| Friday, March 23, 2018 |
| Cotton Working Group keeping cotton's momentum in the Mid-South | |
 | Speaking on behalf of the Mid-South Cotton Specialists Working group at the 2018 Southern Cotton Ginners Annual Meeting, Darrin Dodds, associate Extension research professor, cotton agronomics, Mississippi State University, told the crowd, "When I started this position in 2007, cotton had dropped from 1.2 million acres to 660,000 acres in one fell swoop. Had you told me then where we would be today from a yield standpoint, I wouldn't have believed you." Dodds' presentation included an historical review of yields for all five Mid-South states from 1866 until today. When highlighting the last six years compared to the six years prior, every state except Tennessee, averaged over 1,000 pounds -- but Tennessee’s average yields have increased 160 pounds in the last six years. "Three of last six years in Mississippi, our state's average yields were over 1,200 pounds. I didn't think that gain was attainable 10 years ago." |
| Green design of buildings, communities creates healthier, sustainable environments | |
 | "Green design" in architecture is far more than a buzz word or a fad. It is increasingly just the way things are done to not only preserve the environment, but the value of the owner's investments. Green architecture as a phrase may be a fad, said Michael Berk, AIA, director of the School of Architecture at Mississippi State University. The word he prefers is ecological design, that is designing in concert and in balance with the natural systems around us, working with these systems instead of against them. The U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines are now used by many federal projects, as well as state and local governmental projects and private developments. "The purpose of the guidelines is to minimize energy use, maximize resources, minimize land use and create healthier, sustainable construction and living environments," Berk said. |
| New Orleans NWS leader and MSU alum to take charge of National Hurricane Center | |
 | The meteorologist-in-charge of the National Weather Service's office serving New Orleans and Baton Rouge will soon leave Louisiana to lead the National Hurricane Center in Miami, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees the NWS. Kenneth Graham, who has led the NWS' New Orleans/Baton Rouge office since 2008, will begin his new job April 1. The role was previously filled by Rick Knabb, who left in May 2017, and, since then, on an interim basis by the NHC's deputy director Ed Rappaport. Graham, a graduate from both the University of Arizona and Mississippi State University, began working with NOAA in 1994 after working as a broadcast meteorologist at WCBI TV in Columbus, Mississippi. |
| What It Takes To Be A Meteorologist | |
 | Meteorologists do more than just present the forecast. Understanding the physics and chemistry of the atmosphere is pivotal to forecasting the weather. Dr. Kathleen Sherman-Morris, Director of the Geosciences Distance Learning Program at Mississippi State University agrees. She says, "It is a lengthy process. It's a several-year program. You can't go online and just complete a few modules and become a meteorologist." It takes a bachelor's degree to work as a professional meteorologist. But if you already have a degree in another field, you have an online option. Dr. Sherman-Moriss says, "We have students take a couple of classes in forecasting, and things like satellite and radar interpretation. So we focus on how to use the meteorology information to do forecasts, which is what most students do when they graduate." |
| Mapping the Delta's water: aquifer the lifebood of irrigation for crops | |
| There's no disputing that water is the lifeblood of agriculture in the Mississippi Delta and around the state. In fact, 92 percent of the water footprint in the United States goes to agriculture production, according to the latest government figures. In the Mississippi Delta, home to arguably the world's richest soil, farmers worry as much about their irrigation wells as the status of their crops. The shallow alluvial aquifer supplies most of the water for irrigation and aquaculture in the Delta. Water levels have declined as demand has increased since the 1980s. Led by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Delta Sustainable Water Resources Task Force was formed to develop strategies to make sure farmers have adequate agricultural water resources for the future. |
| House says bonds dependent on deal on overall transportation bill | |
 | Funding for a wide array of projects -- ranging from major construction efforts on university and community college campuses to funds to help with a new roof at Church Street Elementary School in Tupelo -- depends on House and Senate leaders reaching agreements on a bond bill by Saturday night. Senate Finance Chairman Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, expressed optimism recently that an agreement can be reached between House and Senate negotiators. One was not reached during the 2017 session, resulting in a rare instance in recent years where the Legislature did not pass a bill authorizing bonds to pay over a period of years for construction projects. House Ways and Means Vice Chairman Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, one of the negotiators, said that passing a bond bill is dependent on passing an overall transportation bill to deal with road and bridge deficiencies on both the state and local systems. |
| No guns in stadiums? No guns for Mississippi's teachers | |
 | Mississippi lawmakers won't pass a plan this year explicitly allowing schools and colleges to let teachers or staff members carry guns after having firearms training. The House Thursday didn't consider House Bill 1083 , killing it for 2018's regular session, since it missed a deadline for agreeing to changes made in the Senate or seeking negotiations to work out differences. House Judiciary B Committee Chairman Andy Gipson said he let the bill die not because he disagreed with arming teachers, but because he opposes creating any "gun-free zones." Gipson's underlying bill sought to reverse restrictions by government bodies on where people with enhanced concealed carry permits could bring guns. The death of the bill leaves a legal gray area, where some gun owners claim local governments and state agencies are violating their rights. |
| Gun bill dies for session | |
| Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, who started the gun debate this session in the Mississippi Legislature, ended it Thursday when he let his bill die because he said Senate changes to the bill would weaken existing law. Thursday was the deadline to invite negotiations with the Senate or send the proposal to the governor. Gipson, chairman of the Judiciary B Committee, said he did not think a compromise could be reached on the bill in the coming days before the session ends. Gipson said the original intent of his bill was to ensure legal remedies for the 67,000 enhanced carry permit holders if their existing right to carry a gun was denied at sporting events or at other public places. "Now they will just have to go to court" to preserve that right, Gipson said. |
| Guns-in-schools bill dead for 2018 session | |
 | A proposal to allow school districts to adopt policies to train and arm educators appears dead for the 2018 session, but there's a possibility that educators can still be authorized to carry in the classroom. House Judiciary B Chairman Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, on Thursday rejected the Senate's overhaul of House Bill 1083, often referred to as the guns-in-schools bill. "We just couldn't come to an agreement on the language," he said. "We're going to let that bill die." Although the state College Board has adopted policies allowing concealed carry in public places on college campuses, there are restrictions on concealed carry into non-public places such as classrooms and residence halls. Gipson's legislation was originally envisioned as a bill giving gun owners with enhanced carry permits the ability to sue if they are prevented from carrying on public property, including university stadiums. Despite the bill's death, it's unlikely the issue will go away. |
| 'Guns in schools' bill dies, for now | |
| The bill that would have allowed teachers to carry guns in the classroom after specialized training is dead after the House declined to take it up Thursday. Speaking with reporters, Rep. Andy Gipson said the changes made to House Bill 1083 in the Senate were too big to fix this session. The bill, authored by Gipson, originally offered those with an enhanced concealed carry permit the ability to sue entities that denied them the right to carry in public spaces. Thursday was the deadline to pass it off the House calendar. "My main objection is I didn't want to roll back consistent concealed carry rights in Mississippi," Gipson said. "We'll look at it next time." |
| House on board to join movement to amend U.S. Constitution | |
| Some in the Mississippi Legislature want to amend the United States Constitution. With a 76-42 vote, the House passed a resolution that calls for a convention of the states to pass amendments to the constitution that limit the power of the federal government. Article V of the constitution states the document can be altered if Congress agrees with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, or if two-thirds of the country's state legislatures call for a convention to put forth amendments. Representative Dan Eubanks, R-Walls, presented the latter option Thursday. House Concurrent Resolution 56 calls for a convention to address the federal government's "crushing national debt" created through "improper and imprudent spending." |
| Departing Sen. Thad Cochran 'optimistic about the future' of U.S. | |
| Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi has given a farewell speech in the U.S. Senate, where he's the longest-serving current member of Congress. The 80-year-old Cochran is retiring April 1 because of poor health. He says he's "optimistic about the future of our great nation." During a Senate address, Sen. Roger Wicker said it would be appropriate to reflect on "the great footprints that Senator Thad Cochran will have left in the sands of time for our nation." "Because of Thad Cochran, our nation's defense is stronger today. Because of the efforts of our colleague from Mississippi, my senior Senator, Americans are healthier today and will continue to be healthier," Wicker said. "American agriculture is stronger today because of the efforts of this 'quiet persuader' in the field of agriculture. Our economy as a whole is stronger because of the many efforts of Senator Thad Cochran and, before him, Representative Thad Cochran in the United States House and in the United States Senate." |
| Senators bid farewell to Sen. Thad Cochran, the 'Quiet Persuader' | |
| One by one senators bid Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran farewell Thursday, saluting his decades of service in Congress and praising his tireless work on behalf of Mississippi. "When his issues were on the line, Sen. Cochran fought for Mississippi as hard as any senator,'' said Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York. Cochran, citing health reasons, announced earlier this month that he will retire April 1. The 80-year-old is the 10th longest-serving senator in U.S. history. He was first elected to the Senate in 1978 becoming the first Republican in more than 100 years to win a statewide election in Mississippi. Cochran also served three terms in the House of Representatives. For more than one hour, senators praised Cochran for being a passionate champion for his state. They called him a Southern gentleman, an effective leader and a role model for what a senator should be. |
| Cochran delivers farewell Senate address | |
 | GOP Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) delivered an optimistic farewell address on Thursday and his colleagues praised him as a "gentleman" as he prepares to retire after four decades in the chamber. "I leave the Senate with the confidence ... that our enduring Constitution [will] guard our country from human error. It empowers our citizens to achieve greatness and protect the common interest," Cochran said. Cochran added that he was "optimistic" about the future of the country. "I'm optimistic about the future success of our efforts to protect the security, the health, to the guarantees of the Bill of Rights of the United States," he said. Cochran's speech comes as he's expected to formally resign his seat on April 1, in the middle of the Senate's two week recess. |
| Departing Sen. Thad Cochran 'optimistic about the future' of US | |
| Republican Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi on Thursday gave a farewell speech in the U.S. Senate, where he's the longest-serving current member of Congress. "I'm optimistic about the future of our great nation," said Cochran, 80, who is retiring April 1 because of poor health. Senate colleagues paid tribute to Cochran, with Democrats and Republicans praising him repeatedly as a "gentle persuader" who is civil while working across party lines. "He wrote the book on composure under pressure," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said during the session shown on CSPAN2. Democrats and Republicans talked about Cochran's love of music and literature and the genuine interest he showed in meeting people when he traveled to other states and countries. |
| Cochran Bids Goodbye to Senate After Nearly 40 Years Representing Mississippi | |
 | Video: Republican Sen. Thad Cochran, the senior senator from Mississippi, was elected to his seventh term in 2014 but will resign on April 1 due to health issues. Always a behind-the-scenes negotiator, Cochran was reserved and brief even during his final speech to colleagues from the Senate floor. |
| Cindy Hyde-Smith supporters tell Gov. Phil Bryant he made a 'good choice' | |
 | Of the more than 200 people who gathered in downtown Brookhaven at noon Wednesday to see Cindy Hyde-Smith's historic ascension to the U.S. Senate, no one came farther than Stephen Berry, who traveled all the way from Germany. Well, sort of. It was 30 years ago that he immigrated to America and settled in tiny New Hebron in the northeast corner of Lawrence County. He's followed her career from the state Legislature to agriculture commissioner and now to Washington, D.C., and when it was announced Gov. Phil Bryant would appoint Hyde-Smith to become the state's first female senator, Berry respected the progressiveness of the decision and wanted to see it himself. On that windy day under the straight-down light of the noon sun, Berry stood out, his black fedora, peppered goatee and punchy, imported accent at odds with Ole Brook's well-dressed downtown professionals. At his side was Brookhaven's Vickie Douchard, a short and smiling mother who said she came to appreciate Hyde-Smith when their kids met through 4-H. |
| Hyde-Smith nomination draws support of some local GOP voices | |
| A cross-section of Republican office holders and GOP leaders in the area offered praise for Cindy Hyde-Smith's appointment to the U.S. Senate. "She is a formidable candidate," said June Geddie, president of the Lee County Republican Club. "I think she is unique, and she's well spoken." Geddie, who has met Hyde-Smith here in Northeast Mississippi, highlighted that the statewide official and former legislator will be the first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress. Lee County Board of Supervisors President Mike Smith, who represents District 2, was also steadfast in his support of the governor's selection. "Why would you not support the governor's appointment if you're a Republican and like Republicans?" Smith asked. |
| Republican Andy Taggart could challenge Cindy Hyde-Smith for Senate | |
| Author and attorney Andy Taggart, a Republican patriarch in Mississippi, said Thursday he is "very seriously considering running" for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Thad Cochran. "I believe the outcome of this (Nov. 6) special election is of such crucial importance to our state and to the nation," Taggart said in a written statement. Taggart's statement comes a day after Republican Gov. Phil Bryant announced he will appoint Agriculture Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith to Cochran's seat temporarily and support her election to the post in November. It also comes amid Bryant facing some Republican backlash over his choice. Many establishment GOP leaders in Mississippi and Washington, including Taggart and White House advisers, have questioned Bryant's choice. |
| Trump threatens to veto omnibus over lack of wall funding, DACA fix | |
| President Trump suggested on Friday that he could veto a massive $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill, raising the prospect of a government shutdown. In a tweet, Trump cited the bill's lack of funding for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and the fact that it does not extend protections for beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. "I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded," Trump tweeted. |
| Trump Chooses Bolton for 3rd Security Adviser as Shake-Up Continues | |
 | President Trump named John R. Bolton, a hard-line former American ambassador to the United Nations, as his third national security adviser on Thursday, continuing a shake-up that creates one of the most hawkish national security teams of any White House in recent history. Mr. Bolton will replace Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the battle-tested Army officer who was tapped last year to stabilize a turbulent foreign policy operation but who never developed a comfortable relationship with the president. The move, which was sudden but not unexpected, signals a more confrontational approach in American foreign policy at a time when Mr. Trump faces mounting challenges, including from Iran and North Korea. |
| Tariffs on China could spark a response, hitting agriculture, tech and aerospace in the U.S. | |
 | President Trump's call Thursday to impose tariffs on Chinese products prompted an outcry from several U.S. industries that expressed fear of an all-out trade war that could ultimately hurt U.S. consumers, farmers and manufacturers. The effect of Trump's move won't be clear until the U.S. submits a final list of products subject to the new taxes, which should be announced this spring after a public comment period. Also crucial will be how China responds. Already, leaders in the agriculture, retail and technology industries are predicting their business will pay a heavy price in a trade war with China. Trump ordered about $50 billion in tariffs on a wide range of Chinese imports Thursday, as well as new restrictions on Chinese investments in the U.S. The moves are the latest by Trump to counter what he sees as unfair trade practices by other countries, especially China. |
| IHL names MUW veteran as acting president | |
 | Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees have named Nora Miller Acting President of the Mississippi University for Women. Miller currently serves as Senior Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer at the university and will begin serving as Acting President on July 1st. Miller holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Mississippi University for Women. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Mississippi State University in 1998 and is a Certified Public Accountant. She has served on The W staff since 2001. "Nora Miller has more than 15 years of senior leadership experience at Mississippi University for Women," said Trustee C.D. Smith, President of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. "She has served as an integral part of Dr. Borsig's leadership team and will do an excellent job as Acting President." |
| Pearl River Community College receives nearly $250K for workforce development | |
 | Pearl River Community College will be better equipped to prepare students for the workforce after it received $247,266 from the state to invest in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment. The money was made available through the state of Mississippi and the Mississippi Works fund. The announcement was made Thursday at PRCC's Forrest County Center, with local and state officials attending. "The SWIB, Mississippi Development Authority and the State of Mississippi are proud to provide the funding to PRCC and look forward to seeing its positive impact on job growth in the region," said James Williams, chairman of the State Workforce Investment Board. PRCC President Adam Breerwood said the college will continue to do its part to help create a better-qualified workforce. |
| Auburn vets perform rare heart procedure on thoroughbred horse with atrial fibrillation | |
 | Veterinarians at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine have successfully conducted their first procedure to correct atrial fibrillation in an equine patient, being one of only a handful of veterinary schools nationwide able to perform the procedure. Both the medical team and horse owner are excited about the results. The procedure on Moissanite, a 6-year-old thoroughbred jumping horse, involved a team of large and small animal faculty veterinarians and technicians from cardiology, equine medicine, anesthesia and radiology services in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Atrial fibrillation -- commonly known as AFib -- occurs in humans and large animals, says Dr. Seung-Woo Jung, an assistant professor of cardiology in the Department of Clinical Sciences who sees both large and small animal cases. |
| U. of Tennessee to launch smoke-free campus policy, beginning Aug. 1 | |
 | The University of Tennessee Knoxville will become a smoke-free campus in August after announcing a policy Thursday that would ban the use of all combustible tobacco products. "I think they should re-consider e-cigarettes, because banning those has the opposite effect of making it harder for people who are trying to quit or stop using tobacco products," said Morgan Rose, a 34-year-old student who was smoking an e-cigarette as he walked down Volunteer Boulevard Thursday. "Aside from that, I would be generally supportive. For a student who is having a hard time and trying to scratch a nicotine itch in between classes, there's no evidence second-hand vapor is harmful." The new policy, which goes into effect Aug. 1, follows legislation passed in 2017 that allows public college campuses to pass restrictions on smoking that are stricter than state laws. |
| Texas A&M, Myanmar students team together to create design for students in need | |
 | A team of five university students from Myanmar traveled to College Station this week after taking second place in last month's 48-hour Invent for the Planet design challenge hosted by Texas A&M University. The Myanmar students have been working with the first-place team from Texas A&M to combine their projects -- both of which were based on the need statement of providing light to students and children in countries without access to electricity to allow for more study time after dark -- for a joint presentation in Austin this weekend at VentureWell's OPEN Minds Conference. While the Aggie team focused on developing a cost-effective platform for LED lights capable of being powered through a number of means, the team from Myanmar created a power source based on the mechanics of a sewing machine. By combining the two, Director of Engineering Entrepreneurship Rodney Boehm said the students from both teams were able to come together to create a solution to a very real problem. |
| Hartzler highlights Russian troll attack during U. of Missouri protests at hearing | |
 | The former top officer of the U.S. European Command told a congressional committee Wednesday that he uses the discovery of Russian meddling in the 2015 controversies at the University of Missouri as an easily-understood example of the "hybrid warfare" threatening the United States. Retired Air Force Gen. Phillip Breedlove made his remarks during questioning from U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, who quoted a Tribune article on the Russian troll attack before asking him for insights into countering efforts to exploit "our own family squabbles." The first step, Breedlove said to the House Armed Services Committee, is to wake up to the threat. "I use this example as I speak around the country, what happened at Mizzou," Breedlove said. "And it was even multi-layered. After they instigated problems, they went back then and chastised the local press for not covering their disinformation and further spreading it -- it was really audacious, what they characterized there." |
| Trump Says the Campus Free-Speech Crisis Is 'Overblown' | |
 | Is free speech in a state of crisis on college campuses? Those with a strong opinion say it's either a dire concern, citing disrupted speeches, or blown way out of proportion in response to cherry-picked incidents. Many conservatives will argue the former, but you can apparently count President Trump as one of the skeptics. Charlie Kirk, executive director of the conservative student group Turning Point USA, spoke with Trump at a panel discussion on Thursday. Their conversation covered the recent changes to the tax code, vocational schools, and political correctness. Kirk also requested advice from the president for the "young patriots and conservatives on campus that support your agenda that are being ridiculed and silenced because administrators are clamping down on free speech." |
| President Trump holds forth on community colleges, campus politics | |
 | President Trump loves vocational training. Community colleges? Not so much. Trump on Thursday appeared at the "Generation Next" White House forum alongside Charlie Kirk, a conservative campus activist who heads Turning Point USA. In between talking up tax cuts and his administration's work rolling back federal regulations, the president weighed in on the value of vocational training. And repeating a sentiment he expressed to a conference of conservative lawmakers last month, he again appeared to dismiss community colleges. As they did after his earlier remarks on those institutions, community college leaders said they showed the president was misinformed. Community college leaders again urged the president to learn more about the work their institutions do. |
| These Programs Would See Funding Increases in the New Congressional Spending Deal | |
| Congress hopes to inject a healthy dose of funding into several education programs under a spending deal introduced by congressional negotiators on Wednesday night. The proposed increases feature a $3.9-billion jump in the U.S. Department of Education's budget, including an additional $8.5 million for the Office for Civil Rights; a $175 expansion in the size of the maximum Pell Grant; a $107-million rise for the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant program; and a $140-million lift in the Federal Work-Study program. Advocates for broad funding increases in the bill, including the slight rise in Pell awards, offered reserved cheers for the proposals. The Trump administration had proposed severe cuts in several of the programs that Congress wants to expand. |
| Congress's Budget for Higher Ed, by the Numbers | |
| Congressional negotiators late Wednesday reached an agreement on a bill to fund the government through the rest of the 2018 fiscal year, which began in October. In general the bill increases spending for most programs important to higher education, in many cases significantly so. The table below shows rounded figures for the amounts appropriated by Congress in 2017, proposed by the Trump administration and agreed upon in this week's compromise. Both houses must pass the bill by Friday to avoid another government shutdown. |
| College of engineering dean leaving Wichita State in June | |
| College of engineering dean Royce Bowden is leaving Wichita State June 30 to "invest the next chapter of his life to philanthropic and scholarly interests," according to a news release. Interim Provost Rick Muma will work with the engineering faculty and staff to select an interim leader and conduct a national search for the next dean, the release says. Bowden will have completed 30 years of higher education work when he leaves the university, with the last five of those at WSU. He became dean of the college in 2014. Before coming to WSU, Bowden served as associate dean for academic affairs at Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State meets Wolfpack in the Sweet 16 | |
| Top-seeded Mississippi State will be making its third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance tonight. Until last year, the Bulldogs had never advanced beyond the Sweet 16. But after reaching the national championship game, there is a new standard for MSU as a program. "Before, we were just happy to be in the Sweet 16," said MSU guard Victoria Vivians. "Now it's like an expectation. We do this on the regular and we need to come out here and finish and try to win a national championship." The Bulldogs (34-1) are still four wins away from bringing home that elusive title and their road to redemption begins with No. 4 seed N.C. State at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. "They're a little like us, just a hard-nosed defensive team," said MSU coach Vic Schaefer. |
| Mississippi State's scoring machine: An impressive offensive effort has fueled Bulldogs all season | |
 | This year's Mississippi State team is a bit different than the ones that Vic Schaefer has coached in the past, but the coach has learned to accept it. The Bulldogs' defense is nothing to scoff at by any means. State surrenders just 55.6 points per game and turns the opponent over 19 times a contest. It's the offense that has surprised Schaefer from start to finish. MSU scores 82.1 points a game. The average margin of victory during the 34-1 stretch for the Bulldogs this season is 26.5 points, which is a number that Schaefer said is "off the chart." Most impressive is that State has four of its five starters in double figures and two players averaging over 17 points with Victoria Vivians and Teaira McCowan. |
| Her role has changed, but Dom Dillingham is still helping Mississippi State win | |
| Mississippi State has just started practice here Thursday in the Sprint Center and Dom Dillingham, in a white long-sleeved Mississippi State shirt and maroon shorts, already looks prepared for game day. She finishes a layup after a dish from Morgan William on a weave drill. She makes a pass to Chloe Bibby, who hits a jumper. She starts the next weave, dribbling full speed up the court, before making a pass to William near the top of the key. Then, moments later, the white clipboard appears in her hand. Dillingham's playing days at Mississippi State are over. But her practice ones? Those are just different. It's Coach Dillingham these days. |
| Wolfpack relish ride to Sweet 16 matchup vs Mississippi State | |
| North Carolina State coach Wes Moore remembers hearing where his Wolfpack, fresh off a second-round trip to the NCAA Tournament, were picked to finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. He thought the voters had read the instructions wrong. "Maybe," Moore mused, "they thought that was a national poll they were voting on." Would have made more sense. Fast-forward to mid-March and the fourth-seeded Wolfpack (26-8) are preparing to face top-seeded Mississippi State in the Sweet 16. |
| Jazzmun Holmes' role keeps growing, but who is the person behind the quiet point guard? | |
| Have you ever watched Jazzmun Holmes answer a question? She's not going to play your games or make it easy. This was two years ago and it was her first-ever game, and Holmes had scored 12 points off the bench. Of course, reporters were going to ask her some questions, like about making some adjustments in the second half. She just laughs to herself quietly and looks at the reporter. She doesn't answer. Nothing. In a lineup full of beloved stars on top-seeded Mississippi State, which plays in the Sweet 16 Friday against North Carolina State, Holmes is the one people seem to know the least, even though her role has increased to the point where she's the top bench player and regularly finishes games. She doesn't talk too much. She keeps to herself. While MSU watched the Oklahoma State-Syracuse game on Saturday, she sat a few seats from everyone, leaning away and wearing some large over-ear headphones. "It's kind of difficult for me to come out of my shell and talk in front of everybody," Holmes said. |
| Miracles continue for Schaefer family, Bulldogs | |
 | Holly Schaefer will remember the words for as long as she lives. "The statistics are not in his favor." The words, which were said countless times by doctors and hospital personnel, referred to the prognosis for Logan Schaefer following his wakeboarding accident July 12, 2010, at Frontier Camp in Grapeland, Texas. Vic Schaefer heard the refrain time and time again about his daughter, Blair, a guard on his Mississippi State women's basketball team. "Too small, too short, too slow." Two cases. In the first, Holly and Vic Schaefer didn't know if their son, Logan, would survive. In the second, neither mother nor father/coach knew if Blair was mentally and physically ready to put in the work needed to realize her goal of being a big contributor for the Bulldogs. As No. 1 seed MSU (34-1) prepares to face No. 4 seed North Carolina State (26-8) at 6 tonight (ESPN) in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament's Kansas City Regional, the "miracle" of Logan Schaefer's recovery and the miraculous maturation and development of Blair Schaefer have been at the core of MSU's success. The unwavering commitment of the Schaefer twins and the dedication of their parents to helping their children overcome obstacles and realize their potential have pushed all of the Bulldogs never to give up. |
| WBCA selects Schaefer Division I Coach of Year | |
| In the midst of preparing for the Sweet 16 matchup with North Carolina State on Thursday, Mississippi State women's head basketball coach Vic Schaefer brought home a little hardware before the games begin. The Women's Basketball Coaches Association has spoken, and it selected Schaefer its Division I Coach of the Year. Schaefer grabbed the honor after leading Mississippi State to a perfect 30-0 regular season that included an outright Southeastern Conference championship for the first time in women's sports history in Starkville. The Bulldogs' 32-0 start for the year was the second-best in SEC history. "It's been a special season with a bunch of special kids," Schaefer said Thursday from Kansas City. "We have four really special seniors on this ball club and they've done a great job leading our kids and being ready when the lights come on." |
| Schaefer selected WBCA National Coach of the Year | |
| Mississippi State's Vic Schaefer was named the Division I National Coach of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association on Thursday. Schaefer had been selected as the WBCA Region Coach of the Year last season. The Bulldogs are making their third straight Sweet 16 appearance under Schaefer and won their first Southeastern Conference championship with a perfect 30-0 regular season. MSU ran its winning streak to 32-games, the second longest in SEC history. The Bulldogs are currently 34-1 and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. |
| Mississippi State baseball hopes hot bats continue in Missouri | |
| For years, it has been believed that in the game of baseball, hitting is contagious. If that is indeed the case, Mississippi State is hopeful it has caught the bug. As MSU (12-10, 0-3) prepares for a three-game Southeastern Conference set at Missouri (17-5, 1-2), beginning with a 6:30 p.m. game Friday night, the Bulldogs are finally feeling pretty good about themselves at the plate. State scored only four total runs in last week's entire SEC-opening series against Vanderbilt, but the Bulldogs bounced back with a pair of lopsided midweek wins over Alcorn State and Texas Southern in which MSU scored 28 total runs. "We had two nights in a row of improved at-bats and sustained concentration," State interim head coach Gary Henderson said. "Overall, it was a step forward for our kids offensively." |
| Bulldogs back on the road in Missouri | |
| While Mississippi State's women's basketball is playing in the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, the MSU baseball team will be two hours away in Columbia for a weekend series with Missouri. The Bulldogs begin a three-game set with the Tigers starting tonight at 6:30. Saturday's game is slated for 2 p.m. and Sunday's finale starts at 1 p.m. MSU (12-10, 0-3 SEC) is looking to overcome a dreadful start to the Southeastern Conference schedule after being swept by Vanderbilt in Starkville last weekend. Mississippi State was able to regain some of its confidence during midweek action with a 17-1 win over Alcorn State and an 11-6 victory against Texas Southern. MSU is a perfect 8-0 all-time against Missouri, last sweeping the Tigers in Starkville in 2016. |
| Small anxious for larger role on Mississippi State pitching staff | |
| Almost a week ago, Ethan Small was walking off the mound at Dudy Noble Field, having just given the Mississippi State baseball team 6 1/3 innings of one-run, four-hit pitching. His walk to the dugout was met with an ovation that was over a year in the making. "A year ago I was in bed with a brace on watching it on TV," Small said. "Knowing how far I've come and getting that was probably one of the cooler moments of my life." All signs point to more of those moments ahead. After missing last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Small has returned in form good enough to lock down the Saturday spot in MSU's starting rotation. The lefty takes a 3.04 earned run average (ERA) and a 1.259 walks and hits per inning (WHIP) into MSU's weekend series at Missouri (16-5, 1-2 Southeastern Conference), nearing the midway point of a season that's a bit of a maiden voyage. |
| Softball battle of SEC Bulldogs takes place in Starkville | |
| It doesn't matter to Mississippi State softball coach Vann Stuedeman whether it's Missouri, Georgia or anyone else in the Southeastern Conference. When it comes time to play any of those opponents in a three-game league series, a very tough and intense challenge can be expected. Stuedeman catches herself repeating the same thing about every SEC encounter. "Every weekend doesn't get any bigger than this one," Stuedeman said. "That's what we're going to say every weekend. The last weekend won't get any bigger than this one. We're going to say that eight more times. We said it last weekend and we're going to say that this weekend. There are eight super regionals." Stuedeman is not joking when saying the next three outings will be a dogfight. MSU opens against Georgia Friday at 6 p.m., then Saturday and Sunday games will take place at 2 p.m. |
| Georgia softball continues to play with chip on shoulder | |
 | Following its worst season in the 17 years Lu Harris-Champer has been head coach, a season in which Georgia finished 6-18 in the SEC, no one was surprised when the Bulldogs weren't too highly thought of in the preseason top 25 softball rankings. Nobody except the Bulldogs themselves, who, according to the preseason polls, were projected as the ninth best team in the league. "It didn't really matter and we didn't really care," outfielder Kendall Burton said. "We knew what we had to do and we knew how good we were and how talented we were. We had all the opportunities lined up for us to do well and show out and I think so far we've proven that." As the Bulldogs open a three-game series tonight at No. 21 Mississippi State (26-4, 2-1) they are coming off of Wednesday's 10-3 win over Georgia Southern and shortstop Alyssa DiCarlo's recognition as ESPNW's Softball Player of the Week. |
| Records detail final hours of John Currie's tenure as Tennessee AD | |
| Tennessee administrators lost contact with former athletic director John Currie for several hours on the day before he was ousted from his position, according to documents obtained Thursday by USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee. Currie resurfaced later that day with an email to Chancellor Beverly Davenport, President Joe DiPietro and General Counsel Matthew Scoggins. Currie wrote that he had flown from North Carolina, where he was in pursuit of North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren, to California to meet with Washington State coach Mike Leach. "Although I have not offered the job or discussed terms with him, he told me he would take the job if offered," Currie wrote in his email. Davenport responded that she wanted Currie to return to Knoxville and scheduled a meeting with him for the following morning. |
| Former AD Currie says Tennessee people are 'wacko' in text exchange with reporter | |
| Former Tennessee athletic director John Currie seemed to know that UT's plans to hire Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano as its football coach might not receive glowing reviews from the fanbase. "Gonna need some help on the Pr," Currie wrote amid a text message exchange with USA TODAY columnist Dan Wolken on Nov. 26. "Our people are wacko." "I'll help. Not sure they'll listen. LOL," Wolken responded. "I know he's a very good coach and is about the right stuff." The university released Currie's text messages Thursday in response to a records request submitted in December by USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee. |
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