recommendations were adopted this year, with the goal of making post-tenure review clearer and more meaningful. So professors from across the system are baffled and alarmed by a new, hastily written add-on proposal from the trustees, with some saying it challenges the idea of tenure altogether. "We're concerned they're putting together a very ambiguous board policy that threatens academic freedom and represents a huge service load on the faculty," said Beauvais Lyons, Chancellor's Professor of Art at the Knoxville campus and president of its Faculty Senate. |
| Gun reform movement spreads on college campuses | |
| Two weeks ago, Zach Xu drove to his hometown of Parkland, Fla. Few had heard of the sunny suburb until Valentine's Day, when 17 people were gunned down at Xu's former high school. After he arrived, he stayed up past 3 a.m. with his best friend, who lost his sister 10 hours earlier. But Xu couldn't sleep. At 5 a.m., he was up on Facebook making an event, a vigil for the University of Florida, which he attends, to remember the victims and call for gun reform. "I think that's different about our community," Xu said in an interview. "In regard to other school shootings have happened, we're extremely proactive. We're never going to give this up. We're going to make change happen, and we're going to fight tooth and nail for this so 17 lives weren't lost in vain." The phenomenon he described became a national fixation mere hours after the killings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Their aggressive activism -- declared by some observers to be a "tipping point" on gun violence -- also has caught on at college campuses, where students like Xu have created their own demonstrations, petitions and plans for walkouts. |
| Arizona Republicans Inject Schools of Conservative Thought Into State Universities | |
| In a classroom designed for 32, five students listened attentively last month to an analysis of Aristophanes' play "The Clouds." Nine students in another course took in a detailed lecture about the Peloponnesian War, while yet another class pondered the concept of happiness as defined by Aristotle. Small classes, deep engagement with professors, and a focus on the Classics --- they could be scenes from an elite and expensive liberal arts college. Instead, these classes are taking place at one of America's largest public universities, Arizona State, courtesy of a pet project generously funded by the state's conservative leaders. Around the country, Republican legislatures have been taking a greater interest in the affairs of their state universities to counteract what they see as excessive liberalism on campus, from quarrels over conservative speakers to national anthem protests to the very substance of what students are taught. |
| How about tiered permitting keyed to firepower? | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "OK. Deep breath. In Mississippi, the state has a wringer. It puts citizens who ask to pack firearms where otherwise not allowed through that wringer. The wringer is so good that not one incident of weapons misuse by a state-certified enhanced carry permit holder has ever been reported. Now this: Clearing that wringer is required to tote a single-shot rat pistol into Walmart. So, if we vet people by where they can take any weapon, how big of a leap would it be to impose the same requirements to buy or possess a hand-held weapon of mass destruction, one capable of 500 or 600 rounds per minute? It's not clear when common sense left the conversation about private ownership or firearms, but it's gone." |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs have huge opportunity tonight as Vols visit | |
| Road losses at Ole Miss, Missouri and Vanderbilt currently have Mississippi State on the outside looking in on NCAA Tournament projections. But the Bulldogs still have opportunities remaining to better their resume. A big chance comes tonight as MSU hosts No. 16 Tennessee at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network. "It's just one game at a time," said MSU coach Ben Howland. "All we're focused on is Tennessee and trying to play well against a really good team that's obviously highly ranked -- and deservedly so, with a very high RPI (12)." The Bulldogs (21-8, 9-7 SEC) currently have an RPI of 61 and are among "the last four out" according to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi. Lunardi projects the Volunteers as a No. 3 national seed with eight SEC teams making the field of 68. |
| Mississippi State's NCAA Tournament hopes on the line against Tennessee | |
| Would Mississippi State deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament if the Bulldogs beat No. 17 Tennessee at Humphrey Coliseum? "I'm not going to go there," Ben Howland said. "It's just one game at a time. All we're focused on is, obviously, Tennessee, and trying to play really well against a really good team." Translation: One way or the other, MSU's tournament chances will gain significant clarity after the game on Tuesday (6 p.m., SEC Network). |
| Lamar Peters recognized by SEC after leading Bulldogs to wins | |
| He has been a catalyst for Mississippi State's red-hot run that has the team on the bubble looking for its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2009. Now, MSU's Lamar Peters is also a Southeastern Conference Player of the Week. 
The SEC announced on Monday that Peters, a sophomore guard for the Bulldogs, was picked Co-Player of the Week along with Tennessee's Admiral Schofield. Peters earned the honor after helping MSU to a pair of huge wins over Texas A&M and South Carolina last week to keep State's dreams of playing in the big dance alive and well. The latter is what makes Peters most excited. "I'm just trying to improve every game," Peters said of his award. "It's such an honor to be recognized, but more than anything, we are winning and doing everything we can to get to the NCAA Tournament." |
| Mississippi State's Lamar Peters picked SEC Co-Player of the Week | |
| Mississippi State's Lamar Peters was picked as the SEC's Co-Player of the Week for his performances in wins over Texas A&M and South Carolina last week. Peters combined for 34 points in those contests along with 11 rebounds, 12 assists, and five steals. "I'm just trying to improve every game," Peters said. "It's such an honor to be recognized, but more than anything, we are winning and doing everything we can to get to the NCAA Tournament." The sophomore point guard from New Orleans ranks fifth in the SEC in steals and assists while averaging 9.1 points per game. |
| Five Bulldogs up for Howell, Gillom awards | |
| Mississippi State is guaranteed to bring home some hardware next week as five of the six finalists for the C Spire Howell and Gillom trophies are Bulldogs. Brothers Nick and Quinndary Weatherspoon are up for the Howell Trophy along with Cortez Edwards of Southern Miss while Victoria Vivians, Teaira McCowan and Blair Schaefer are the finalists for the Gillom Trophy. A dozen different men's players in the state were nominated for the Howell Trophy while eight women's players received nominations for the Gillom Trophy, including all five of MSU's starters. Vivians has won the past three Gillom trophies while an Ole Miss player has claimed the past five Howell awards. |
| Matchup between Mississippi State, UTRGV called due to fog | |
| Due to low visibility caused by fog, Mississippi State's Monday matchup with UT-Rio Grande Valley was canceled in the bottom of the fourth inning. The teams held each other scoreless through three frames, but State broke through in the top of the fourth with four runs. UTRGV came back in the bottom half with a triple that was lost in the fog by Jake Mangum. Following the triple, the umpires met with the head coaches of each squad, and the group determined to call the game. Due to the circumstances, stats and the result of the game are forfeited by both teams. The Diamond Dawgs will now turn their attention to a Wednesday meeting with McNeese State in Lake Charles, La. |
| Report: Tiger Stadium seeing fewer intruders in 2018; LSU explains why | |
| After a rash of break-ins in Tiger Stadium last year, only one such incident has been reported in 2018, according to a report by LSU's student newspaper, The Daily Reveille. LSU officials say there are a couple of reasons for that. Senior Associate Athletic Director Ronnie Haliburton told The Reveille major construction last spring at the stadium -- which required that workers have access at all hours -- made it vulnerable to trespassers. Because of the number of workers coming and going, it was not always clear who was supposed to be in the stadium, he said. That phase of construction has now been completed. |
| LSU basketball coach Will Wade: There's been zero contact between NCAA, myself | |
| On the day after Yahoo Sports reported NCAA enforcement officials have been looking into LSU basketball coach Will Wade's recruiting tactics, the Tigers' first-year coach said Monday there the school has had "zero contact" with the NCAA. Earlier in the day, the LSU athletic department issued a statement saying it "confirmed with NCAA officials that there is no active investigation into the men's basketball program" that Wade took over last March. "The facts are there's been zero inquiries, there's been zero contact by the NCAA to me, my staff, my players, our administration, our school," Wade said in opening his twice-weekly news conference. "There's been zero inquiries or contact made by the NCAA." |
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