| Thursday, April 26, 2018 |
| Unemployment rates continue to improve locally | |
 | Local unemployment rates continued to fall in March, as the state rate remained steady, according to the Mississippi Department of Labor Security's newly released monthly report. Mississippi's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate -- which takes seasonal employment trends into account -- held steady at 4.5 percent. The state's seasonally unadjusted rate -- which does not adjust for seasonal trends -- fell from 4.5 percent in February to 4.3 percent in March. Both rates are slightly higher than the national unemployment rate of 4.1 percent. Locally, counties are seeing some of the lowest unemployment rates in years. Oktibbeha County led the Golden Triangle, with an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in March, which is down from 4 percent in February and 4.6 percent in March 2017. |
| Richard Hilton retiring from OCH Regional Medical Center | |
| OCH Regional Medical Center CEO Richard Hilton announced his retirement Wednesday after more than three decades with the hospital. Hilton has worked for 35 years with OCH, beginning with a tenure as the hospital's associate administrator/chief financial officer from March 1983 to February 2012. He's served as the CEO since then. Hilton said he plans to spend more time with his family in retirement. OCH board Chair Linda Breazeale, speaking to The Dispatch, lauded Hilton's experience in the medical field and, particularly, his work as of late in helping guide the hospital turbulent times. "Obviously, in the last year or so, he has been crucial in educating the board about issues related to the sale of the hospital and how we addressed that," she said. "He put in countless hours preparing the response to potential sale of the hospital." |
| OCH Regional Medical Center moves for potential city EMS district | |
 | The OCH Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees authorized hospital administration to make a proposal to the city regarding its potential EMS District and ambulance service during the Starkville Board of Aldermen's next meeting. Aldermen voted unanimously to allow interested parties wanting to be involved in its potential new EMS District and ambulance service to provide a presentation during its first meeting in May. At the beginning of the meeting, the trustees asked Director of Emergency Medical Services Michael Hunt to discuss his thoughts on the city's proposed EMS District. Hunt said he was in contact with the Starkville Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough on April 12, where Yarbrough expressed interest in the possibility of creating the district. He said he was surprised to find the item on the agenda. "A lot of physicians and a lot of people in the community called me with concerns and questions," Hunt said. |
| OCH schedules tentative meeting with possible affiliates | |
| The OCH Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees set meeting dates for potential affiliation during its meeting Tuesday night. After meeting in executive session, the trustees approved 47 questions to present to each entity. The entities OCH is looking to affiliate with are Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, North Mississippi Medical Center and University of Mississippi Medical Center. CEO and Administrator for OCH Regional Medical Center Richard Hilton said the board is hoping to have each entity come in to answer the questions on May 8, 9 and 10 for a special meeting. |
| State supreme court chief justice highlights increased public access to courts system | |
| It would have been easy for those attending Tuesday's Columbus Rotary Club's meeting to imagine Bill Waller Jr. following in his father's footsteps. Waller, the son of Mississippi's 56th governor, is now in his 21st year as a justice on the Mississippi Supreme Court, the last 10 as chief justice. But his personality betrays the kind of "Aw, shucks" populism that swept his father into office in 1971. Before settling into his speech Tuesday, Waller ingratiated himself with his audience. In a span of a few minutes, he had rattled off his associations with the Rotarians. It almost seemed as if everyone in the room was either a lawyer with whom he had worked or a relative of some sort. "As I was coming in the room, I overheard (circuit court judge) Lee Howard talking with someone," Waller said. "The man asked Howard what it was (justices) do on the Supreme Court. Lee told him, 'It's something like this: They go on the battlefield and shoot all the survivors.'" |
| Democrat John Arthur Eaves Jr. hosts Sen. Roger Wicker fundraiser | |
 | Politics can make strange bedfellows: Former Democratic gubernatorial nominee John Arthur Eaves Jr. is hosting a big fundraiser at his Madison home for incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Wicker. Eaves, an internationally known trial lawyer, said he is still a Democrat, but he supports Wicker, who he says has always had an open door and "put Mississippians first in his politics, ahead of party." "Sen. Wicker has been there, doors open, for me and a lot of Mississippians who have needed help," Eaves said. "Whether it's Mississippi body shops in a struggle or Mississippians injured by cruise lines, he's always been willing to meet and listen. He doesn't always do what I ask or agree with me, but he's willing to meet and listen. He has responded to help after hurricanes. He's not a flashy guy, but he gets the job done." Wicker campaign spokesman Justin Brasell said: "Roger Wicker has been an effective and responsive senator for all Mississippians, and our campaign enjoys a broad base of support in the state. We will continue reaching out to independents and conservative Democrats as we build a winning coalition for November." |
| Document: Democratic candidate Howard Sherman was Republican in California | |
 | More questions are being raised about the party loyalties of Howard Sherman, who is running as a Democrat for the Mississippi U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Roger Wicker. Jackson lawyer Sam Begley on Tuesday provided The Associated Press with a California voter registration document showing Sherman registered as a Republican there and voted in the 2012 and 2016 Republican presidential primaries. Sherman campaign manager Giles Perkins said Sherman was registered as a Republican because the California Democratic Party wasn't a good ideological fit for a businessman like Sherman. "He's a good Mississippi Democrat," Perkins said Wednesday. "Shouldn't we be focused on what makes Mississippi better instead of on this other group running him out of the race because they don't have any ideas of their own?" |
| Coast business council hurts state talks about BP money, rep says | The Sun Herald | |
 | The Gulf Coast Business Council won't sit down and shut up --- when it comes to BP economic damages. Council Board Chairman John Hairston, at a Business Council meeting Tuesday, said he expects the BP money to be part of a special session this summer on infrastructure, which could also include a lottery and education funding. A deal to bring to the Coast most of the $700 million in economic damages to be paid by the oil giant over the next 15 years, fell apart in the 11th hour of the legislative session. Rep. Scott DeLano, R-Biloxi, one of the chief negotiators on BP, earlier had said that sometimes that lobbying wasn't helpful. "Does anyone in this room think that the Coast delegation does not want as much of this money to come to the Coast as possible?" DeLano asked. "It was an absolute failure for the Coast Chamber and the Gulf Coast Business Council to come out and speak against the efforts of the speaker of the House and the House when things didn't appear to be going in the direction they were wanting to go." |
| Wicker, Klobuchar Bill to Promote Precision Agriculture, Rural Broadband Passes Committee | |
 | U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., on Wednesday applauded the passage of their legislation, the "Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018," S. 2343, by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The bill would direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a task force to identify gaps in broadband connectivity for the nation's cropland and ranchland. The measure also instructs the agency to develop ways to help encourage broadband adoption and precision agriculture in areas where it is currently unavailable. "Technology is helping American businesses be more efficient, intelligent, and cost-effective," said Senator Wicker. "Unfortunately, too many farmers and ranchers are unable to take advantage of advances in precision agriculture because rural areas lack adequate access to high-speed internet networks." |
| President Trump's VA pick withdraws nomination | |
 | Navy Adm. Ronny Jackson on Thursday announced he is withdrawing as President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs amid mounting accusations of misconduct. In a lengthy statement, Jackson called the allegations "false and fabricated," but said he is pulling out to allow Trump to move forward. "Unfortunately, because of how Washington works, these false allegations have become a distraction for this president and the important issue we must be addressing -- how we give the best care to our nation's heroes," he said. The president also threatened political retaliation against the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Jon Tester (D-Mont.), for releasing the accusations against Jackson. Tester faces reelection in November. The White House had defended Jackson amid the allegations, which were detailed in a report released by Tester on Wednesday. Tester said the accusations came from 23 different current and former colleagues of Jackson, many of whom are still in the military. |
| With a Taste of Regular Order on FAA Bill, Members Want More | |
 | In the modern Congress, it's almost unheard of for the House to vote on 100-plus amendments to a bill, as the chamber will do Thursday and Friday during debate on a reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. Rank-and-file members had little explanation for the sudden procedural openness, although some speculated it was related to the bipartisan nature of the FAA measure and the availability of floor time given the slim election-year legislative agenda. Some expressed hope that the structured rule on the FAA bill, which made 116 amendments in order for floor consideration, was a sign that more amendments would be accepted on future bills, but no one had any insight as to whether that would actually be the case. |
| Father, daughter make history graduating together from JSU honors college | |
 | The first father and daughter combo will graduate together Saturday from Jackson State University's honor college. Abram and Najla Muhammad are set to make history when they graduate from the W.E.B. DuBois-Maria Luisa Alvarez Harvey Honors College at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. "I'm excited to share this accomplishment with my father," Najla Muhammad said. Abram Muhammad, 49, holds a cumulative 3.8 GPA, and his daughter is close on his heels with a 3.5. They are both members of the National and Golden Key honor societies among other academic organizations. |
| Double dream come true: Mother, daughter graduate Jackson State | |
| In an era when strong women are celebrated role models, a dynamic mother-daughter duo will earn their places on that elevated platform Saturday as they receive their bachelor degrees during Jackson State University's commencement exercises. Nine years ago, Teresa Young Robinson of Jackson made the decision that led her to the Coliseum stage. She'll be accompanied by her daughter, LeQuisha Mason, also of Jackson. Both women's paths to graduation day were circuitous, with the odds of success stacked against them. |
| Higher ed requests tuition hikes; LaForge holds campus forums | |
| With millennials putting out article after article and tweet after tweet about student loans and debt, the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning approved for first reading tuition increases for the state's eight public universities. Proposed increases average $309 per year. The matter will be brought back to the board for second reading, and possible final approval, at the board meeting in May. Much like announcements in previous years of budget cuts, tuition increases, and faculty not receiving raises, Delta State University President Bill LaForge will host three open forum discussions Thursday to provide campus updates to students, faculty and staff. The requested raise for 2019 at Delta State puts them at the third highest tuition increase in the state with University of Southern Mississippi requesting $8,514, a $406 increase, Ole Miss requesting $8,550 a $360 increase and then Delta State requesting $7,076. |
| 7 arrested following shootout at Scooba gas station | |
| Officials in a rural Mississippi county say they have arrested seven people in connection with a shootout outside a gas station. Kemper County Sheriff James Moore tells WTOK-TV that the trouble in Scooba on Tuesday began with an earlier fight at the town's East Mississippi Community College. Moore says a woman called relatives from Clay County to aid her. After one came to a convenience store, video shows people exchanging gunfire. The driver of an SUV then appears to try to ram a car while driving away. Moore says the majority of those arrested are students at the community college. |
| Senate bill to aid Northwest Mississippi Community College | |
 | Senate Bill 2220, which has now been signed by Gov. Phil Bryant, will now make it easier for Northwest Mississippi Community College to receive 4 mills on the DeSoto County property tax levy without having to wait for reimbursement from the DeSoto County Chancery Clerk's Office. The DeSoto County Tax Collector's Office collected a total of $6.62 million for Northwest last year. District 2 Supervisor Mark Gardner praised local lawmakers for getting the bill passed this past session, pointing out it has become increasingly difficult in recent years to get legislation passed that directly benefits constituents and institutions in DeSoto County. Gardner made those observations at a recent meeting of the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors. Northwest Mississippi Community College has campuses in Senatobia and at the University of Mississippi-DeSoto Center in Southaven. |
| Campus food pantry helps feed students at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | |
 | An effort that's helping feed college students in need is asking for community support. Imagine trying to focus on an education while not knowing where you're getting your next meal. That's the reality for some students, and the inspiration behind the Do More Food Pantry at the Jackson County campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. A fundraiser will be held at Wilde's Tavern in Ocean Springs on Saturday, April 28 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. At the event, an attempt will be made at setting a Guinness World Record for the largest pulled pork serving. On an average day, students are the main drivers behind the food pantry's success. "Everything you see is here is donated by students for students," said Carin Platt, an instructor at MGCCC. |
| Survey ranks Northeast Mississippi Community College high for technology use | |
 | Northeast Mississippi Community College has been named one of the nation's best colleges when it comes to using technology to help students, faculty and staff. The Center for Digital Education announced Wednesday the winners of its 2017-2018 Digital Community Colleges Survey. The survey analyzes how community colleges use a range of technologies to improves services at the college. It also revealed insights about the colleges' technology priorities, such as the use of mobile devices. "We have only scratched the surface with the use of technology to enhance and assist our faculty in the classroom. We will enjoy this recognition today, but we will continue to push forward with our technology initiative because our students deserve it," said NEMCC President Ricky Ford. |
| New endoscope enables Auburn vets to improve equine dental care and education | |
 | Horses, like humans, need to have clean teeth to avoid future dental problems. A new equine dental endoscope at Auburn University is helping veterinarians clean horses' teeth while also enhancing the education and skills of veterinary medical students. "We see a fair number of horses who are referred to our J.T. Vaughan Large Animal Teaching Hospital with dental pathologies," said Dr. Fred Caldwell, an associate professor of equine sports medicine and surgery. "This new dental endoscope enables a more thorough examination of the horse's oral cavity by placing a small camera and light source directly into the horse's mouth. It is a fantastic instrument and it can pick up subtle abnormalities that are more difficult to see by manual examination methods." Horses have long, narrow oral cavities, which, coupled with having to be partially sedated beforehand, makes conducting a thorough equine dental examination or procedure relatively challenging for the veterinarian. |
| Independent Florida Alligator calls for student journalist support | |
 | There's no shortage of stories about the changes disrupting the journalism, but hearing student voices in those conversations is rare, three Independent Florida Alligator editors realized. They started a campaign to save student newsrooms (aptly, #SaveStudentNewsrooms on social media), and on Wednesday, student journalists and alumni of student newspapers and other outlets took to the internet to share how their experiences helped them and their communities. "We wanted to make sure that student journalists had a voice in the conversation," said Melissa Gomez, whose last night as the Alligator's editor-in-chief was Tuesday. "Student journalism is in trouble, and we need to find a way to make sure it's still around." The Alligator, which is independent from the University of Florida, relies on its freedom to tell important stories about UF and its students, Gomez said. |
| U. of Arkansas professor on administrative leave after he's charged in drug case | |
| A University of Arkansas, Fayetteville anthropology professor and department chairman is facing felony drug charges plus a felony drug-and-gun charge in Washington County Circuit Court. Justin Murphy Nolan, 46, was booked into jail Tuesday and released on $3,500 bail, according to online jail records. UA spokesman Steve Voorhies said Nolan on Wednesday stepped down as chairman of the university's Department of Anthropology. "We are gathering more information, but he has also been placed on administrative leave indefinitely while these matters are pending," Voorhies said. The administrative leave is paid, Voorhies said. Nolan earned $107,110 annually as department chairman. The charging document filed in court states that all six criminal counts took place "on or about February 16, 2018." The document says that drugs possessed on the felony counts include Adderall and Phentermine, while marijuana is listed on a misdemeanor charge. |
| Parents of Arkansas grad stress poppy's dangers; 24-year-old died after drinking tea brewed with unwashed seeds | |
| The morphine that killed a young University of Arkansas graduate was sold without a prescription, legally, online. Steve and Betty Hacala of Rogers say their son, Stephen Patrick Hacala Jr., ordered it on Amazon.com. Tea, brewed with unwashed poppy seeds, claimed the life of the 24-year-old musician on April 3, 2016, in Fayetteville, according to an autopsy report. Now his parents are in Washington, D.C., urging officials to close a provision in the nation's drug laws. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., gave a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday highlighting the problem. On Friday, the Hacalas are scheduled to meet with officials from the federal Food and Drug Administration to discuss the dangers associated with the substance. |
| Cutting grad programs could hurt U. of Missouri's diversity push, some say | |
 | Ted McGraw was a junior finance major at MU when the fall 2015 protests consumed the campus. Back then, McGraw, a self-described middle-class white male, said his privilege blinded him to the systemic racism black students were rallying to dismantle. But when McGraw took graduate student Doug Valentine's Recent Theories in Sociology in his senior year, he said he finally understood the deep social issues driving the protests. Since the protests, the University of Missouri System has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to publicize its commitment to diversity. The College of Arts and Science added a diversity-intensive initiative, which requires students to take at least three credit hours of diversity-related courses. Graduate students in those programs are teaching, grading and leading small discussions in many of those courses. At the same time, aggressive cuts to the state higher education budget and declines in enrollment have forced MU to find cost-saving measures. |
| Former interim becomes U. of Missouri's assistant vice chancellor for Civil Rights, Title IX and ADA | |
| The University of Missouri's former interim assistant vice chancellor for civil rights, Title IX and Americans with Disabilities Act was announced Wednesday as the permanent assistant vice chancellor. The appointee, Andy Hayes, had held the interim position since Sept. 1. Hayes replaced Ellen Eardley after Eardley left the office to start her own private practice. The Office of Civil Rights, Title IX and ADA's assistant vice chancellor builds and maintains equity and inclusion across MU. The office handles issues of accessibility, civil rights, discrimination, sexual violence and institutional equity, according to the Office for Civil Rights and Title IX website. Hayes said she's going to continue the work she began over the past two semesters by focusing on team building, employee training and fostering relationships with student groups and faculty. |
| Pentagon opposes GOP bill over loan forgiveness | |
 | As Republican leaders look for support within their caucus to pass an ambitious higher education bill, their efforts are being complicated by opposition from an institution President Donald Trump said would be a key focus of his administration -- the Department of Defense. The U.S. Department of Defense issued a document earlier this year stating opposition to the PROSPER Act, House Republicans' plan to overhaul the Higher Education Act, over the bill's plan to eliminate the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, an unusual if not unprecedented move. The document began circulating publicly recently thanks to veterans' organizations that hope to block the bill. The Pentagon's position could not only make it more difficult for the GOP to win votes for PROSPER -- it also suggests an uphill battle over the long term for proponents of eliminating PSLF, a priority for many Republican lawmakers. |
| U. of Louisville Sues Former President Over Misuse of Foundation Funds | |
 | The University of Louisville and its foundation have taken the extraordinary step of filing a lawsuit against James R. Ramsey, the university's former president, who stepped down from his position nearly two years ago. The suit charges that the former president and others misspent foundation money, diverting it to "speculative ventures, loans, and gifts that had little realistic chance of repayment ... through intentionally complicated -- and often unauthorized -- transactions," according to the complaint. The suit also names Ramsey's former chief of staff, Kathleen Smith; three other former foundation employees; and the foundation's former law firm. "While engaged in this disloyal conduct," the complaint says, "Ramsey and Smith paid themselves (and others) excessive compensation out of the Foundation." The suit is just the latest twist in the long-running dispute over Ramsey's tenure as president and more drama for a university that has suffered numerous scandals over the past nine years. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs ready to hear names called during NFL Draft | |
| Former Mississippi State offensive lineman Martinas Rankin isn't picky. With the National Football League Draft beginning Thursday night and lasting through Saturday, Rankin has no preference as to where he'd like to continue his football career. All he knows is he wants to play somewhere. "It doesn't matter to me," Rankin said last month at MSU's Pro Day. "It is all about getting out there on the field. Whatever team calls my name, it's just about embracing that process and just being happy. I am going to be happy when that time comes. I can't wait. I can't find enough words to describe how grateful I am and how blessed I am to be in this position." Rankin stands as the most likely former Bulldog to be drafted in the coming days. He is currently projected as a second-day selection who offers teams five-position versatility on the offensive line. If he is drafted as expected, Rankin would be the second offensive lineman taken from MSU in as many years. Justin Senior was taken by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round last year. |
| Which Mississippi State Bulldogs expect to be picked in the NFL Draft? | |
| There will likely be much more buzz around Mississippi State this time next year regarding the NFL Draft, with Nick Fitzgerald and Montez Sweat being seniors and Jeffery Simmons being draft-eligible. This year? The Bulldogs aren't expected to have a first-rounder announced on Thursday night, which is the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. But there's one player with strong odds of getting drafted on Friday, when second and third round selections will be announced. And there's another guy who has a "better-than-average chance," per NFL.com, of making a roster. Here's a look at where they stand as the draft nears. |
| No easy guess who'll win Ferriss Trophy | |
 | Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "Most any other spring, Southern Miss ace pitcher Nick Sandlin would be a shoe-in to win the C Spire Ferriss Trophy, which goes to the most outstanding college baseball player in Mississippi. ...The numbers are insane. Sandlin is a sure-fire first team All American, but he has plenty of competition in the Magnolia State. ...Mississippi State's Jake Mangum, who did win the Ferriss as a freshman, is having a productive junior season, leading the Bulldogs with a .339 batting average, 33 runs scored, 13 doubles, two triples and 12 stolen bases (in 13 attempts). ...As studly as all those previously mentioned players are, the first Mississippi player chosen in the draft might just be State's junior lefty Konnor Pilkington, whose 2-5 record gives you no idea of how effective he has been." |
| What's the latest with Ole Miss' NCAA appeals process? | |
| More than two months have passed since Ole Miss officially appealed the ruling from the NCAA's Committee on Infractions in the school's infractions case, and there hasn't been much noise since despite deadlines having come and gone. So where does Ole Miss' appeal stand? The process started with Ole Miss giving notice of its intent to appeal two weeks after the COI issued its final ruling in December before filing its appeal Feb. 5. The COI originally had 30 days from the time it received the school's written appeal to respond, which made for a timeframe of early March, but the COI was granted a 30-day extension that gave it until April 8 to issue its response. In response to a public records request submitted by the EAGLE for the document two weeks ago, the school acknowledged that outside counsel had received the COI's response but is working through issues related to the document's release. Athletic director Ross Bjork on Monday said he had no update on when the COI's response might be released publicly. |
| Ole Miss coaches promote brand on road trip | |
| An NCAA investigation into the Ole Miss football program that has touched parts of six years is only an appeal decision from being complete. With that time coming, there was an upbeat message by university leaders when the Rebel Road Trip stopped in Tupelo on Wednesday morning. Chancellor Jeff Vitter, vice chancellor for athletics Ross Bjork and three coaches on the tour for the first time talked about the Ole Miss "brand" and how energy and passion will help football move beyond the NCAA shadow and all sports reinvigorate themselves. Bjork said his primary objectives in moving ahead are to keep a positive attitude, work hard and teach and educate student-athletes. |
| Ole Miss students warned against throwing rocks at baseball players | |
| Ole Miss students are receiving a warning about their behavior at future baseball games. Last weekend, students were reportedly throwing rocks at Georgia baseball players from the terrace section, which overlooks the visiting team's bullpen. Security shut down the section after the students ignored warnings. "I think it was really irresponsible of everyone who was throwing rocks," said one student. "You know I hope they don't keep doing it. Everyone gets consequences." |
| Baker Mayfield recreates Brett Favre's jorts photo before NFL draft | |
 | On the eve of the 2018 NFL draft, Baker Mayfield is having some fun with history. The Oklahoma quarterback, in line to be a top-five pick on Thursday, posted a photo Wednesday night of his recreation of Hall of Famer Brett Favre's famous draft-day scene. Mayfield also attached a quote attributed to Favre. Favre's photo was taken by photographer Tim Isbell of the Biloxi Sun Herald on April 12, 1991, at the quarterback's home in Fenton, Miss. The Southern Mississippi star waited until the sixth pick of the second round (No. 33 overall) to be drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. He would be traded to the Packers after his rookie season in what would be the launch of a Hall of Fame career. Mayfield mirrored many elements from Favre's photo, right down to the jean shorts. |
| Are They Going To Have An Administrative Shakeup In LSU Athletics? | |
| There is a new rumor that next month LSU director of athletics Joe Alleva is going to be ousted, and while these rumors have floated for some time this one might have a little more meat on its bones. This rumor has it that with the Board of Supervisors getting ready to experience a big changeover in June -- Scott Ballard, Lee Mallett, Stanley Jacobs, Ann Duplessis, Mary Werner, Jim McCrery, Rolfe McCollister and the student member Lauren Johnson are all slated to see their terms end on June 1 -- the half the board who faces replacement is interested in making a few changes on their way out. And this isn't just a political thing. If there's a move on Alleva, there's something bringing it on. Actually several things, but one main one stands out as an issue which could precipitate a change. That being the TAF donation deadline for football season ticket renewals passed on March 31 and the results weren't good. |
| Josh Donaldson gives donation in support of Auburn baseball | |
| Former Auburn baseball player Josh Donaldson, the 2015 American League Most Valuable Player and a current Toronto Blue Jay, has made a leadership gift to support Auburn's baseball program through Auburn Athletics' Fearless and True campaign. When Donaldson played for the Tigers, Auburn's current head coach Butch Thompson was an assistant coach. "Butch is a great man, first of all. He has a lot of character," Donaldson said. "From everything I'm hearing and seeing, everything's moving in the right direction. I've always been a big supporter of Auburn." Donaldson's significant gift will help construct a player development facility at Plainsman Park and was a major factor in its approval Friday by Auburn University's Board of Trustees. The baseball facility enhancement, a 10,000-square-foot addition next to right field, will include indoor batting cage tunnels and player evaluation spaces. |
| SEC's new coaches try to build winning foundation in spring | |
| More than a decade after Nick Saban took over as the coach of Alabama, the rest of the Southeastern Conference is still trying to figure out how to consistently beat him. A lot of coaches have tried. A lot of them have ended up unemployed. Now a new group will take a shot. Five of the league's 14 programs -- including Texas A&M (Jimbo Fisher), Mississippi State (Joe Moorhead), Arkansas (Chad Morris), Florida (Dan Mullen) and Tennessee (Jeremy Pruitt) -- have a new head coach. Ole Miss coach Matt Luke is in his first season as the permanent head coach after working last season under an interim tag. For those schools, recent spring practices were vital in trying to quickly establish a winning foundation in the unforgiving conference. Morris -- who came to the Razorbacks after three years at SMU -- knows it's a daunting challenge. |
| Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher understands importance of social media in recruiting | |
 | Texas A&M football head coach Jimbo Fisher might not have a Twitter account, but he certainly knows the power of a smart phone. Fisher reminded those in attendance Wednesday at a Houston Touchdown Club luncheon that players in today's game have so much more to deal with than when he was tossing the pigskin. "Think if everything you did when you were 18 to 23 was on the internet," Fisher joked. "How many of us would be successful? I wouldn't be coaching where I'm coaching, if we're telling the truth now." While that same technological power can be useful in recruiting, Fisher said he values his privacy when it comes to broadcasting himself on social media. "I text guys and communicate that way, but I don't need everybody to know what I think. It's none of their business," Fisher said. Fisher held court in Houston on Wednesday and told the local media that the region, known for being a recruiting hotbed, will always be a focus of the Aggies. However, if they can pull in a top player or fill a need across the country, they will pursue those avenues. |
| Twitter burns Tennessee football's promotion of coaching staff's NFL pedigree | |
 | Tennessee football's new coaching staff has a long track record of putting players in the NFL. And with the NFL Draft starting Thursday, UT elected to promote that exact fact on Twitter on Wednesday. But -- as fans of Alabama, Georgia and more promptly pointed out -- the players Tennessee noted its coaching staff put in the NFL played at schools other than UT. The graphic features former Georgia defensive lineman Leonard Floyd, former Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu, former Auburn defensive lineman Nick Fairley and former Troy defensive lineman DeMarcus Ware. |
| Tennessee football strength coach doesn't want Vols admiring themselves, so weight room mirrors gone | |
 | Craig Fitzgerald doesn't want Tennessee's football players admiring their reflection while they lift weights. So Fitzgerald ordered that the mirrors come down off the walls at the LaPorte Strength & Conditioning Facility at the Anderson Training Center. "We don't need our guys looking at themselves," Fitzgerald, UT's strength and conditioning coach, said in a video posted Tuesday to the Vols' football Twitter account. "We need them training." Medicine balls soon will line the wall on which the mirrors hung, Fitzgerald said in the video. The mirror removal is only part of the renovation under way. The floor on the facility's first level has been ripped up and will be replaced. Weights were removed from the first floor to allow for the floor removal. "(The floor) just wasn't what we needed," Fitzgerald said in the video, adding that Tennessee is "putting new floor in which is going to be exactly what we need. It's going to be the best in the world." |
| Does spring game attendance matter? Here's what Will Muschamp thinks | |
 | South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp wants to compete in everything. At the moment, the Gamecocks are not competitive in spring game attendance, which in recent years has become something trumpeted by other schools around the league. Nebraska, which is now being coached by former Huskers star Scott Frost, had the highest spring game attendance in the country this year with 86,818 fans. Georgia was next at 82,184, followed by Alabama at 74,732. South Carolina's game on March 31 was attended by 25,500. Asked if the attendance numbers mattered, Muschamp replied, "Sure," but then indicated that he's not that concerned about it. "I want to see who is counting some of these spring game attendances," he joked. "Some of these spring games, I'm watching the crowd and what they are putting out there is not what I think it is. I think we got cheated on some of ours. I thought we had more than 25,000. Let's say we had 50,000." |
| Louisville whistleblower alleges in lawsuit she was fired in retaliation for reporting coach's affair, other 'wrongful conduct' | |
 | A former University of Louisville associate athletic director has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the university alleging she was fired in February in retaliation for trying to report "wrongful" conduct" in addition to her health issues. According to a story by Jason Riley of WDRB.com, Kimberly Maffett's suit in Jefferson Circuit Court alleges she was retaliated against "because she learned a U of L coach (described only as "Coach 3") 'was having an affair with a co-employee,' violating the university's sexual harassment policy." Maffett, who was a special assistant to the president and provost and served as associate athletic director of human resources, also alleges a number of other issues, including that another coach was verbally abusive toward employees, nepotism in the football program and a "culture of misogynism, sexism, lying, cover-up, and bullying in the Athletic Department." |
| Big Pay Day for College Hoops Players? Don't Count On It | |
| Anyone who thought that the NCAA's Commission on College Basketball would suggest that top players should get paid like pro stars was surely disappointed with the report the group released on Wednesday. The commission, which promised bold recommendations to root out corruption in the men's sport, clung to an ideal that some critics say big-time college athletics has rendered quaint: For most players, the commission argued, a solid education is compensation aplenty. Led by the former U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, the commission was formed in the midst of a crisis in men's college basketball. An FBI investigation of corruption and bribery within the sport has brought into the light a shadow economy of agents and coaches who are profiting off the talents of a small cadre of elite ballplayers. While acknowledging the existence of that black market, and proposing measures to crack down on it, the commission embraced the NCAA's central precept that college athletes are amateurs -- not professionals. |
| New recommendations for college basketball include nixing one-and-done | |
| A special National Collegiate Athletic Association panel on college basketball on Wednesday called for high school players to be eligible for the professional draft -- nixing the so-called one-and-done phenomenon. Along with harsher punishments for programs that violate the rules, this was among the commission's sweeping suggestions, an attempt to mitigate corrosive influences on the sport. Many of the reforms put forth by the Commission on College Basketball, formed in the wake of an alleged kickback scheme, require action and buy-in from the National Basketball Association and other entities. Specifically, the NBA would need to scrap its requirement that players be one year out of high school before entering the league. This would end the widely criticized one-and-done model, in which athletes play for a single season before turning professional. Critics believe this has led to exceptional players using college basketball as a mere springboard to the NBA, creating a dynamic where athletes focus just on their sport and not on academics -- a slight to the amateur model of college athletics. |
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