| Monday, April 16, 2018 |
| Teaching about Civil War focus of workshop at Mississippi State | |
 | Using today's political climate as a conversation catalyst, a Mississippi State University assistant history professor will lead secondary teachers in exploring new ways to teach the Civil War. Andy Lang will present "Teaching the Civil War: How to navigate history, heritage, and identity in the classroom" on April 21 beginning at 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided. Those interested in participating should register online at www.ih.msstate.edu by April 15 to attend the free workshop. MSU's Institute for the Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences is sponsoring the event open to all secondary teachers. Julia Osman, director of the Institute for the Humanities, said in the release that she wants the institute to be a resource for secondary education and to hear and get feedback from teachers |
| Theatre MSU concludes season with hit comedy 'Noises Off' | |
 | Theatre MSU is ending its 2018 spring season on a high note by bringing an uproarious farce to the university's McComas Hall mainstage theater. Theatre MSU's performances of Michael Frayn's "Noises Off" take place Thursday through Saturday, April 19-21 at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 at the door or $13 online at events.msstate.edu/tickets. "Noises Off" contains adult language and situations and is recommended for mature audiences. Cody Stockstill, assistant professor in the MSU College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Communication, is directing the production, which he describes as "a rip-roaring play within a play." |
| Korie, Sadie Robertson of 'Duck Dynasty' to give ethics lecture Monday at MSU | |
| The mother and daughter who starred on A&E's popular reality television show "Duck Dynasty" will speak Monday, April 16 at Mississippi State. The free public program featuring Korie and Sadie Robertson begins at 7:30 p.m. in the university's Humphrey Coliseum. The Louisiana natives will be on campus to deliver the 2018 Dorothy Garrett Martin Lectureship in Values and Ethics, a recurring special event organized by the campus chapter of Delta Gamma social sorority. |
| Mississippi State University Hosts Inaugural New Narrative Festival | |
 | Mississippi State University's Department of Communication is spending time finding new ways to tell stories with the inaugural New Narrative Festival. This event welcomes students, faculty, area residents, and business leaders to gather and share storytelling ideas and techniques. The festival also highlights the state's role in influencing change in traditional and emerging platform narratives. Department of Communications Head John Forde says this festival is a great way to expose students to different approaches to storytelling. |
| Ag Producers Encouraged to Complete Farm Census | |
 | Mississippi farmers, ranchers and landowners who raise or sell $1,000 or more in farm products can still respond to the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture mailed more than 60,000 census forms in Mississippi. The original deadline for completing the federally mandated survey was Feb. 5, 2018. However, participants can avoid follow-up phone calls, mailings and personal visits by sending in or completing the online survey this spring. Steve Martin, associate director of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the data gathered in the census influences important decisions made at the state and federal levels. "In addition to showing the value of agriculture in Mississippi and the U.S., the information gathered in the census shapes farm policy, indicates promising locations for ag-related businesses and influences program development for young or beginning farmers and ranchers," Martin said. |
| Jerry Toney honored by LPL Financial | |
 | Jerry Toney, senior wealth advisor for Cadence Investment Services and Mississippi president for Cadence Bank in Starkville, was recently recognized as a 2018 Program Manager of the Year by LPL Financial, a retail financial advice market and an independent broker/dealer serving banks and credit unions. "On behalf of everyone at Cadence, I applaud Jerry for this distinguished honor," said Paul B. Murphy, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Cadence Bancorporation. Toney is a 1996 graduate of Mississippi State University and currently serves as an adjunct lecturer for the Department of Finance and Economics. |
| Starkville mulling establishing emergency medical service district | |
| Starkville is weighing the creation of an Emergency Medical Service District that would see ambulances housed at three fire departments in an attempt to reduce response times. Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough presented the concept during a Friday board of aldermen work session at City Hall. Aldermen will discuss the matter further at Tuesday's board meeting. Yarbrough said the EMS District could work through a public-private partnership between Starkville Fire Department and Ruston, Louisiana-based Pafford EMS. Mayor Lynn Spruill said she's notified OCH CEO Richard Hilton of the concept, but she has not yet had a chance to speak in depth with him about it due to scheduling conflicts and Hilton being out of town. She said the plan, if it comes to fruition, could allow OCH to focus more on medical calls beyond city limits, which could work to reduce ambulance service costs by reducing dispatches. |
| Starkville High students succeed in science fairs | |
| Starkville High School will be well-represented at the 2018 Intel Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh. Senior Javad A'arabi and freshman Michael Lu will both compete at the science fair after winning their respective categories at the regional and state levels. Both students are members of the SHS Excalibur Science Club, which recognizes students who excel in science. All Excalibur students prepare science projects. The club is sponsored by biology teacher Michael Adam. Several other Excalibur students placed in the regional and state science fairs, including junior Minjae Cho, sophomore Ada Fulgham, the group of sophomores Dennis Lee and Guillermo Hoffman Meyer, sophomore Byronie Mandal and freshman Zykaria Rogers. A'rabi's project examined using lactobacillus bacteria and organic acids as an alternate means of treating poultry with necrotic enteritis, a disease devastating to the industry. He said he had spent time doing research in labs at Mississippi State University, and had been required to attend safety trainings to handle some of the bacteria he worked with. |
| Gregg Harper Hopes Disability Internship Program Expands After His Departure | |
 | As Rep. Gregg Harper prepares to leave Congress, he has high hopes the internship program he created for individuals with intellectual disabilities will grow and lead to more alumni getting hired. Helping the disabled has been a priority for the Mississippi Republican since his election to the House in 2008. His advocacy is inspired by his 28-year-old son Livingston, who has Fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition linked to developmental and intellectual disabilities, often in males. "It maybe wasn't the journey we thought we would be on, but it's been a great journey," the congressman said. Livingston has since graduated from Mississippi State University and works at a restaurant back home. |
| Analysis highlights shortfall in Mississippi public education funding | |
| A new analysis of state-by-state spending on public education found that a high school senior in Mississippi received about $33,000 less in state funding than the national average over the course of his or her public education. Efforts to rework the state's public education funding formula died in this year's legislative session, but debate over appropriate school funding levels continues -- and the analysis provides new insight for evaluating state spending levels. The analysis -- based on U.S. Department of Education data through the 2015-16 school year -- was done by Steve Suitts, a former chief strategist of the political action committee that unsuccessfully pushed for full funding of Mississippi's school funding formula under Proposition 42 in 2015. |
| Governor's emergency declaration adds to long list of closed bridges | |
 | Of the 542 closed locally owned bridges across the state, 58 are located in the 16 county Northeast Mississippi region, according to the Office of State Aid Road Construction website. Alcorn, Calhoun and Tishomingo counties have the most with eight closed bridges each while Prentiss has seven. The counties of Lee and Monroe report no closed bridges, according to the State Aid website. There are 10,783 bridges across the state owned by local governments. Last week, the issue of substandard bridges and the thus far unsuccessful efforts of the Legislature and Gov. Phil Bryant to come up with a solution to provide more funds for transportation needs came to the forefront when the governor declared a state of emergency forcing the closure of 103 locally owned bridges. |
| Bills seeking to reduce levels of incarceration becoming law | |
| Two bills designed to prevent people from being incarcerated because they are too poor to pay their criminal fees and fines passed during the recently completed 2018 legislative session. One of those bills has been signed into law by Gov. Phil Bryant and the other is pending his signature. They are part of bipartisan efforts to make changes to the state's criminal justice system in an effort to reduce the levels of incarceration -- particularly for non-violent offenders. Earlier this week, the governor hosted what is referred to as a ceremonial bill signing for House Bill 387. He had signed the bill earlier, but often after the session, governors host such events for legislation that garners significant attention. A diverse group of people and legislators attended the ceremonial bill signing. |
| State flag raises few issues with smaller towns | |
| While the Mississippi flag has created controversy in some of the state's larger cities for the last three years, most small towns have escaped the debate altogether. Excluding Tupelo, Lee County has seven smaller municipalities, and four of those still fly the state flag outside city property. Of the other three, only one removed the flag because it contains the Confederate battle emblem, considered by some to be a racist symbol. Controversy over the state flag renewed in the summer of 2015 after a deadly shooting at a black South Carolina church led to nationwide debate over the continuing legacy of Confederate symbols. Former Verona Mayor Robert Trice took down the state flag about two years ago, but he said it had nothing to do with controversy. "The old flag was faded and torn and needed to be replaced, so I had them take it down," Trice said. "I called down to the Stennis (Institute of Government in Starkville) and asked them. They said we didn't have to fly it, so I didn't bother ordering a new one." |
| Speakership drama pits McCarthy vs. Ryan | |
 | Tensions over who will succeed Speaker Paul Ryan are starting to torment House Republicans as they enter one of the most difficult midterm election cycles in years. Allies of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the current favorite for the job, are upset that Ryan insists on staying through the election. They think the delay can only hurt McCarthy's chances and might mean a months-long power struggle in the House Republican Conference in the thick of election season. The relationship between McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) remains frosty. Scalise endorsed his more senior colleague on Friday after his hand was forced by Ryan, but the Louisiana lawmaker remains interested in the speakership if McCarthy can't round up the votes. And then there's the House Freedom Caucus. |
| Without mentioning Mueller, Trump lawyers urge high court to bolster his power to fire executive officials | |
 | The Supreme Court is set to hear a seemingly minor case later this month on the status of administrative judges at the Securities and Exchange Commission, an issue that normally might only draw the interest of those accused of stock fraud. But the dispute turns on the president's power to hire and fire officials throughout the government. And it comes just as the White House is saying President Trump believes he has the power to fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Trump's Solicitor Gen. Noel Francisco intervened in the SEC case to urge the high court to clarify the president's constitutional power to fire all "officers of the United States" who "exercise significant authority" under the law. "The Constitution gives the president what the framers saw as the traditional means of ensuring accountability: the power to oversee executive officers through removal," he wrote in Lucia vs. SEC. "The president is accordingly authorized under our constitutional system to remove all principal officers, as well as all 'inferior officers' he has appointed." |
| Facebook has Congress considering refunding technology office | |
 | Congress had an agency designed to help senators avoid the sort of embarrassment they faced when trying to understand Facebook -- but lawmakers stopped funding it 23 years ago and have resisted reviving it Now there's talk the Office of Technology Assessment could make a comeback. A subcommittee will hear Tuesday from interest groups advocating for bringing it back. Since the office wasn't technically abolished but only defunded, bringing the agency back is as simple as attaching an amendment to a budget bill. Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., has tried to do that for years, with the latest attempt failing in July, 236-191, mostly on partisan lines. Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kansas, spoke against the proposal, saying there was already a technological research office within the Government Accountability Office, Congress' nonpartisan watchdog. A spokesman for Yoder this week said he had nothing new to add. Yoder chairs the subcommittee that will hear testimony about the OTA. |
| MUW music department presents 'All Kinds of Jazz' | |
| Mississippi University for Women's music department will present "All Kinds of Jazz," a concert featuring the MUW Jazz Ensemble, Tuesday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Connie Sills Kossen Auditorium in Poindexter Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Under the direction of Valentin M. Bogdan, assistant professor of music, the group will perform a mix of jazz standards, "hot club" jazz and Argentinean tangos. "We hope the MUW and Columbus communities will join us on Tuesday evening" said Bogdan, Jazz Ensemble director. |
| 'MOVE' to feature work of graduating MUW seniors | |
| A reception for Mississippi University for Women's Bachelor of Fine Arts exhibition "MOVE" will be held Friday, April 20 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the MUW Galleries, in Summer Hall. The exhibition features the artwork of graduating seniors Emmanuel Johnson, Deidre Mosley, Elizabeth Raines, Johnathan Shedd and Jessica Wallace. Three of the seniors are in the graphic design emphasis: Johnson, Shedd and Mosley. Each will focus on graphic designs and illustrations in the exhibition. "MOVE" will run through Friday, May 4 in the MUW Galleries. The Galleries are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and are free and open to the public. |
| Ole Miss student kidnapped, raped; victim's mother releases details | |
| An Ole Miss student from Brandon stands accused of kidnapping and rape after a woman -- also an Ole Miss student -- says he took her to his house where he assaulted and beat her until he passed out. Dustin McGee, 20, was taken into custody Tuesday and transported to the Lafayette County Detention Center. His bond was set at $20,000. The woman's mother, whose name is not being released as it would identify her daughter, spoke with the Clarion Ledger on Friday and said she feels the bond set by Justice Court Judge Carolyn Bell was excessively low. After issuing the news release about this case, Oxford police say others have reached out to them with information on past encounters with McGee. |
| USM graduate nursing programs garner recognition | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's College of Nursing has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report in its 2019 ranking of Best Graduate Schools. USM is ranked among the nation's top 150 colleges/universities for its Master's in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs. Each year, U.S. News evaluates graduate programs across six major disciplines: business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing. The USM College of Nursing's Master's program is rated No. 136 in the rankings, while the Doctor of Nursing Practice program is ranked No. 117. No other Mississippi college or university received a ranking. |
| Gala to commemorate ASU president's appointment as Commissioner of Higher Ed | |
 | This year's annual Purple and Gold Scholarship Gala sponsored by the Meridian/Lauderdale County Alumni Chapter of Alcorn State University will celebrate a milestone for the oldest historically black land-grant institution in the United States and the second oldest state supported institution in Mississippi. The local ASU chapter will host "An Evening of Music," to honor ASU President Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr.'s appointment as the state's Commissioner of Higher Education. Rankins, the 19th president of Alcorn, is the first African American named to oversee Mississippi's eight public universities. "We encourage the public to join us in honoring and celebrating the appointment of one of our own to the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an Alcornite by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning," chapter president Wilbert Jones said. The primary fundraiser for the local alumni's scholarship fund, this year's Purple and Gold Scholarship Gala will feature as special guest Dr. Renardo Murray, director of bands at ASU, the Alcorn State University Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble and Men's Chorale, former Miss Alcorn and Miss Mississippi 2007 Kimberly Morgan-Myles and entertainer Charles "CC" Carter. |
| Co-Lin, Delta State to partner for music industry classes | |
 | Workforce development is critical. Science and mathematics are the skills of tomorrow. The nation requires more tradesmen. That's all true. But some folks just need to rock n' roll. Music and entertainment is big business, too. Copiah-Lincoln Community College recognizes that. The school has entered into a "2+2" partnership with Delta State University that will create five new music industry undergraduate classes at Co-Lin that transfer into the Delta Music Institute, with the credits counting toward DMI's Bachelor of Science in entertainment industry studies. DMI's degree prepares students for careers in music and entertainment-related careers like audio engineering, multimedia technology, publishing, music agency, booking and other services surrounding the industry. |
| Meridian Community College presidential search narrowed to four finalists | |
| One of four vice presidents of community colleges -- three in Mississippi and one in Tennessee -- may serve as the next president of Meridian Community College. Finalists announced Friday include Scott Alsobrooks of Pearl River Community College, James D. Burnham of Holmes Community College, Paul Miller of East Mississippi Community College and Ted Lewis of Pellissippi State College in Knoxville, Tennessee. The MCC Board of Trustees narrowed the search to the finalists during its April regular monthly meeting. College President Scott Elliott plans to retire this summer after serving for 20 years, although he may remain at the school to assist with the transition. |
| East Mississippi Community College student receives INBRE scholarship | |
| An East Mississippi Community College student from Starkville has earned a prestigious biomedical internship opportunity. Leah Jackson, a student on the Scooba campus, received a $4,500 award from the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), comprised of a network of colleges and universities providing biomedical research. The organization emphasizes research in the areas of cancer, obesity, and sexually transmitted diseases. Jackson and other INBRE scholars will spend the period of May 21 through July 27 in internships where they will learn new research methods and develop other skills. During the internship, Jackson will spend time at the University of Mississippi Medical Center Molecular and Genomics Core Facility and do some work with Mississippi State University faculty. |
| Mississippi teen jailed on charges he threatened shooting | |
 | A Mississippi high school senior was jailed without bail Friday after the FBI charged him with threatening a school shooting over social media, but his defense lawyer says officials are misreading the student's dark humor. After a hearing in federal court in Oxford, U.S. Magistrate Judge Roy Percy ordered 19-year-old Nathan Caleb Brown of Southaven held in the Lafayette County jail, finding him too dangerous to release. Court papers show officials confiscated three handguns, two knives and ammunition from Brown's home. The FBI arrested Brown on Thursday at DeSoto Central High School in Southaven. |
| Bama Blitz raises $1.8 million for U. of Alabama | |
 | A new fundraising effort generated more than $1.8 million in donations, University of Alabama officials said Friday. Bama Blitz began Wednesday and ended Thursday. The timeframe for the inaugural fundraiser was one day, eight hours and 31 minutes, in recognition of 1831, the year UA was founded. Donors from 48 states pledged $1,810,269 during Bama Blitz, UA officials said. The fundraiser included "challenges" between colleges and schools within UA and gifts were charted on a real-time leaderboard online. "This type of time-limited, focused fundraising initiative has become very popular in the world of higher education, and we are glad to have our own version off the ground at the Capstone," said Bob Pierce, UA vice president for advancement. Of the 1,810 gifts received during Bama Blitz, 98 percent were $500 or less. |
| High-ranking LSU official Rick Koubek to leave for Michigan university | |
 | Rick Koubek, LSU executive vice president and provost, is leaving the university to be president at Michigan Technological University, the school announced Friday. His first day will be July 1. Koubek served as interim provost after Stuart Bell left in 2015 for Alabama before being hired for the position full-time. Koubek was named dean of LSU's College of Engineering in 2009. He previously was a professor and department head at Pennsylvania State University. He previously taught at Wright State University and Purdue University. He holds a doctorate and master's degree from Purdue and bachelor's degrees from Oral Roberts University and Northeastern Illinois University. |
| More college students seek mental health services | |
 | Ernesto Escoto has seen the steady increase of University of Florida students coming to the Counseling and Wellness Center. He's the director of the CWC, and three years ago, 4,400 students used its services. Two years ago, the center saw 4,700 students. Last year 5,100 students sought help from the center, 10 percent of the student body. The increase follows a national trend of more college students seeking out mental health services. No one knows exactly why, Escoto said. "There's a lot of hypotheses out there," he said. Escoto has a few ideas. Students at UF got to this top-10 public university by earning top scores while balancing hectic schedules through high school, often as leaders at a young age. They're what Escoto calls "thoroughbreds." "They don't know how to fail," he said. |
| Family Weekend offers all things Aggies | |
 | Whether it was a sporting event, an open house, a tour of the campus or a chance to shop, Texas A&M's Family Weekend provided a little something for everyone on Saturday. For two days straight, members of the Corps of Cadets marched and blew their trumpets, looking polished and pristine for the crowds gathered on campus. Food trucks and family-friendly game stations serviced visitors all around Kyle Field on Saturday. Fans looking to get their football fix headed to Kyle Field for the Maroon & White game, while the Aggie softball and baseball teams also drew fans. Inside the overflowing Memorial Student Center on Saturday, Aggie Moms Clubs from chapters across Texas sold Aggie-themed items. Many moms peddled hand-painted signs and homemade crafts, T-shirts, knickknacks and customizable ornaments and boots. |
| U. of Missouri System initiative will share research throughout state | |
 | University of Missouri System President Mun Choi unveiled a new initiative Friday designed to share research discoveries with people in every Missouri county. Marshall Stewart, vice chancellor for extension and engagement at MU, will lead the initiative known as the Presidential Engagement Fellows. Choi introduced the first class of Presidential Engagement Fellows at the Board of Curators meeting Friday in Rolla. Selected faculty members will represent the UM System by sharing their research at a number of speaking events throughout the state. The 2018-2019 Presidential Engagement Fellows class includes researchers in a variety of fields from women's and gender studies to astronomy. |
| Marketing director says U. of Missouri's advertisements have reached millions | |
 | Through bus wraps, billboards, paid search results and social media advertisements, the University of Missouri has reached tens of millions across the state and country, said Lisa Thurber, director of operations at MU's Department of Strategic Communications and Marketing. Thurber gave a presentation to the MU Faculty Council at its Thursday meeting detailing MU's marketing plan for the 2017-2018 school year and answered questions about the department's branding strategy and tone. The department is working with Philadelphia-based branding agency 160over90 on a series of campaigns to reach prospective students, their families and to improve the public's perception of MU. The university has spent about $2 million so far, excluding what 160over90 is being paid, and it is under budget for the year. The primary goal of these campaigns is to increase enrollment at MU for fall 2018. |
| Carly Cummings joins U. of Idaho's Office of Research and Economic Development | |
| Carly Cummings has joined the University of Idaho's Office of Research and Economic Development as director for research and faculty development. Cummings most recently worked at Utah State University, where served as the proposal development specialist in the College of Science. There she helped researchers in five academic departments sharpen their proposal development skills by teaching seminars and maintaining various support communications. She also worked at Mississippi State University. |
| Study analyzes where colleges recruit and where they don't | |
 | Stories abound this year about how top colleges are overwhelmed with applications and have no problem filling their classes. For elite public and private institutions, there is truth in those statements. Large shares of their applicants don't need to be recruited. But for many colleges, reaching out to students in person at high school events is a key part of the recruitment process. And even for the elites, this is an important part of outreach and regularly results in applications from those who might not have otherwise applied. But where do the college go to recruit? A new study being presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association suggests that these visits favor those who attend high schools where family income is high. And these high schools are likely to be whiter than the population as a whole. |
| Facebook Says It Will Help Academics Use Its Data | |
 | There has never been a time when so much data existed about human behavior. What many of us buy, sell, like, dislike, read, and tell our friends is recorded on the internet thanks to sites like Facebook. To social scientists, the company is sitting on a gold mine. Some of that information is public, but much is not, and the company's reach is so vast most people don't know how far it extends. Several research projects that use Facebook data have ended as high-profile privacy-breach scandals in part because subjects didn't know they were being studied. In the most recent and possibly the largest data breach at the company, an academic harvested information about millions of Facebook users and shared it with Cambridge Analytica, a firm that advised the Trump campaign. |
| Online access in the home, classroom key to success for students | |
| Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: "Digital devices have clearly become the mainstream mode of interaction among America's youth. Rather it's to communicate using snapchat, text, Facebook, messenger or any number of channels to convey information, today's students elect, more often than not, to share their thoughts, feelings and ideas virtually. Furthermore, they research topics, questions or simply explore content using the Internet. Some have even transitioned to regularly avoiding tactile communication with their devices and relying, instead on the likes of virtual facilitators like Siri or Alexa. While this approach to exchanging information may have begun as a fad and introduced through apps, it has become a new way of life, unlikely to return to the digital matrix from where it originated." |
| A tale of two headlines | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "The same information released by State Auditor Stacey Pickering resulted in two quite different headlines. 'Study: Economic development incentives paying off for state,' read the headline in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. 'Auditor: Failed economic projects cost Mississippi taxpayers $185M,' read the headline in the Clarion-Ledger. Both are accurate, both based on the same report by Pickering, but both convey very different perspectives. So, too, do the stories." |
| Is it ethical? Officials wrestle with side jobs, relatives, gift cards | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "It's time for another installment of 'Is it ethical?' -- a peek at the issues gnawing away at Mississippi's public servants as they try to do right by taxpayers, make a buck or two for themselves or their families, and stay out of jail I like to occasionally peruse advisory opinions by the state Ethics Commission because they give great insight into the dilemmas government officials and employees face and because I have no social life outside of deer season. Officials struggling with issues such as giving their no-good brother in law a government job or taking a side job with a company that contracts with their government can, anonymously to the public, seek an ethics opinion. They don't have to follow the advice, but doing so can provide some legal cover if the need arises." |
| Seizing the narrative | |
| Ryan Phillips writes in the Starkville Daily News: "I feel like it's become cliche to say there is more to Mississippi than statistics will let on, because most of the folks living here don't pay much mind to the data and I don't blame them. I concede that our state still has its fair share of social troubles to work through. But amid the tidal forces pushing Mississippi into the future and holding it back in the past, new voices are emerging to tell our story. The Mississippi State New Narrative Festival over the weekend gathered some of the leading personalities who have become the voice of the state to the outside world. The voices are many and the story of where Mississippi is today is one to be proud of." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State softball clinches series win with Sunday sweep of Ole Miss | |
 | For the first time since 2011, No. 24 Mississippi State (32-11, 6-8 SEC) recorded back-to-back shutouts against a Southeastern Conference opponent as the Bulldogs swept Ole Miss (21-18, 4-13 SEC) to clinch the series win Sunday at the Ole Miss Softball Complex. Seniors Cassady Knudsen and Holly Ward each threw complete-game shutouts, racking up a combined 19 strikeouts and allowing just nine Rebel singles over Sunday's doubleheader. At the plate, freshman Mia Davidson led the Bulldogs, doing 5-for-7 over Sunday's doubleheader with two runs and one RBI. Senior Reggie Harrison recorded four hits and led the team with six RBIs. "Our team is so tough," said head coach Vann Stuedeman. |
| Auburn rallies, takes series against Mississippi State | |
| Mississippi State dropped a critical game 3 Sunday, losing to No. 23 Auburn 7-5. The Bulldogs (19-18, 5-10 SEC) were looking for their second series win in as many weeks after taking Saturday's game against the Tigers (25-12, 6-9). With the loss Mississippi State is now tied with Alabama for sixth place in the SEC West halfway through the conference schedule. Mississippi State next plays on Wednesday on the road at Memphis. First pitch is 6:30 p.m. at AutoZone Park. |
| Weather interferes with Mississippi State's second scrimmage | |
| Mississippi State was scheduled to have its second spring scrimmage on Saturday but Mother Nature had other ideas. Inclement weather chased the Bulldogs inside the Palmeiro Center for a regular practice but coach Joe Moorhead was pleased with the work that got done indoors. "I think the kids were a little disappointed because of the weather that we were not going to have an opportunity to scrimmage," Moorhead said. "But we got a full practice in, all of our team periods and individuals in. So we got much out of today. I thought the kids did a great job not allowing circumstances outside of their control to dictate their attitude and behavior." Saturday was the final day of installation for the spring and Moorhead has been happy with the retention his players have had from the meeting rooms out onto the practice fields. |
| Joe Moorhead happy with Keytaon Thompson so far for Mississippi State | |
| Heavy thunderstorms in the area forced Mississippi State to cancel the originally-scheduled spring scrimmage on Saturday. But Joe Moorhead and the Bulldogs were still able to get some work done inside the Palmeiro Center. Mississippi State also concluded its fourth week of spring drills on Saturday and so far, so good, Moorhead said. "I thought they did a great job competing today," Moorhead said. "I mean, I don't want to sound like a Pollyanna and come in here every day and tell you that it is sunshine and rainbows. But they are (taking) the information from the meeting room, going out on the field playing hard and we are seeing the precision improve every day in practice. So from that standpoint, there hasn't been a day where we looked at the film and said we didn't get better today. It hasn't been by leaps and bounds but we've been improving every practice." |
| Malik Dear eager to be back on field for Bulldogs | |
| Injuries robbed the Mississippi State football team of its two senior wide receivers last fall, but they were not alone. The first mishap for the position group was Malik Dear, many months earlier. It was early in spring practice when Dear crumbled to the ground clutching his knee, near the end of one of few open practice periods that spring for media. Former MSU coach Dan Mullen eventually confirmed Dear tore his ACL, but refused to rule him out for the ensuing 2017 season. It morphed into a weekly dance, getting updates on Dear's rehab process and his potential return to a wide receiving corps that could use his services. Dear ultimately redshirted last season, returned in full this spring as a redshirt junior and has practiced fully in all but one practice, which MSU coach Joe Moorhead said he missed with an insignificant lower-body injury. With his true return to the field looming in April 21st's Maroon & White Game, Dear outlined the process by which he ultimately took a redshirt season. |
| Terrell Buckley helps put Mississippi State return game in place | |
| Terrell Buckley's legendary athletic career launched him right into a coaching career that is soon to hit its 12th season. An athlete of his versatility, having played multiple football positions, baseball and ran track all at high levels, certainly had a wide range of possibilities for himself in the field. Almost all of it, by his choice, has including working with punt returners. Recently, he's been granted the opportunity to get back to it. To date this spring, Buckley's work with the punt returners has been more about sorting through a crowd of candidates than it has been molding one into an ace. Buckley said earlier in the spring MSU had tried about 10 players in that role and MSU head coach Joe Moorhead said after Saturday's scrimmage MSU still has roughly five rotating through reps at kick and punt return. |
| Ben Howland excited about Mississippi State's future | |
| The transition from strong season to finish to offseason hype is well underway. The Mississippi State men's basketball program has exactly that on its hands as it moves into the offseason, which coach Ben Howland previewed in a year-end press conference Thursday. Before it, Howland spoke to The Dispatch about his excitement for the offseason and the 2018-19 season to follow it. "We're excited about the offseason," Howland said. "The fact that we have a lot of experience, assuming guys come back for the most part, we have a team of guys that return from a solid, successful season that won 25 games, finished strong and had a strong showing in conference with some good wins." |
| NCAA approves rule aimed at decreasing kickoff returns | |
| A fair catch on a kickoff received inside the 25-yard line will result in a touchback next season after a proposed rule change was approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel. The NCAA announced Friday the adoption of several rule changes , including changes aimed at moving games along. The most notable involved kickoffs, which both college and professional football rule-makers acknowledge produce an inordinate number of injuries. ther changes approved include a package of rules regarding blocking below the waist. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
