| Thursday, March 8, 2018 |
| Mississippi State gets $7M TIGER grant for Bulldog Way project | |
 | U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, R-Mississippi, on Tuesday announced a $7 million federal transportation grant for Mississippi State University to develop an approximately two-mile multimodal corridor on Hightower Road. The 2017 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation. MSU spokesman Sid Salter said the Hightower Road Corridor Project, to be named "Bulldog Way," on the campus of Mississippi State University will integrate sustainable multimodal transportation improvements for students, faculty, staff and visitors of the University as well as residents of the surrounding community. During the last decade, Salter said, Mississippi State University has experienced a tremendous growth in enrollment. During the 10-year period of 2006 through 2015, fall semester enrollment at MSU has grown from 14,422 to 20,429, a 42 percent increase. |
| Mississippi State Gets $7M Grant for New 2-Mile Road | |
 | Mississippi State University is getting $7 million to build a new two-mile north-south road with sidewalks, bike lanes, and street lighting along the eastern edge of campus. University President Mark Keenum says in a news release that the project is important both to ease traffic problems and to help the campus grow. U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran says it will help ease congestion for Starkville residents and provide a safer, more accessible route for students, faculty, and visitors. He says the U.S. Department of Transportation approved the grant under the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program. It's a competitive program aimed at projects that are expected to have a significant economic impact. |
| Steel tariffs could have unknown consequences for soybean farmers | |
 | President Donald Trump's decision to impose steep tariffs on steel imports could have unintended consequences on Mississippi soybean farmers. China in particular has raised that specter of retaliation over the tariffs. It annually imports 30 million tons of soybeans from the U.S. Soybeans are a billion dollar business in Mississippi. According to Trent Irby, a Mississippi soybean specialist, almost 2.2 million acres in Mississippi were harvested for soybeans in 2017. Of those acres, half of the crops were shipped overseas, said Keith Coble, professor and head of agricultural and economics at Mississippi State University. "We export almost half of every bushel of soybeans that we produce in the country," Coble said. "If you think about the Mississippi River, where a lot of those beans pass through, half the bushels are going through the river and to another part of the world." Coble noted that "international trade is complicated" and, as a result of the steel tariffs, Americans may see impacts on goods that aren't remotely related to steel at all. |
| Mississippi Senate advances tightened guns-in-schools bill | |
| Schools and colleges could allow teachers or staff members to carry guns after they get firearms training, under legislation advanced Wednesday by Mississippi lawmakers. The state Senate voted 27-18 to pass House Bill 1083 , in response to school shootings in other states. The bill now returns to the House for more debate. Sen. Briggs Hopson, a Vicksburg Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary A Committee, said he took "no joy" at the prospect of having more guns in schools, but believes it's necessary. Hopson's school safety measure was added in a Senate committee to an underlying House bill that allows people to challenge other government restrictions on where they can carry guns. Universities had raised concerns that the bill would let people carry guns into athletic events. Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey warned that teams might decline to play at the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University. |
| 'Guns in school' bill passes Senate | |
 | The Senate passed a bill Wednesday that backers say will make schools safer by allowing school districts to designate employees for specialized concealed weapons training. Senators voted 27-18 to send the bill, HB 1083, back to the House for consideration. The House can either agree with changes made by the Senate, send it to a conference committee for more work or kill the bill. Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, said he took no joy in presenting the bill. The original HB 1083 prompted backlash from the Southeastern Conference and university leaders because of provisions regarding sporting events on college campuses. Once it reached the Senate a committee stripped much of the original language and replaced it with the "Mississippi School Safety Act" which would allow teachers and other public school employees to carry firearms on K-12 campuses if they took safety training courses. Sen. Hopson said he did not foresee any objection from the SEC or other collegiate athletic conferences to the revised bill. |
| Armed Mississippi teachers? | |
| House Bill 1083 is going back to the House after the Mississippi Senate passed an amendment to the bill that would permit school districts to arm staff and teachers with guns. The amendment, called "The School Safety Act," passed the Senate by a vote of 27-18. One change in the bill was a stadium amendment that would allow universities and junior colleges to refuse to let enhanced carry permit holders bring their weapons into stadiums or gyms at athletic events under certain circumstances when sufficient law enforcement is present. The provision drew opposition from some Republicans who voted against the bill because it would limit gun rights in that way. "I have no idea how this body would restrict when we should be expanding these rights," said Sen. Chris McDaniel, an Ellisville Republican who's currently seeking a U.S. Senate seat. |
| Mississippi Senate approves 'guns in schools' bill | |
| The Senate on Wednesday voted to allow guns in the state's classrooms, agreeing on a 27-18 vote to permit school districts to adopt policies requiring additional training and mental health screenings for employees who want to be armed on campus. Judiciary A Chairman Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, defended the legislation, which he said has taken on the short-hand of the 'guns-in-schools' bill, on the Senate floor saying current law already allows individuals with enhanced carry permits to be armed while in the classroom. However, many schools and universities have adopted policies restricting concealed carry on campus. Interpretations of the current law have also been subject to debate. |
| Senate advances tightened guns-in-schools bill | |
 | Legislation passed by the state Senate Wednesday puts additional restrictions on the existing authority of local school districts to arm teachers and staff, according to Senate Judiciary A Chairman Briggs Hopson. The legislation was viewed as controversial when it was introduced after the school shooting in late February in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 students and staff. But during debate of the bill Wednesday on the Senate floor, Hopson said staff members, with the consent of the local school board or other governing authority, already had the right to carry a gun at school if they had an enhanced concealed carry permit. The bill now goes back to the House where members can accept the Senate changes and send it to the governor or invite negotiations where leaders from the two chambers will try to work out differences. |
| Pro-life advocate talks about being saved from abortion | |
 | In 1981, Christina Bennett's mother walked into a Connecticut abortion clinic, with plans to undergo the procedure. She had even paid for the procedure when a clinic custodian approached her in the waiting room. "The custodian told her that 'God would grant her the strength to have this baby,'" Bennett told an audience gathered Tuesday in the Old Main Academic Center auditorium. "So, she walked out of the clinic and the rest is history. And now, here I am." Bennett, a pro-life activist and speaker, presented her presentation "Abortion, Idolatry and Christ's Call to Compassion," which was hosted by the Mississippi State University Students for Life organization and the Catholic Campus Ministry, less than a week after MSU's Gender Studies Program brought Dr. Willie Parker, a well-known OB/GYN and abortion advocate. However, at Bennett's presentation, there were no protesters waving signs outside of the Old Main Academic Center. Instead, the crowd of 40, much smaller than the capacity crowd Parker's presentation drew, consisted mostly of students from the two organizations that hosted the event and a few other community members. |
| Pro-life activist speaks at MSU | |
| Mississippi State University heard a different side of the abortion argument Tuesday night with a presentation from a staunch pro-life activist. Christina Marie Bennett spoke on campus, delivering a lecture titled "Abortion, Idolatry and Christ's Call to Choice." Bennett's presentation was backed by the MSU Students for Life and Catholic Campus Ministries, and was given in response to last week's presentation from Dr. Willie Parker, an abortion physician who has worked at Mississippi's sole abortion clinic. While security was not as heavy as for Parker's lecture, attendees were still required to pass through a metal detector prior to prior to entering the auditorium. The audience remained civil and respectful throughout the lecture. Bennett spoke about the pro-life case, in some cases even offering a direct rebuke to Parker's lecture. |
| Little: Potential lawsuit costs 'game-changer' | |
| David Little told The Dispatch Wednesday morning he drew guidance from a sermon Sunday before abstaining from a board of aldermen vote Tuesday to permit a Starkville Pride parade. The city, facing a federal lawsuit for previously denying the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual advocacy group's parade permit, had recently learned it would be responsible for paying its legal fees -- and possibly the plaintiff's -- if a vote to reconsider didn't allow the event. In a text conversation this morning, Little said a sermon his pastor Chip Stevens delivered at First Baptist Church resonated with him. He said he continued to pray about it and the answer became clear. "I ultimately decided that abstention was an option to end the potential monetary liability exposure for the city so that we could move past this divisive issue and tend to other positive pressing matters moving forward," he said. His abstention was crucial, as a 3-3 vote on the matter allowed Mayor Lynn Spruill to break the tie Tuesday in favor of the parade, which is planned for March 24 downtown. |
| City, county unemployment rate increases in January | |
| Oktibbeha County's unemployment rate rose to 4.5 percent and Starkville's unemployment rate rose to 3.7 percent in January, according to preliminary date from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. In December, Oktibbeha County's unemployment was at 4.1 percent, while Starkville's unemployment was at 3.3 percent. In January, Oktibbeha County's labor force, which consists of everyone who has a job or is looking for a job, was reported to be 20,600, with 930 unemployed and 19,670 employed. Starkville's labor force in January was reported to be 11,200 with 420 unemployed and 10,780 employed. |
| Nissan preps Canton-made Titan truck for tailgating | |
| Could the Smokin' Titan be a tailgater's dream? A bit of the South may be rubbing off on Nissan -- especially the penchant for tailgating. The Japanese automaker is cranking Titan, the truck produced in Canton, up a notch. Designed as a dream project vehicle for tailgating and barbecuing enthusiasts, Smokin' Titan features a custom flatbed with a built-in barbecue smoker, stove and spice rack. The truck will be on display this weekend in Indianapolis at the 2018 Work Truck Show, the largest work truck event in North America. The enhancements make the Smokin' Titan "a dream for those who love to spend time with friends and family smoking meat, as I do myself," said Billy Hayes, division vice president, LCV and Trucks, Nissan North America Inc. |
| Robert St. John to open craft doughnut shop in Hattiesburg | |
 | Entrepreneur Robert St. John is ready to roll out the dough to introduce Hattiesburg's first craft doughnut shop, the newest addition to his conglomeration of themed restaurants. "What we did with shakes at Ed's (Burger Joint), we're going to be doing with doughnuts," he said. The doughnut shop will be part of the Midtowner building, but it will have a separate entrance. The Midtowner will open early this summer at The District at Midtown and will serve old-style diner breakfast and lunches. The two restaurants will share the same kitchen, but the doughnut shop will be carryout only, St. John said. "We're going to have regular doughnuts and all that kind of thing, but we're really stepping it up on a bunch of really kind of outrageous doughnuts as well," he said. |
| Easing Pressure on Levees, Raising Environmental Worries | |
| The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was set Thursday to open part of a 1930s flood control structure northwest of New Orleans to divert water from a rising Mississippi River into Lake Pontchartrain, a move that eases pressure on the city's levees but raises environmental concerns about nearby Lake Pontchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico. Environmental concerns include the effects the fresh river water will have on the salinity of the brackish lake and the coastal Gulf waters. "In 2011, the Bonnet Carre had to be opened up for quite some time," said Lee Smithson, executive director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. "That really wreaked havoc on our oyster beds." |
| Mississippi Legislature pares list of bills under deadline | |
| Wednesday marked the Mississippi Legislature's latest deadline of the 90-day session. It was the final day for the House and Senate to pass general bills that originated in and already passed the opposite chamber. Here's a look at the status of selected bills, with HB to designate a House Bill and SB to designate a Senate Bill. |
| What will be the fate of the deer, turkey reporting bill? | |
| Fears of government overreach prompted the Senate to strip language from a House bill that would have made it mandatory for hunters to report their deer or turkey harvests. After roughly an hour of debate, the Senate on Wednesday passed a watered-down version of House Bill 1390 by 30-16 that would only encourage hunters to report their harvests, rather than making them subject to a $25 to $100 fine for failing to report. Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Chairman Philip Moran, R-Kiln, encouraged colleagues to pass the proposal as a conversation measure. "Several of my constituents say, 'Let's try this on a voluntary basis and let's see if we can make this work,'" he said. "(We're) trying to change the mindset," Moran said. "If you kill a turkey, if you kill a deer, please call it in." Rep. Scott Bounds, R-Philadelphia, said he's baffled by the opposition to a mandatory harvest reporting system. |
| Timber hauling bill moves ahead despite road damage concerns | |
| A proposal to increase the weight limit for hauling timber and other farm products, which has quietly emerged as one of the most controversial issues in the legislative session, remains alive after House action. After about an hour of debate on Tuesday, the House passed Senate Bill 2418, which would increase the weight limit tolerance for harvest permit vehicles and vehicles loading and unloading at state ports. The Senate passed the bill in February. It would take effect July 1. Transportation and local officials say that the bill, designed to add more leeway for trucks to haul heavier loads in Mississippi, could further damage the state's already vulnerable roads. Backers of the bill said it would be a boon to truck drivers and companies that make agricultural products. |
| Penalties for dogfighting will get stiffer with the number of offenses | |
| Penalties for dogfighting in Mississippi will increase to five to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 to $10,000 fine based on the number of offenses. The House voted 113-1 on the amended Senate bill that will increase penalties. House Judiciary B Chairman Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, said his amendment for the penalties came from many discussions and committee work. Under Gipson's proposal, the first offense for dogfighting would remain the same one to three years in jail or prison for dogfighting. For a second offense, it would increase to three to five years in prison and/or a $5,000 to $8,000 fine. And for a third offense, the penalty would increase to five to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of $8,000 to $10,000. Gipson said he doesn't have a problem with dogfighting in his district, but lawmakers and others in the southwest part of the state said it is a problem in their area. |
| Bomgar against changing gun laws; believes police should investigate more | |
| District 58 Rep. Joel Bomgar believes less access to guns, and specifically assault weapons, is not the answer to the recent mass shootings. Bomgar recently told the Sun he wants to keep Mississippi gun laws the same. "I am a huge supporter of the Second Amendment," he said. With the nation struggling to prevent another shooting like the Stoneman Douglas High School in Lakeland, Fla., the debate over gun control is in the spotlight. "I think we need to dismiss any solutions that would not have actively stopped mass shootings," he said. "Every time there's a tragedy like this, people end up coming up with solutions that don't apply to the recent mass shootings. It's a bait-and-switch..." Bomgar thinks some of the effort should be put more on the local and federal law enforcement responsible for investigating social media posts and reports on possible criminals. |
| Blount mum on gun control position; wants to wait, see | |
| District 29 Sen. David Blount won't say whether he supports banning assault weapons and wants to take a "wait and see" approach when it comes to passing new gun legislation. The Sun spoke to Blount recently in the aftermath of a school massacre in Florida. The senator wouldn't say whether the state should ban assault weapons and should instead wait and see what proposals are handed down by the federal government. He would not say why he wouldn't comment on whether he supported a ban. "We need to recognize that gun ownership is a constitutional right, in the Second Amendment. But that doesn't mean we can or should do nothing," he said. |
| Currie pushes for mental health courts, modeled on successful drug court system | |
 | A Brookhaven lawmaker wants to create a new statewide court system that would offer defendants with mental illnesses a path toward healing, not toward prison. Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, on Wednesday amended a sure-to-pass Senate bill to require the creation of a mental health court that would follow the model of Mississippi's successful drug court, giving defendants with mental illnesses a chance to complete court-appointed treatment and supervision processes that would waive criminal charges and punishment. Currie said the court is designed to provide ongoing mental healthcare and reduce the number of mental health patients sentenced to prison for crimes they often cannot help but commit. |
| Republicans fear Roy Moore, Todd Akin repeat in Chris McDaniel | |
| Republican senators are worried about State Sen. Chris McDaniel's, R-Ellisville, Mississippi Senate campaign and are prepared to once again block him from ousting one of their own incumbents. As Republicans hold onto a slim 51-49 majority in the Senate, they have prioritized getting Republican Party incumbents and their top recruits across the finish line, especially after losing a seat to Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., last year. This means re-electing Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., electing a replacement for Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and keeping out insurgent candidates they fear will jeopardize winnable races, as Roy Moore did in Alabama. "Obviously, we're all concerned," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the second-ranking Senate Republican. "We want to make sure people who are going to be productive and want to actually get things done are elected, but that's the choice of the voters of Mississippi and not people like me." |
| Capitol Resources Adds to Federal Team | |
 | Capitol Resources LLC is expanding its Washington, D.C. presence with the addition of Ty Mabry to its federal lobbying team. He most recently served as a Deputy Legislative Director/Military Legislative Assistant for Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi (R-MS). With over 11 years of experience serving in three different congressional offices, Ty is a seasoned veteran who has managed a wide range of issues related to foreign relations, defense, trade, NASA, and the U.S. Coast Guard. "Ty is one of the most respected staffers on the Hill and has a thorough understanding of the legislative process. He knows how to get things done from a policy as well as a political view," said Capitol Resources partner John Lundy. Before his work on Senator Cochran's staff, Mabry served as Deputy Policy Director for Congressman Gregg Harper (MS-03) and worked for Congressman Chip Pickering (MS-03) prior to that. |
| U.S. Embassy issues alert against travel to Mexico's Playa del Carmen | |
 | The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City is prohibiting U.S. government employees from traveling to popular resort town Playa del Carmen. The U.S. Consular Agency in Playa del Carmen in the state of in Quintana Roo will be closed "until further notice," the embassy said in it alert. The embassy said it had "received information about a security threat" on Wednesday. It did not specify what that threat is. The alert, issued Wednesday night, says U.S. government employees have to cease traveling to the town "immediately" and "until further notice." The U.S. State Department earlier this year put Mexico on a "Level 2: Exercise increased caution" alert status due to crime. It warns that some areas are experiencing violent crime such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery. Last summer, the department also cautioned vacationers to be careful when drinking alcohol in Mexico. |
| Ole Miss grapples with its links to slavery and racism | |
| Nekkita Beans, a Mississippi native and president of the University of Mississippi's Black Student Union, stood center stage in a campus auditorium reading aloud the history of a group of men who fought to keep people like her enslaved, illiterate and, in many ways, invisible. The "University Greys," an infantry unit made up mostly of college students, had fought for the cause of the Confederate Army and in the process "suffered 100 percent casualties -- killed, wounded or captured." Beans read the text as part of a ceremony dedicating a total of six plaques that were placed near and in campus buildings whose long histories are inextricably linked to slavery, the Civil War and the state's racist past. The plaques, which acknowledge that past, are a central piece of the university's effort to move beyond its reputation for being unwelcoming and hostile toward African Americans. But racist incidents are a part of everyday life for some students here, many say, and many students and alumni question whether acknowledging the institution's racist history is enough to overcome it. |
| USM Marine Research Center near completion | |
 | The entrance to the Port of Gulfport is looking quite different lately. "We wanted it to really be the welcoming point to the port," said Port of Gulfport Executive Director Jonathan Daniels. Daniels said construction of the $12 million Marine Research Center is expected to be finished within the next 30 days. The facility made possible with a partnership between the Port and Southern Miss will allow USM to start its ocean engineering program, which Vice President of Research Gordon Cannon said will bring students up close and personal with the environment they'll be learning about. "They'll be able to study things here and then get on the ship and go right out into the ocean and do real work," Cannon said. The research center on Hwy. 90 is just one of the many pieces coming together to make Gulfport a premiere destination for deep water discovery. |
| Jackson State student recovering after being shot in the leg on campus | |
 | Jackson State students were shocked by news that one of their own was shot in the leg at his dorm Wednesday. "This school is not as bad as people think, dangerous wise," said one Jackson State student. "I've never had an encounter with anyone with no dangerous stuff, so when it happened, I was surprised." "I heard the they were playing around in the room and he got shot in the leg," said another student. "He was in the hall when we got the call," said JSU Police Chief Thomas Albright. Chief Albright says the student's injuries are non life-threatening. Albright says the gun had not been recovered, as of Wednesday evening and his team is still trying to determine if the student shot himself or someone else pulled the trigger. |
| William Carey to teach junior, senior education courses at Pearl River Community College | |
 | Pearl River Community College and William Carey University have come up with a new way to address the statewide teacher shortage. A memorandum of understanding signed Wednesday by both schools would allow undergraduate education majors at PRCC to take their junior and senior level courses in Poplarville. WCU would provide the faculty and conduct the classes. Students who enroll in the program would agree to work a minimum of three years in either the Poplarville, Pearl River Central or Picayune school districts after they graduate. Classes begin in the fall and school administrators hope as many as two dozen students will initially enroll in the program. |
| Leadership begins with 'we,' former White House chief of staff tells Auburn crowd | |
 | Former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card recalled the events of Sept. 11, 2001, when he spoke to a crowd gathered in Auburn University's Foy Hall auditorium on Wednesday. Card, who was George W. Bush's Chief of Staff from 2001 to 2006, was captured in one of the most famous photos from that day. In a Florida elementary classroom, he leaned over and whispered in the ear of the president that the United States was under attack. "I made the conscious decision to pass on two facts and make one editorial comment," Card recalled. "I leaned over and whispered in his right ear, 'A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.'" Card spoke Wednesday at an event sponsored by the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business. He shared with the audience his tale of growing up reading the newspaper and discussing current events with his family, as well as his political career in his native Massachusetts and, finally, his life in Washington. |
| 'This is for all girls': U. of South Carolina student shares creepy story of being followed at mall | |
 | A University of South Carolina student endured a scary situation during a recent trip to a Midlands shopping mall. As a way to cope with the experience about being followed by a group of men at Columbiana Center, Mackenzie McNabb posted her story on social media. Her post, and a similar one by her roommate, has gone viral. Women are sharing the story, many are offering encouragement and support, and others are coming forward with frightening experiences of their own during shopping trips in the Midlands. McNabb's roommate, and fellow USC student, Emma Kate Smalley was part of the group of four girls that experienced the incident in a Monday trip to the mall. She wrote about it on Facebook, and her post has been shared more than 26,000 times while garnering more than 10,000 reactions. People are responding to McNabb, Smalley and two other friends being uncomfortably followed by three men. They are also heeding the USC student's warning to be aware when in public situations. |
| Amelia Earhart found? Study by U. of Tennessee researcher indicates bones were hers | |
 | Remains found on a remote island in the South Pacific were likely those of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, according to bone measurement analysis by a University of Tennessee researcher. Richard Jantz, professor emeritus of anthropology and director emeritus of UT's Forensic Anthropology Center, re-examined seven bone measurements conducted in 1940 by physician D.W. Hoodless, according to a UT news release. Hoodless had concluded that the bones belonged to a man. In his analysis, Jantz used several modern quantitative techniques, including Fordisc, a computer program for estimating sex, ancestry and stature from skeletal measurements. Jantz found that Hoodless had incorrectly determined the sex of the remains. Fordisc, co-created by Jantz, is used by nearly every board-certified forensic anthropologist in the U.S. and around the world. |
| U. of Missouri student government candidates drop out amid tweets | |
 | Three candidates for University of Missouri's student government have dropped out after the discovery of offensive tweets they made. Blaine Thomas and Claire Jacobs separately announced Tuesday they were quitting the race for Missouri Students Association president after student journalist Brett Stover publicized their tweets that included racist and homophobic language, the Columbia Missourian reported. Stover also revealed derogatory tweets about women and black people posted by vice presidential candidate Caius Gillen. He removed himself from the race Wednesday. "I want to reiterate that I am so sorry for any pain my old tweets may have caused," Gillen posted on his Twitter account. "I am not the person I was two years ago -- I hope that my fellow students will forgive me." Stover, a junior who works at campus radio station KCOU, shared on his personal Twitter account a history of the candidates' comments posted between 2012 and 2016. |
| No End in Sight for Campus Free Speech Battles | |
 | Many higher education professionals agree -- the way to counter speech that students find repugnant (but is legally protected) is with sound policy, education and statements from administrators that both condemn offensive speech and defend the right to make it. These strategies, espoused and repeated many times over at the yearly NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education conference, reflect the tumult around free expression that college leaders across the country have contended with in different forms. The struggle of college officials -- who want to both make students feel comfortable and safe and uphold their legal obligation -- was best illustrated during a major NASPA panel discussion on free speech. In the last question of the event Tuesday, one attendee, with a catch in her voice, accused the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a civil liberties watchdog group in academe and a panel participant, of defending hate speech. |
| Rudd recommending no tuition increase at U. of Memphis | |
| President David Rudd is recommending no increase in tuition at the University of Memphis next year. The rates depend on Governor Bill Haslam's final budget, Rudd said, but under the current proposal, which he expects to pass the legislature, an increase in tuition is not needed. "We believe we're positioned to do that," Rudd said during the university board's quarterly meeting Wednesday. The university will increase fees for most housing options, however. The board approved a 5 percent increase for residential fees at all but the Lambuth Campus and Park Avenue housing units. Fees will drop at those two sites, which have significant available space. Board member Brad Martin, a former interim president of the university, asked when it would be possible to discuss adding another layer to the out-of-state tuition structure. Martin proposed a smaller tuition for those who live out-of-state, but significantly closer to Memphis than others. |
| Ball State U. poised for historic takeover of school district in Muncie | |
| Muncie Community Schools enrollment peaked at 19,808 students in 1967, a time when the shine had yet to wear off the rust belt and manufacturers were near the apex of their power as employers hiring in Indiana. School enrollment has declined since then as the region's manufacturing jobs moved away, population fell and students shifted to other schools. Today, the school system enrolls 5,215 students. Last year, the state put emergency managers in place to address the district's finances. Then in December, the state decided to take full control of Muncie Community Schools, giving the emergency managers full control of academic and financial operations. Now Ball State University is poised to take control of the embattled school district in its home city. University leaders hope to reverse a long financial slide at the school district, boost its academic offerings and attract new students in a state where laws allow for neighboring public schools and charter schools to compete fiercely with each other for enrollment. They point to the university's roots as a teachers' college and connections Ball State already has with Muncie schools. |
| Mission Mississippi! 25 years of bringing racial reconciliation | |
| Mississippi newspaper publisher and columnist Wyatt Emmerich writes: "It's hard to imagine Mission Mississippi is 25 years old. It seems like yesterday it was just a dream in the eye of my dear friend Lee Paris. Sitting in the audience of more than 500 people at the Jackson convention center, listening to black and white men and women pray together about love and racial reconciliation, it's easy to feel optimistic about the long-range future of Mississippi. This was the annual Governor's Leadership Prayer Luncheon. I have been to many of these. Each time I wonder why such an uplifting event gets completely ignored by the media while racial discord, murders and mayhem get front page coverage and top billing. I guess that's just the way it is. Mission Mississippi has made a huge impact on our state, encouraging racial reconciliation in the name of Jesus Christ." |
| Choose Cochran's successor well | |
| The Vicksburg Post's John Surratt writes: "It was with some dismay that I read about Sen. Thad Cochran's decision to retire from the Senate. As I've mentioned on many occasions, I've been in this business a long time, and one of the things I've always enjoyed was the people I've met over the years. One of them was Thad Cochran. ...So who will the senator's successor be? That is the mystery. Gov. Phil Bryant will have to appoint someone to fill the seat at least through the special election to pick a 'permanent' successor, and it goes without saying the person appointed to temporarily fill the seat will seriously consider trying to make it a full-time job. Governor, choose wisely. Voters, choose wisely. The selection to fill Thad Cochran's seat is a critical one. If we get someone half as good as Thad Cochran has been, we'll have chosen well." |
| In Senate, what was important in special session no longer important | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "Last June, the Legislature was called into special session by Gov. Phil Bryant to address several issues, including increasing the cap on the Working Cash Stabilization Fund, commonly called the rainy day fund. A key component in Bryant's Financial and Operational Responses that Invigorate Future Years Act (FORTIFY) was increasing the cap in the rainy day fund from 7.5 percent of the current year's general fund appropriation to 10 percent. Bryant said the change was needed to address concerns of credit rating agencies that help determine the interest the state pays on its debt. A majority of the Legislature agreed with the governor and passed FORTIFY. Much rejoicing ensued. But that was last June -- more than half a year ago." |
SPORTS
| Jordan's grand slam helps Mississippi State to home baseball win | |
| Mississippi State had a good night Tuesday when it opened up the new Dudy Noble Field with a lopsided win. The second game at the new park on Wednesday took things from good to grand with one big swing by freshman Rowdey Jordan. Jordan's sixth-inning grand slam -- the first home run hit inside Dudy Noble in its new state -- was the big blow as MSU polished off a two-game, midweek sweep over New Mexico State with a 6-0 victory. "(Jordan) got what he expected and didn't waste any time," MSU interim head coach Gary Henderson said. "He had a nice stroke right there and changed the ballgame." Jordan's long ball was a line drive that just cleared the right-field fence. It was the icing on the cake of an inning in which the Bulldogs scored five times to essentially put the game away. MSU will look to keep rolling this weekend. The Bulldogs welcome Utah Valley to Dudy Noble Field on Friday for a three-game set. |
| Jordan's grand slam lifts Mississippi State over Aggies | |
| A grand slam from freshman Rowdey Jordan and another splendid pitching performance from the Mississippi State staff extended the Bulldogs' winning streak to five games. Zach Neff, Keegan James and Riley Self combined on a two-hit shutout as No. 21 MSU blanked New Mexico State 6-0 Wednesday night at Dudy Noble Field. MSU (8-5) has now won five straight games, including the first two at the new Dudy Noble Field. "The pitchers are doing a great job of throwing strikes," MSU head coach Gary Henderson said. "The defense is stepping up and making plays when we need them. The biggest thing has been first-pitch strikes. We have done a great job of getting ahead of hitters and keeping pitch counts down." New Mexico State entered the two-game series with some of the best offensive statistics in the nation. |
| Jordan's slam sparks Bulldogs | |
| Rowdey Jordan made history and unraveled five innings of offensive struggles with one swing. Jordan smacked the first pitch he saw in the sixth inning for a grand slam -- the first home run in the history of the new Dudy Noble Field -- to propel the Mississippi State baseball team to a 6-0 victory against New Mexico State. "We were struggling a little bit, trying to get momentum," said Jordan, MSU's third baseman. "We got momentum and took off from there." In the sixth, Tanner Allen reached on a leadoff error. Luke Alexander followed with a single. A walk to Marshall Gilbert loaded the bases. Elijah MacNamee's two-out walk broke the scoreless tie and chased starter Alex Pinedo (0-1). Jordan followed by hitting Alvaro Castillo's first pitch over the right-field wall. "They talked a little bit about what to expect, got what they expected and didn't waste any time with that nice stroke," MSU interim coach Gary Henderson said. |
| Mississippi State's Victoria Vivians awarded first team All-American | |
| It's postseason awards season for women's basketball and Mississippi State's Victoria Vivians picked up a big one on Wednesday as she was selected as a first team All-American by USA Today. Vivians is just the third first team All-American in program history joining Tan White and LaToya Thomas. The senior guard from Carthage ranks third in the SEC averaging 19.6 points per game and has scored in double figures in 32 of the Bulldogs' 33 games this season. |
| Mississippi State gets second chance against LSU at SEC Tournament | |
| If at first you don't succeed, try again. That's what Mississippi State gets the chance to do this week as it begins the Southeastern Conference Tournament Thursday night in St. Louis, Missouri, at 6 p.m. against LSU. It's the second game in a row that the Bulldogs (21-10, 9-9) and Tigers (17-3, 8-10) have faced off after the two squads closed out the regular season against each other on Saturday. That contest went to LSU 78-57. Today, MSU has the opportunity for retribution. "They're a good team and played well against us on Saturday," Mississippi State head coach Ben Howland said. "We are both fresh in each other's minds. Both teams have prepared for each other, so there won't be a lot of secrets." For Mississippi State, tonight isn't only a second chance against LSU. It's also a renewed opportunity to find a path into the NCAA Tournament. |
| Mississippi State meets LSU again in SEC Tournament | |
| Mississippi State suffered back-to-back 22- and 21-point losses to Tennessee and LSU during the final week of the regular season. The Bulldogs attempt to regain their momentum and maybe even get a little revenge back this week with the start of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. No. 7-seed MSU meets 10th-seeded LSU at 6 p.m. tonight on the SEC Network and a win will get the Bulldogs another shot at the Volunteers in the quarterfinal round. "We want to go one at a time," said MSU coach Ben Howland. "Our goal is to beat LSU. Obviously our players are aware that if we beat LSU we get another game against Tennessee, the last two teams we played during the regular season and lost to both. I hope that will be added motivation for them." |
| Will a mental break help Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament? | |
| By last Saturday, some members of Mississippi State's basketball program still hadn't mentally moved on from the Bulldogs' loss to visiting Tennessee. The big problem there? That loss against the Volunteers happened on a Tuesday and, well, the Bulldogs had another game on Saturday at LSU. "They just couldn't get it out of their heads that we lost that game," Quinndary Weatherspoon said. "They just couldn't believe that we had lost that bad at home." And that's partially how Mississippi State ended up playing poorly and looking bad in a 78-57 loss at LSU. The game against Tennessee was the must-win opportunity for the Bulldogs' NCAA Tournament chances that they lost and, according to some, it was doubly costly. A two-day break before the SEC Tournament this week in St. Louis, Missouri, was necessary. The Bulldogs practiced Tuesday, but they didn't do any basketball activity on Sunday and Monday. Some weight lifting. Some messages. Otherwise, just rest. |
| Crane helps Mississippi State men get ready for grind of SEC tournament | |
| The task at hand is well-defined and daunting, and everyone in the Mississippi State men's basketball program knows it. MSU (21-10, 9-9 SEC) knows back-to-back losses entering this week's Southeastern Conference tournament puts its hopes of an NCAA tournament bid on life support. It knows it may need to run all the way to the SEC Championship Game to rekindle the hope and winning that game being its only guarantee; such a run would require four games in four days, a toll on the body that MSU has spent a season preparing for. MSU's first-year strength and conditioning coach, Collin Crane, has spent the season learning his players' recovery habits, all of it leading to what could be the toughest week of its season. For Crane, it starts with sleep. |
| Mississippi State softball edges Boston College at home | |
| There hasn't been a softball game this season where the Mississippi State Bulldogs have given up more than four runs. When the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs were able to score four times in the first inning of Tuesday's game against the Boston College Eagles, they felt pretty good about their chances. MSU pitchers Cassady Knudsen and Holly Ward were able to make the early lead stand up in the 4-3 victory against Boston College at Nusz Park. "We came out with a lot of energy and we were really excited to play (Tuesday)," Knudsen said. "We play it one pitch at a time and one batter at a time. It was just out by out and inning by inning. We're very positive." The Bulldogs host Illinois on Friday at 6 p.m. |
| Mississippi State softball team beats Boston College | |
| The Mississippi State softball team used a four-run first inning to beat Boston College 4-3 on Wednesday at Nusz Park. Senior Morgan Bell went 2-for-3 with a career-high two doubles and two RBIs to help MSU improve to 17-3. "We moved our game time up, so I wasn't sure how our kids were going to respond," MSU coach Vann Stuedeman said. "Kat (Moore) set the tone, bouncing one over first base, and that really set the tone for the rest of the game. I thought Cassady (Knudsen) had one of her tougher outings of the season, but I look at the box score and she has 10 strikeouts. She had a little better of a day than I thought she did." |
| Mississippi State sending five competitors to NCAA Indoor Championships | |
| Steve Dudley thinks high expectations are fair at this point -- even if the national projections don't share the same view. Instead, Dudley looks at his Mississippi State track and field team's recent performances in indoor championships -- the women have placed in the top 25 in each of the last four years, while the men have done it twice in that same time span -- to justify those expectations. "We're just hoping the three women and two guys perform at a level that the overall team score is in the top 20," said Dudley, MSU's track and field coach. "With three solid women, we feel really good about their situation to make the top 15, top 20. The guys aren't ranked to be able to do that, but I think in the preseason we weren't even in the top 150. Now we might be 52nd or something. We're always kind of the underdog. Even the years we were top 10, they didn't have us in the top 50." Those five athletes will represent MSU on Friday and Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Championships at Texas A&M. |
| NCAA Revenue Surpasses $1 Billion Milestone | |
| The National Collegiate Athletic Association earned $1.06 billion in revenue last year, eclipsing the $1 billion mark for the first time as the governing body defends its business model in court. It's a 6.6 percent jump from fiscal 2016, in which the Indianapolis-based organization made $996 million, according to audited statements released Wednesday. The NCAA turned a $105 million profit. The milestone comes as the NCAA faces unprecedented scrutiny over its business model, in which some university athletic departments make more than $100 million annually while student-athletes are compensated solely with scholarships. The NCAA is defending that structure in court while the U.S. Department of Justice is in the middle of a multiyear investigation into bribery in college basketball recruiting, an underground economy that critics contend wouldn't be necessary if students were appropriately compensated. NCAA President Mark Emmert has said "systemic changes" are needed to overhaul the system. |
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