| Wednesday, February 13, 2019 |
| MSU Riley Center announces spring/summer lineup | |
 | The MSU Riley Center has announced the upcoming acts for the spring/summer lineup. April 6: Melissa Manchester, Darryl Worley, Mo Pitney and John Ford Coley performing The Heart. Behind the Music Songwriter's Showcase. April 11: An Acoustic Evening with Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit. April 25: The Allman Betts Band. May 23: America. May 30: The Reduced Shakespeare Company. June 4: The Righteous Brothers. August 23: Lonestar. Box office hours at the Riley Center are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. |
| Researchers study precision ag's effect on USDA forecasts | |
 | A flood of precision agriculture technology to America's farm fields over the past two decades has created an abundance of information, a mixed blessing for such agencies as the U.S. Department of Agriculture as it tracks the country's crop production. The USDA publishes weekly and monthly reports on current prices, volume, quality and other market data related to crops grown in the United States. Because the agency's reports are considered the most reliable source of information on the status of U.S. crop production, they often drive the ebb and flow of markets for those products. Kansas State University agricultural economist Jesse Tack says, however, that the volumes of information now available thanks to precision measurements of farm fields may be inadvertently creating confusion about total crop production in the U.S. The article is co-written by Robert Johansson, the chief economist at the USDA, and agricultural economists at Mississippi State University and the University of Kentucky. |
| Starkville forming ad-hoc recycling committee | |
 | Starkville is putting together an informal recycling committee to review the city's program and look at possible ways to improve it. Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk, who is leading the effort, said the committee's formation doesn't necessarily mean the city will introduce changes to the program. However, she said it's good to review things periodically, and it's been some time since the city has taken a look at its recycling program. "We need to look at our practices," she said. "We need to look at the market and best practices out in other communities, and we need to see if there are areas where we need to make improvements." Sistrunk said "just about anything" with Starkville's recycling program is up for review through the committee. She said there are grants that are available that may be worth considering if the city can reasonably implement them. |
| Pensions for lawmakers could change political landscape | |
 | Retired Mississippi government employees who win legislative seats this year could be paid for legislative work while continuing to collect pension benefits. That is according to a new rule the state pension system is on track to adopt. The board of the Mississippi Public Employees Retirement System voted Tuesday to direct the system's staff to draft a new rule with a goal of having it in place by January, when the new four-year legislative term begins. The Mississippi retirement system had a longstanding rule that said state elected officials could not receive salaries and pension benefits simultaneously. Attorney General Jim Hood issued a legal opinion in November contradicting that rule. The pension board voted Tuesday to set a new rule that will comply with Hood's legal opinion and will follow federal tax regulations to preserve the pension fund's tax-exempt status. |
| Mississippi pension system plans rule change for elected officials | |
 | It hasn't made financial sense for most state retirees to think about running for a seat in the Legislature. But the board of the Mississippi Public Employees Retirement System or PERS is giving the green light to change the rules. The PERS board is sending a message that any state retirees considering a run for a legislative seat this year can do so without fear of giving up their retirement benefits. "It was a victory for retirees who don't want to be put out by the side of the road," said PERS board member George Dale. "They want to make a contribution to the good of the state and they feel like they can do it through the legislative process and I say have at it." "We have had over 300,000 state retirees who have been prohibited from running for office because they can't afford to forfeit their retirement," noted The Parents' Campaign Executive Director Nancy Loome. |
| PERS Votes to Accept AG's Ruling, Create Regulation | |
 | Board members of the Public Employee Retirement System of Mississippi called a special meeting about a new ruling by the state Attorney General Jim Hood. His decision allows retired state employees to collect their pensions and still serve in the Mississippi House or Senate. Until now, they couldn't be a legislator and collect their retirement. Ray Higgins is executive director of the agency. "Under the current regulation or the current historical interpretation, basically full elected positions were deemed to be full-time and as such you would not be able to be retired and full-time at the same time," said Higgins. Higgins says the new ruling says serving in the Legislature is a part-time position. That opens the door for retirees to run for political office. After much discussion, the board voted to accept the ruling with the requirements that PERS abide by federal law and they don't jeopardize the plan's tax exempt status. |
| New life breathed into #msleg industrial hemp proposal | |
| Supporters of industrial hemp exhaled a sigh of relief as a proposal to let farmers grow hemp for industrial purposes cleared a major hurdle. As originally written, House Bill 1547 would have reclassified certain controlled substances, keeping drugs like the opioid fentanyl in line with federal standards. Industrial hemp was not originally included in the proposed change, but a successful amendment from Rep. Dana Criswell, R-Olive Branch, would remove industrial hemp from Mississippi's list of controlled substances. The bill passed 96-15 despite objections from the committee chairwoman who presented it. Amid cries to "give our farmers another crop," Criswell noted that the U.S. Farm Bill, signed by President Trump in December, had already declassified industrial hemp as a federally controlled substance. |
| State Sen. Joey Fillingane gives update on legislative session | |
 | Many topics are developing in the legislature this legislative session that could impact residents in the Pine Belt. Jessica Bowman spoke with Senator Joey Fillingane, of District 41, about what's being laid out on the table, currently and weeks to come inside the Mississippi State Capitol. State senators are actively debating bills on the senate floor. Most recently, there have been two big topics to keep an eye on. The Youth Court Act and the Guard and Protect Vulnerable Children and Adults Act. "To try and revise some of the provisions of the youth court level and for vulnerable children and vulnerable adults to make sure when they become incapacitated, maybe through Alzheimer's or dementia or something like that, we have laws in place to make sure their assets are protected," Fillingane said. Fillingane, who represents Covington, Forrest, Jefferson Davis, Lamar and Smith counties, said another big play coming forward is the controversial Fetal Heartbeat Bill, which will likely be taken up Wednesday. |
| Victims' rights bill pushed by California billionaire quietly up for debate in Legislature | |
| A controversial nationwide campaign to expand victims' rights has quietly reached Mississippi. As early as Wednesday morning, the House could debate a proposed constitutional amendment to create a bill of rights for victims in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, sponsored the measure that Marsy's Law for All, a national victims' rights group founded by eccentric California tech billionaire Henry Nicholas, is pushing in several states through model legislation. Nicholas has spent millions of dollars to pass similar bills in eleven states over the past decade. Gunn's office declined to comment for this story, citing an upcoming major deadline on Feb. 14 for floor action on general bills. A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of the Legislature before being placed on a ballot, where it would take only a simple majority of voters to pass it. |
| State Rep. Robert Foster talks governor bid in local stop | |
 | Healthcare, education and tax policy dominated as state Rep. Robert Foster pitched his candidacy for governor to local Republicans Monday. A first-term state lawmaker from DeSoto County, Foster's gubernatorial ambitions pit him against Lt. Governor Tate Reeves, whose own run for the state's top executive post has long been expected. Reeves and Foster are both Republicans. A small-businessman and farmer, Foster addressed the Lee County Republican Club Monday night with a frank admission that his campaign has won him no friends among the upper-ranks of state leadership. "A lot of people tried to talk me out of it," Foster said. But he's not running to win any favors or to take the next step up the career ladder. Instead, Foster told Lee County Republicans he's running for governor to break the cycle of business-as-usual and favor-dealing in state politics. |
| Jim Hood: Judge Tate Reeves for 'Rebel Flags,' Not Frat's College Blackface | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood "did all kinds of stupid things in college," but he is "sure" wearing blackface is not one of them, he told a crowd in Jackson on Monday. The topic, which media raised at a Stennis Institute luncheon, comes after several news outlets reported a photo from a party in the early 1980s in which members of Hood's fraternity at the University of Mississippi appear with their bodies and faces painted black. White markings on the men's faces appear to mimic African tribal face paint. Hood is not listed among the members on the Pi Kappa Alpha page where the photo appears in the 1983 yearbook. "I saw the picture that they put in the paper," the Democratic candidate for governor said. "I thought it was a Kiss concert where they had their faces and bodies painted." Hood said he did not know what the party was, or if he was even still at UM at the time the photo was taken, but said he is not in it. |
| Tate Reeves speaks on blackface, racism and his Confederate-group associations | |
| The Republican lieutenant governor talked more about photographs that surfaced last week of his college fraternity when Reeves was a member in the early 1990s. In the photos, members of Kappa Alpha fraternity are wearing face paint and dressed like indigenous tribesmen. The controversy follows the emergence of similar photos from the fraternity to which Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood belonged at the University of Mississippi and the revelation of Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's medical school yearbook page, which features a man in blackface and another in full Klan regalia. Reeves, the Republican Party's leading candidate for governor, addressed reporters on Tuesday. |
| For Zulu leaders, blackface remains 'tradition,' 'cultural expression' even amid national reckoning | |
 | The nation's sudden fixation with blackface hasn't escaped Chelsea Clinton. The former First Daughter took to Twitter on Tuesday to comment on a recent poll showing roughly a third of Americans still think it's OK for a white person to blacken their face for Halloween. "The answer is no. Always no. Blackface is never acceptable. There are no Halloween exceptions," Clinton tweeted. "Agreed," one follower replied. "Unless you're riding in Zulu." It's a common response from members and fans of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club and its century-old tradition -- a requirement, actually -- for riders to wear blackface and grass skirts while handing out painted coconuts to the crowds on Fat Tuesday. "One is make-believe, the other is real life," said George Rainey, who will ride in blackface as King Zulu when the parade rolls on March 5. "We've been doing it for 115 years." |
| Senate approves bill extending duck hunting season | |
| The U.S. Senate approved a resolution package Tuesday that could extend duck hunting season to January 31st. The package would also include special hunts for military, veterans and youths. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service generally sets the duck hunting season deadline as the last Sunday in January. The Natural Resource Management Act, which includes provisions authored by Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R), was approved on a 92 to 8 vote. "Sportsmen in Mississippi and across the country have long sought this change, and I hope we can finally get it done," said Hyde-Smith. Also listed in the legislation is a two-day special hunting period for youths and a separate two-day period for veterans and active duty members of the Armed Forces. |
| Trump expected to sign border deal averting new shutdown | |
 | President Trump appears increasingly likely to sign border security legislation to avert another government shutdown that would begin on Saturday. The president and his allies have expressed dismay at an agreement reached this week by a bipartisan group of lawmakers but have downplayed talk of shutting down the government for a second time this year. Instead, the president's surrogates have given indications that Trump will sign off on the bill to keep the government open and secure wall funding through other means to build his long-desired wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. "We want to see what the final piece of legislation looks like. It's hard to say definitively whether or not the president is going to sign it until we know everything that's in it," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. |
| The Senate just passed the decade's biggest public lands package. Here's what's in it. | |
 | The Senate on Tuesday passed the most sweeping conservation legislation in a decade, protecting millions of acres of land and hundreds of miles of wild rivers across the country and establishing four new national monuments honoring heroes including Civil War soldiers and a civil rights icon. The 662-page measure, which passed 92 to 8, represented an old-fashioned approach to dealmaking that has largely disappeared on Capitol Hill. Senators from across the ideological spectrum celebrated home-state gains and congratulated each other for bridging the partisan divide. "It touches every state, features the input of a wide coalition of our colleagues, and has earned the support of a broad, diverse coalition of many advocates for public lands, economic development and conservation," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). |
| Fed chair Jerome Powell visits Mississippi Valley State University | |
| Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell traveled Tuesday to a historically black university in the Mississippi Delta to deliver a message that the nation's prosperity has not been felt in many such areas around the country. Powell said that many rural areas had been left out and needed special support, such as access to affordable credit to start small businesses and high-quality education to train workers. "We know that prosperity has not been felt as much in some areas, including many rural places," Powell said in an address to a conference on economic development at Mississippi Valley State University. "Poverty remains a challenge in many rural communities." He noted that 70 percent of the 473 counties in the United States designated as having persistent levels of poverty were in rural areas. |
| Fed Chief Says U.S. Economic Expansion Has Been Uneven | |
 | Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Tuesday, during a visit to Mississippi, that the economic expansion hasn't been evenly shared in many parts of the country, particularly in rural America. "Data at the national level show a strong economy" with historically low unemployment and output growing at a "solid" pace, Mr. Powell said in a speech at Mississippi Valley State University. He noted earlier Tuesday, during a question-and-answer session with students, that the Fed doesn't think the risk of a recession "is at all elevated." Mr. Powell didn't otherwise address the economic outlook or monetary policy in his speech, instead underscoring the need for policies to reduce inequality by improving access to education, entrepreneurship and banking services in regions with high concentrations of poverty. In his speech, Mr. Powell hinted at future challenges because many rural economies have relied heavily on one or two industries where employment is declining due to automation and outsourcing. He said access to high-quality education from preschool to college is critical to overcoming persistent poverty. |
| UM counseling center limited appointments. Students demanded answers last night. | |
 | Bud Edwards attempted to ease students' concerns about the University Counseling Center's new restrictive policy Tuesday night at a forum sponsored by Active Minds. The 10-session limit, which was announced over winter break, went into effect Jan. 2 and left students wondering why such a change would take place and if it would affect their mental health care while at Ole Miss. Despite the variety of services offered to students and faculty alike, which include emergency walk-in appointments through its triage service, Edwards said the UCC is not meant to be a primary treatment center for the most severe psychological stress, psychological disorders and conditions. "If someone needs inpatient or an extensive outpatient program, we can't provide that," Edwards said. "Our facilities don't allow for that." Students and faculty in attendance agreed that expanding the number of staff members, renovating facilities and adding a master's internship program, in addition to the current doctorate internship program, will allow more students to take advantage of the services they provide. |
| First Baptist Church granted request for gated entries to parking lots | |
| The Oxford Planning Commission approved a request from the First Baptist Church to install electronic gates at all of their parking lot entrances on Monday. The request comes after church staff members expressed concerns with the public's use of the church owned parking lot. In the application submitted to the commission it stated "with the city expanding areas of paid parking, people are choosing the free and open parking of First Baptist's parking lots." The application went on to state Ole Miss students use the parking lot then walk or ride their bike to campus. The church also noted employees of businesses on the Square and people who were going to the federal courthouse were also using their parking lots. The main parking lot connected to the church building, located at 800 Van Buren Avenue, and the parking lot across the street behind Rebel Bookstore will have electronic gates installed at each point of entry. |
| Southern Miss SGA backs call not to hire disgraced football coach Art Briles | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's decision not to hire former Baylor head football coach Art Briles has elicited a response from the Southern Miss Student Government Association. Briles was on campus Feb. 4 interviewing for a position on the Southern Miss football coaching staff. In a Feb. 7 address to the Student Government Association Senate, President McKenna Stone said she was in agreement with the call not to hire Briles for a position on the team. "I am here tonight to offer my full support of the decision made by (President) Dr. Rodney D. Bennett and (Interim Athletic Director) Mr. Jeff Mitchell," she said. "Our institution prioritizes the safety and well-being of our students, and that is reflected in our leadership's decision." In a letter referring to her statement, Stone mentioned the variety of resources Southern Miss offers to protect students from harm. She referred students to the university's Title IX office, University Police, Shafer Center for Crisis Intervention and Student Counseling Services. |
| USM President Rodney Bennett releases statement on Art Briles interview | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's president seems ready to move on from the Art Briles controversy. USM President Rodney Bennett released a statement regarding head football coach Jay Hopson's decision to interview spurned former Baylor head coach Briles. In the press release, Bennett stated he and Hopson have spoken multiple times in recent days and "met face-to-face over the weekend to chart the most successful path forward for the Southern Miss football program." He also said Hopson notified the school of his meeting with Art Briles and was "in line with normal University processes." Hopson was met with controversy when it was reported last week that Briles was on campus interviewing for the Golden Eagles' vacant head coaching position. Two days after the interview Bennett and Athletic Director Jeff Mitchell released a statement saying Briles was informed he was no longer a candidate. |
| UAB Science and Engineering Complex moving ahead | |
 | The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees has given approval for planning to begin on the first building in UAB's planned Science and Engineering Complex. The $64.5 million building, granted Stage I approval, will house the Biology and Physics departments, instructional space and labs for the Department of Chemistry, and will replace the current Education Building. Providing 115,000 square feet of classroom, lab and administrative space, the new building will be located on 14th Street South between University Boulevard and 10th Avenue South. Other phases of the Science and Engineering Complex will be presented for board approval later, university officials said. The complex is planned to house the College of Arts and Sciences departments of biology, physics and chemistry and, later, engineering. |
| Lawsuit: Father charges U. of South Carolina with negligence in graduate student's death | |
 | The father of a graduate student who killed herself after visiting a University of South Carolina mental health counselor has filed suit against the university for its "grossly negligent" treatment of his daughter. Samantha Strawn, a 22-year-old student in USC's Darla Moore School of Business, exhibited numerous signs that she was going to kill herself. However, a USC mental health counselor heard her out and sent her on her way with only a follow-up appointment, the lawsuit alleges. "Samantha found herself in a crisis situation" and the university's "negligence" allowed her to carry out plans to end her life, the lawsuit alleges. The suit was filed by Daniel Strawn, Samantha's father, in Richland County Circuit Court. In its answer, the university denies negligence, saying its care of Samantha Strawn met medical standards and her suicide "was a consequence of her voluntary acts." |
| U. of Florida receives collection documenting Bill Nelson's career | |
 | Former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson has deposited a significant collection with the University of Florida that documents his career in public service. The collection includes more than 800 boxes and 260,000 electronic files, which were delivered last month to UF's George A. Smathers Libraries. Nelson is one of Florida's most influential political figures. After being elected to represent Florida in the U.S. Senate in 2000, Nelson was a ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, chair of the Science and Space Subcommittee and chair of the Senate Committee on Aging. He left the Senate seat after three terms, losing in November to Florida Gov. Rick Scott. Before the Senate, Nelson's career in public service included terms in the Florida House of Representatives, in U.S. House of Representatives, and as Florida's treasurer, fire marshal and insurance commissioner. In January 1986, Nelson became the first member of the U.S. House to fly in space when he flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia as a payload specialist. |
| Louisiana's student loan debt rises to $18.7 billion, credit agency reports | |
 | Outstanding student loan debt in Louisiana has increased by $10.4 billion over the last decade and stood at $18.7 billion as of December 2018, according to data from Experian, a consumer credit reporting agency. Experian reported Louisiana's total student loan debt has increased by 126 percent since 2008, when the agency started tracking and publicizing data on nationwide student loan debt. Student loan debt is of particular concern in Louisiana where many students struggle to afford the cost of higher education. Last year, the Louisiana Department of Education reported that more than half of Louisiana's 2017 high school graduates were eligible for TOPS scholarships to attend college. Even so, student loan debt continues to climb in Louisiana, where students and colleges are grappling with rising tuition costs, stagnant wages and low state investment in higher education. |
| UGA opens virtual reality lab | |
 | Students at the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication can now get hands-on experience with virtual and augmented reality. Grady College recently opened the Virtual Environment Room and Gaming Experience lab to allow students and faculty members to engage in the VR world. "VERGE allows students to experience a state-of-the-art lab and be able to better discuss what audiences and target markets are experiencing," said Grace Ahn, advertising associate professor and VERGE co-director. The lab features 15 immersive stations that allow up to 20 students to experience virtual reality at the same time. Some stations are capable of full body tracking. Others simply require wearing goggles. Grady College professors expect upcoming VR advancements to include more mobile and wireless hardware systems. |
| Women Sue Yale Over a Fraternity Culture They Say Enables Harassment | |
 | Three Yale students who claim they were groped at fraternity parties have filed a class-action lawsuit against the university, arguing the school has fostered an environment where alcohol-fueled gatherings at off-campus fraternity houses dictate the undergraduate social scene. While the New Haven, Conn., university presents itself as a campus where fraternities are not a major presence, the lawsuit states that few options besides fraternity parties exist for women who want to socialize and meet other students. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Connecticut, comes as universities across the country have been trying to crack down on bad behavior by fraternities, from binge drinking and sexual harassment to abusive hazing rituals that have led to several deaths. Aware that their image has been tarnished, fraternities have often been partners with universities in trying to change party culture. Joan Gilbride, a lawyer for the fraternities named in the lawsuit, said the accusations are "baseless and unfounded," and that the fraternities and their national organizations would vigorously defend themselves against the claims. |
| What Responsibility Does a University Have to Regulate Fraternity Culture? | |
 | The most eye-catching part of a new Title IX lawsuit against Yale University and nine of its all-male fraternities is that it seeks to force the organizations to accept women as members. But the lawsuit, brought by three female students, also makes an interesting argument: that Yale has abdicated its obligation to protect students by letting fraternities off the hook and ignoring repeated complaints about sexual misconduct at their parties. Regardless of the suit's outcome, the women's fight against Yale cuts to the heart of an issue that's top of mind for campus leaders: what responsibility colleges have to regulate the culture of their fraternities. Fraternities are private organizations governed by student leaders and national fraternity groups. They have traditionally operated with limited involvement by college administrators. At Yale and a few other colleges, the fraternities aren't formally affiliated with the institution at all. |
| Yale University sued over fraternity culture, and plaintiffs demand coeducation | |
 | A trio of Yale University students is suing the institution and nine of its fraternities, demanding that its Greek system be reformed and women be integrated into the all-male groups to fix a "sexually hostile" environment. Legal experts said that the case has little chance of a ruling that all single-sex fraternities and sororities must become coeducational. This is largely because of an exemption for social Greek organizations carved out in the federal law that protects students against gender discrimination, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Where the case could be more significant is its claim that Yale's fraternities violate Title IX not just by being fraternities but by how they treat women. The class-action lawsuit raises questions about fraternities' role in sexual misconduct on the campus and beyond, especially in light of other litigation targeting Harvard University, which has attempted to stamp out single-sex organizations and dissuade students from joining them. |
| Amid a wave of injuries, Irish exchange student is latest person killed in e-scooter accident | |
| The busy streets of downtown Austin are awash in electric scooters that zip through traffic, crowd street corners and sit parked outside bustling hotels by the dozen. For months now, the city's emergency rooms have been awash in something else: severely injured people, many of them young and formerly uninhibited. The latest example is Mark Sands, a 21-year-old exchange student from Ireland who now holds the tragic distinction of becoming the first Austin resident killed in an accident involving an electric scooter. Police say Sands was riding a Lime scooter and traveling in the wrong direction on a busy downtown street early Friday morning when he was struck by an Uber driver, leaving him badly injured. He was taken to Dell Seton Medical Center, where he died the next day, authorities said. Though the number of deaths linked to electric scooters remains low, severe injuries are fairly common, according to trauma doctors around the country, many of whom have reported injured riders pouring into emergency rooms for months. |
| 2019 election cycle promises significant turnover | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Change. In terms of Mississippi government, change isn't merely coming -- and we're talking major changes -- it's in great measure already here and identifiable. At the end of this year, Mississippi will at the very least have elected a new governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and state treasurer. We already have a state auditor and a state agriculture commissioner who are both still newly-minted by relatively recent gubernatorial appointments. The only veteran among our eight statewide elected officials who wants to return to his present post and remains unopposed is the state insurance commissioner. The 2019 election cycle will see significant legislative turnover based on Senate and House members either retiring or seeking other offices, including a number of key legislative leaders from the money committees in both chambers. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs play their best game of the Ben Howland era | |
| Ben Howland has coached 124 games at Mississippi State over the past four seasons. Howland contends that none have gone better start to finish than the Bulldogs' 81-62 victory over Alabama on Tuesday night. Aside from a brief 12-second tie, MSU led the entire time to salvage the final game of a three-game homestand. "This was the best game that we've played since I've been the coach at Mississippi State, without question," Howland said. "It's because of how we played, how hard we played defensively and at both ends of the floor. This was the best game and I hope we can build off this." The Bulldogs' win splits the season series after Alabama won in Tuscaloosa 83-79 two weeks ago. In that contest, the Crimson Tide racked up 54 points in the paint but were outscored in the post 40-24 by State the second time around. |
| Bulldogs blast Crimson Tide in timely Mississippi State victory | |
| The Mississippi State Bulldogs didn't let a half-full Humphrey Coliseum deter them from taking care of business on Tuesday night against Alabama. At times, a group of Alabama students who made the hour and a half drive westward on U.S. Route 82 was louder than the relatively small group of Bulldog fans who found their way to The Hump for the 8 p.m. tip. The arena wasn't as electric as it was for last week's games against nationally-ranked LSU and Kentucky, but that didn't matter to the Bulldogs in black uniforms on the court. They came out and played an efficient first half of basketball and carried it over into the second to beat Bama, 81-62. "I'm so proud of how we performed based on our effort," head coach Ben Howland said. "For me, this is the best game we've played since I've been the coach at Mississippi State. No question." |
| Mississippi State scores 28 points off turnovers in Alabama road loss | |
 | Mississippi State is a talented basketball team that needs no help from its opposition. Alabama gave help in abundance. The Crimson Tide took an 81-62 loss at Humphrey Coliseum on Tuesday night and the most significant statistic was obvious as MSU had a 28-5 advantage in points off of turnovers. On several occasions, Alabama's fumbles spawned MSU fast breaks and sank any Crimson Tide attempts at a comeback. "The energy was there but the focus wasn't always there," said Alabama forward Tevin Mack. "Some of the turnovers we had were just from not being focused. Then they got their hands on some so give them credit too." Said Mississippi State coach Ben Howland: "This was the best game we've played since I've been the coach at Mississippi State. That was a 40-minute effort on both ends." |
| What doomed Alabama in 19-point loss at Mississippi State? | |
| The other Alabama made this road trip. A few days after getting that rare Nashville win, the Crimson Tide momentum was gone. With it, the inconsistency returned in an 81-62 loss at a Mississippi State team that couldn't afford a third straight home loss. This was all-Bulldogs almost from the tip as Alabama mistakes became Mississippi State points. Stat of the night: The 18 Tide giveaways turned into a 28-5 Bulldog edge in points off turnovers. "Whenever you turn the ball over like that, it's hard to set your defense," Alabama coach Avery Johnson said. "Mississippi State is a fast team. Nick Weatherspoon and Lamar Peters, those guys in a foot race are pretty fast like our guys and it looked like we were playing catch up most of the night when we turn the ball over." Alabama forward Tevin Mack said it wasn't a matter of energy, but focus wasn't always there. |
| Preview: Dudy Noble Field, Mississippi State | |
| Your ballpark bucket list just got longer, thanks to renovations at SEC-powerhouse Mississippi State's Dudy Noble Field. After two long years of construction, the school is ready to unveil the renovated ballpark to the world, as Mississippi State's February 15 Opening Day is approaching. After an initial round of construction work, Mississippi State played at Dudy Noble Field in 2018, giving fans a chance to see the first phase of construction, as overseen by Wier Boerner Allin Architecture and Principal Architect Michael Boerner. "This past season, we had the lower bowl complete and that's about half the seats. We had the outfield concourse complete, which was formerly the Left Field Lounge. That's one of the most iconic parts about the previous and current ballpark," Boerner said. "The right-field entry plaza was also finished." So what can fans expect for 2019 now that construction is complete? |
| Mississippi State baseball: A look at opening weekend, push to Omaha | |
| Mississippi State will officially unveil the new Dudy Noble Field and play its first baseball game in the renovated ballpark Friday when it hosts Youngstown State in a three-game series on opening weekend. State starts the year as the No. 15 team in the country, according to USA Today Coaches Poll, and the Bulldogs are expected to follow up its surprising trip to Omaha in 2018 with a more consistent, stout season in 2019. For State to do so, here are five things that first-year head coach Chris Lemonis needs to focus on starting with this weekend's series. |
| Jake Mangum intends to make the most of final season | |
| Jake Mangum enters his senior season at Mississippi State 61 career hits shy of Jeffery Rea's school record and 78 away from becoming the all-time SEC leader. But neither of those accolades were what brought Mangum back to Starkville for one more year. The opportunity to roam center field at Dudy Noble Field and bat leadoff for the Diamond Dogs were reasons enough. "It's been the most fun I've ever had and I'm not ready for it to be over with, so we plan on playing as long as we can this year," Mangum said. Mangum has had the opportunity to leave MSU the last two years after being drafted by both the New York Yankees and Mets. However, he passed up both opportunities to turn pro to continue representing the college program that he loves so much. "This is the pinnacle of college baseball," Mangum said. "It's Mississippi State, we wear this [M-over-S logo] with the most amount of pride you can possibly wear it with." |
| Mississippi State catcher preview | |
| Mississippi State has the luxury of having both of its catchers returning behind the plate this year. In addition, the Bulldogs have also brought in three newcomers capable of catching as well so there will be no shortage of backstop options. "We're fortunate to have a lot of depth there," said MSU coach Chris Lemonis. "Dustin Skelton is back from last year's team. Marshall Gilbert's back from last year's team. Then we have two freshman, Hayden Jones and Luke Hancock. They're all very talented players, so we're trying to figure that out. There's a mesh in there, we're trying to see where we are. I'd say Dustin is a little ahead this year, just from his experience side, but I see all of them playing at some point in time." |
| Dispatch sports editor arrested | |
| A Dispatch editor has been arrested for exploitation of a minor. Ronald Scott Walters, 47, was arrested by Starkville Police Department Tuesday on an outstanding warrant from Horn Lake Police Department. Walters was the sports editor at The Dispatch at the time of his arrest. Capt. Joseph Keene with HLPD said his office has two investigators in Starkville related to this case as of Tuesday. Keene said the victim in the case and his parents reported a sexual assault on Nov. 12. The victim identified Walters, saying he'd met Walters there in Horn Lake. Walters is currently in custody at Oktibbeha County Jail. His initial appearance is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. |
| Technology both a blessing, challenge for attendance at Tiger Stadium, other LSU venues | |
| Every Monday morning, LSU senior associate athletic director Robert Munson is greeted back to his office by 65-75 pages of fan feedback regarding their individual gameday experiences. It's a tedious process for someone who wears many hats within the athletic department, but it ensures LSU fans are being heard. The topics addressed on the iPad surveys are seemingly endless: where/when tickets were purchased, traffic, ticket prices, stadium way-finding, concessions, entertainment, customer service, experience, etc. Munson noted that the survey is thorough because the gameday experience lasts multiple days beginning with the moment a fan wants to buy a ticket until the moment they return home from that event. Munson said LSU's athletic director Joe Alleva has challenged athletic department staffers to "stay ahead of the curve. To do that, LSU has blended a focus on the fan experience with relying on new technologies to quantify data that hadn't previously been addressed. |
| Tennessee has one of the most 'hype' arenas in college basketball -- thanks to an app | |
 | Tennessee has the No. 1 men's basketball team in the country. The pregame show may rival the ranking. That's all thanks to Hoops Hype -- a cell phone app that Jimmy Delaney, fan experience director for Tennessee athletics, hailed as the greatest addition to game days since the overhead scoreboard The app has created quite a buzz this season by allowing fans to synchronize their phone flashlights with the pre-game music and video package during home games at Thompson-Boling Arena. The result is a glittering, strobe-like spectacle powered by Denver-based tech company CUE Audio. The free app was released in November 2018 for Apple devices and is also available in the Google Play store. "It's just a really, real cool atmosphere to create," UT senior Colin Castleberry told Knox News. "You want to take a football school and turn it into a school that supports basketball really well, that's what you do. You give them something they can put on TV that looks really hype." |
| What was 'Papa' John Schnatter doing wearing blue behind Kentucky bench? | |
 | Following his public fallout with the University of Louisville, it would appear 'Papa' John Schnatter has pledged his allegiance to Big Blue Nation. Schnatter, the founder of Papa John's and formerly an avid Louisville supporter, was spotted wearing a blue University of Kentucky shirt and sitting behind the UK bench during its game Tuesday against LSU. Last year, Schnatter had his name removed from Louisville's football stadium after a scandal involving him using the "N-word" on a company conference call. Schnatter is also a former University of Louisville trustee but resigned in July during the aftermath of the conference call. Previously often seen in red through Papa John's commercials and at Louisville games, Schnatter wearing a blue UK shirt was quickly noticed by social media users. Some even blamed Schnnater for UK's buzzer-beater defeat. |
| Could this be the year sports betting is legalized in Tennessee? Republicans, Democrats support it | |
| A U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year paved the way for legal sports gambling, but it's still up to states like Tennessee to decide how to move forward with legalizing the online platforms that facilitate it. While Republican Gov. Bill Lee has said he morally opposes legalizing gambling, Democrats and Republicans in the Volunteer State have filed legislation this session that would legalize forms of sports betting. The issue has generated input from a variety of stakeholders, including the state itself, cities, online gambling platforms and professional sports teams. So far this session, lawmakers have joined forces across party lines in an effort to create a legal means of sports gambling in Tennessee. Bills have been filed by lawmakers from Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis, though officials in Memphis have been particularly interested in legalizing sports betting, which is legal and available at casinos in nearby Tunica, Mississippi. |
| Eastern Michigan loses in court; must reinstate softball, tennis for 2019-20 | |
| Eastern Michigan University's seventh-inning pitch to avoid having to reinstate its softball program proved a swing and a miss in the eyes of a federal court. A judge ruled Tuesday that Eastern Michigan must hire a softball coach by April 1 for competition next season, and must start competition for women's tennis next season. It's a major victory for two student athletes who sued in June, demanding the university reverse its decision to cut the two sports. Judge George Steeh issued his latest ruling less than two weeks after Eastern Michigan athletic director Scott Wetherbee proposed the university add women's lacrosse instead of bringing back softball, with Wetherbee arguing lacrosse would be cheaper in the long run, and provide athletic opportunities for more women, and thus bring the university closer in line with Title IX standards. Steeh wrote in September that financial hardship isn't an excuse to work around Title IX responsibilities. |
| They began as collaborators, became friends: Trailblazers Frank Robinson and Jackson's Janet Marie Smith | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Baseball lost one of its greatest heroes last week when Hall of Famer Frank Robinson died Feb. 7 at the age of 83. In Robinson, Jackson native Janet Marie Smith, the nationally renowned ballpark architect and director of design of Baltimore's Oriole Park at Camden Yards, lost a dear friend and collaborator. "Everyone knows Frank for his baseball accomplishments, but he was also an amazing man, so passionate about whatever he was involved in," Smith said by telephone from her Baltimore home. "He accomplished so much in life that his important contribution to the design of Camden Yards ranks so far down the list it rarely gets mentioned. I can tell you, Frank was very much a part of it. He had very definite ideas about the design on the playing field and the clubhouse and his input was invaluable. When things mattered to Frank, they really mattered and, thankfully, Camden Yards really mattered to him." ... Smith, a 1975 graduate of Callaway High who studied architecture at Mississippi State, and Robinson have worked together on other projects since then. |
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