Thursday, April 4, 2019   
 
Aldermen could set sales tax vote for new park at next meeting
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1656 into law on Wednesday, which opens the door for the Starkville electorate to vote on the 1 percent addition to the city's current 2 percent hotel and restaurant tax for the construction and upkeep of the new tournament-level ballpark on Highway 25. For the Cornerstone Park measure to pass, it will require a 60 percent local vote in favor from the city electorate. Mayor Lynn Spruill told the Starkville Daily News the referendum vote could appear on the ballot as early as the second week of June.
 
State Lawmakers Recap 2019 Legislative Session
From giving teachers and state employees pay raises to passing one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the nation, lawmakers were busy the past three months trying to move the state in the right direction. State representatives Rob Roberson and Cheikh Taylor said they're happy with the work that was accomplished at the state capital this year. However, the two admit there's still more work to be done. "I think they went pretty good," said Roberson, District 43 State Representative. "You always have things that you enjoy doing and seeing that make it through, and there are things that you don't necessarily like to see through, but that's with every session."
 
Starkville aldermen narrowly reject 2-percent employee raises
Starkville aldermen voted down an attempt to give employees an across-the-board 2 percent raise on Tuesday, but the debate has opened the possibility of revisiting the matter when the city begins planning for the next budget year. Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins introduced the matter, saying the city hasn't given an across-the-board raise since 2015. Perkins moved to implement the raise, which would take effect on April 6, 2020. He said implementing the raise in the third quarter of next fiscal year would minimize the impact on that year's budget and would cost the city about $160,000 -- $106,500 of which would come from the city's general fund and about $53,000 of which would come from enterprise funds. Perkins added he was fine with cutting other budget areas to support the raises if needed. However, the aldermen who voted against the effort Tuesday night said they weren't opposed to the raises, but the timing.
 
At-plant nematode control increases cotton yield potential
University trials across the South show that cotton growers who are battling nematodes can increase their yield and profit with an at-plant nematicide application. Cotton growers know getting a strong stand provides the best start to a season. However, nematode pressure can threaten the start cotton seedlings need. Managing nematodes at-plant provides the support seedlings require to set a successful crop of cotton. Cotton fields treated with Velum Total nematicide are at an advantage. The at-plant application reduces the nematode population density, protects the root system and increases the opportunity to develop a larger root mass, spurring strong early-season growth. Velum Total can also increase the opportunity for profit. In fact, Mississippi State University field trials demonstrated an average increase in profits of $435 per acre when Velum Total was used in the non-delta region of Mississippi.
 
Meridian educators, business leaders brainstorm workforce development
When voters elected Delbert Hosemann as secretary of state for Mississippi 12 years ago, Hosemann promised to rewrite business laws and reform the office to the digital age. Now, his office has won acclaim for being "the most automated secretary of state in the country," reducing filing fees and transferring documentation online. With that change, Hosemann focused on the pool of resources at his disposal, the contact information for thousands of businesses across the state, and created a survey. A Wednesday community forum at Meridian Community College of educators and business leaders highlighted the needs of businesses and ways local schools could address the need for a more qualified workforce. Tom Huebner, the president of Meridian Community College; Amy Carter, the superintendent for Meridian Public School District; John Mark Cain, the superintendent of Lauderdale County School District; and Terry Dale Cruse, the director of the Mississippi State University-Meridian; all served as panelists for a group of business leaders and government officials.
 
Marty Stuart focusing on future of museum
For Marty Stuart, the question last week following his performance in his hometown had to be: What's next? The Ellis Theater was sold out last Thursday night as Neshoba countians got a preview of "Country Music," an upcoming documentary film by Ken Burns. Stuart played a big part in the making of the 16-hour film series. "Country Music" is the work of Burns who is widely known for his previous documentary series on the Civil War. The documentary will be shown on PBS starting Sept.15. A 30-city tour across the nation is being held to promote the documentary and Philadelphia was the first stop. Stuart and his band, the Fabulous Superlatives, put on a concert before a 55-minute preview of "Country Music." Afterward, he and film writer and producer Dayton Duncan answered questions. "If you look at the quality of the acts that are coming to the Riley Center in Meridian, that's a good example of the acts that belong here," Stuart said. "We are looking to get the Ellis up to speed and running. We need to be in harmony with Meridian which is 35 miles away. Our promoter will decide what the market can support."
 
Ag Commissioner Andy Gipson: Imports, exports to and from Mexico vital to Mississippi
President Trump has said he will close the U.S.-Mexico border, if our southern neighbor doesn't do more to stop illegal immigration through its territory. The president said he knows it would have an impact on the economy, but he's most concerned with security. However, a big portion of Mississippi's trade would be in jeopardy if it closes. "A border closure would be a very detrimental thing to Mississippi agriculture trade, to our farmers, to our commerce as a state," said Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson. "It would be a terrible thing to happen." So, how much do we depend on Mexico for goods? "A lot of the produce that is in the grocery stores in the wintertime and the early spring, a lot of that is Mexican produce," Gipson said. "So, it's important we have that chain of food supply." But trade works both ways with our neighbors to the south. "Mexico is the 9th largest importer of Mississippi agriculture commodities in the world," said Gipson. We send Mexico more than $27 million worth of products every year, with poultry and timber among the top commodities.
 
Revenue commissioner says he's worked to change department's image
Herb Frierson said the biggest moonshine bust in the history of the Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control was in Hancock County, when ABC agents busted a man and his brother -- for the second time -- for making 60 barrels of moonshine. The suspect had bought 500,000 pounds of sugar from Gulfport and Slidell, Louisiana, which made 57,000 gallons of moonshine. He sold it for $30 per gallon, meaning his whole operations would bring in $1.7 million, Frierson said. "He doesn't have a moonshine problem," Frierson said. "He's got a tax evasion problem." As the commissioner of the Department of Revenue, which oversees ABC, Frierson knows something about taxes and tax evasion too, and he spoke about those topics at the weekly meeting of the Columbus Rotary at Lion Hills Tuesday.
 
Trump EPA weighs reviving massive Mississippi flood project
As Mississippi's governor toured massive flooding in the state, the Trump administration said Wednesday that it is giving another look to a long-dead flood control and drainage project in the Mississippi Delta that had been killed by the George W. Bush administration because of its potential impact on wetlands and wildlife. The project, which the late Sen. John McCain once called "one of the worst projects ever conceived by Congress," had called for huge pumps to be built at the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers in Mississippi. It was rejected by the Bush administration in 2008. "Had that veto not occurred, we believe that the flooding, particularly in the Yazoo backwater, would have been much less damaging," said Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, after touring the region by helicopter. The pump project has been heavily pushed by the Delta Council, a farming and business lobbying group that includes many large farmers in the fertile Mississippi Delta.
 
You elected them to write new laws. They're letting corporations do it instead.
Each year, state lawmakers across the U.S. introduce thousands of bills dreamed up and written by corporations, industry groups and think tanks. Disguised as the work of lawmakers, these so-called "model" bills get copied in one state Capitol after another, quietly advancing the agenda of the people who write them. A two-year investigation by USA TODAY, The Arizona Republic and the Center for Public Integrity reveals for the first time the extent to which special interests have infiltrated state legislatures using model legislation. USA TODAY and the Republic found at least 10,000 bills almost entirely copied from model legislation were introduced nationwide in the past eight years, and more than 2,100 of those bills were signed into law.
 
Model bills: Mississippi leads US in introducing copycat legislation
A bill that critics fear could unleash a wave of "dark money" in political spending quietly slipped through the Mississippi Legislature this year and became law. There were no rallies for or against the bill, which was loaded with jargon about non-profit organizations. It only caused a stir by the time it reached the desk of Gov. Phil Bryant, who signed it with no hesitation. Supporters of the bill say it protects the privacy of donors, yet acknowledged that donor privacy is not a problem in Mississippi. A USA Today investigation found Mississippi -- which has fewer than 3 million residents -- has more model bills introduced in its Legislature than any other state in the country. Bills about donor privacy, abortion, divesting from Iran and many other issues frequently come from outside Mississippi's borders. Most never end up becoming law. But some do.
 
Teachers mull strike in wake of 'insulting' pay raise, secretive voucher funding move
Lawmakers wrapped up the 2019 legislative session with a $1,500 pay raise for public school teachers, but many are so outraged by the amount that they're considering a strike -- something Mississippi law expressly forbids. Matthew Steffey, a law professor at Mississippi College, said if teachers were to violate the law, including going on strike, they would not be protected. "Teachers do not have a constitutional right to strike," Steffey said. He added that if teachers want legal protection they have to claim a basis for that protection, and "their constitutional rights don't include breaching their employment contract." The Mississippi strike debate comes on the heels of several states' teachers walking off the job in recent years over working conditions.
 
Voucher funding mislabeled as non-existent 'savings' program; AG asked to weigh in
State Rep. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, is asking for an official opinion from Attorney General Jim Hood on whether funds can be used for a program that sends public money to private schools since the program was misnamed in the legislation appropriating the funds. In the final days of the legislative session last week, the Republican leadership sneaked into the appropriations bill for the Department of Finance and Administration language to transfer $2 million to the Department of Education for the Education Savings Account. The only problem is no such program exists. The leadership meant for the funds to be used for the Education Scholarship Account, which provides public funds for special education students to pursue private education options. An official opinion of the attorney general's office does not carry the weight of law, but provides some protection for public officials who adhere to the opinions. In the past, the Department of Finance and Administration has followed the opinion of the attorney general.
 
Mississippi Legislature passes tourism funding bill
Vacation season is almost here and Mississippians may soon be seeing more visitors thanks to a bill recently passed in the legislature. "Members from the Mississippi Tourism Association have been diligently working for six years to establish a dedicated funding model," according to a recent press release from Rochelle Hicks, executive director, MTA. "SB2193 will dedicate one percent of total revenue collected from restaurant and hotel sales tax revenues statewide for tourism marketing. These funds will be used to enhance available tourism advertising dollars at Visit Mississippi." Tourism is Mississippi's fourth largest industry and provides more than 127,560 jobs to Mississippi residents. "When Visit Mississippi has more money to promote our state, it benefits all of us tremendously," said Kelli Carr, director of tourism for the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce. "For so many years our surrounding states have had double and triple the advertising money to promote their areas. This gives us a competitive edge to do the same."
 
Local senator, reps get wins at governor's desk
Several of Sen. Sally Doty's bills were approved by the governor this legislative session, including one that requires employers to notify parents or guardians of minors who are working with sex offenders. The bill requires a convicted sex offender to notify his/her employer in writing of his offender status if the job requires direct, private and unsupervised contact with a minor. The employer will then notify the parents or guardians of the minor. An employer acting in good faith in making notification to parents or guardians would not be held liable if they failed to do so, according to the bill. "Protecting our children and other vulnerable persons such as the elderly and disabled is my No. 1 concern, but I also understand the role and importance of stable employment for rehabilitation of anyone convicted of a crime," Doty, a Brookhaven Republican, told the media.
 
Economic development leader says Legislature's session a success for area
The area's economic development leader said the 2019 regular session of the state Legislature was a success for Natchez and Southwest Mississippi. In a presentation to the Rotary Club of Natchez, Natchez Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ told club members Wednesday most of the items on the area's wishlist for the Legislature were granted. "It is probably one of the best sessions that we have had in the last several years," Russ said. Of the seven items that local officials listed, Russ said four items passed the Legislature and are now law or are on the governor's desk awaiting his signature. Of the four items approved by the legislature, Russ said the biggest success might be the reinstatement of the non-resident clause of the Mississippi Motion Picture Incentive Act. "It is a huge, huge deal that not only affects Natchez but is also a statewide issue," Russ said.
 
Judge Keith Starrett announces that he will take senior judge status
On Friday, April 5, U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett will notify President Donald J. Trump and Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith that on April 30th he will retire from regularactive service as United States District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. He will further inform them that he will continue to render substantial judicial service as a Senior Judge. Senior Judge status allows judges to take retirement but continue working. Judge Starrett sits primarily in Hattiesburg. Judge Starrett's judicial career, which spans 27 years, began in 1992 when he was appointed by Gov. Kirk Fordice as Circuit Judge for the 14th Circuit Court District of Lincoln, Pike and Walthall counties. In 2005, President George W. Bush appointed him to his current position as a U.S. District Judge. He was in private law practice before he took the bench. He is a native of Magnolia in Pike County. He graduated from Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi School of Law.
 
Dems seek to put GOP on record on Trump border closure
House Democratic leaders are considering a vote to condemn President Donald Trump's calls to shut down the southern border, in a clear attempt to force Republicans into a difficult political spot, according to several lawmakers. The vote would be strictly symbolic, but it would dare Republicans to oppose the White House on its signature issue. The measure would reaffirm that Trump's immigration policies are "not in the economic interest of the United States of America," according to Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, who has seen the draft. "This notion that we can close the border is just stupid," Thompson said. "The notion that because he's throwing a hissy fit because he can't get his way that he's going to put the entire economics of the United States in peril doesn't make sense."
 
Is the cost of your gasoline about to rise? Washington looks ready to talk about tax hike
The Trump administration and congressional Democrats have found something they agree on -- and it could mean higher taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel. Last week, President Donald Trump's transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, told senators that a gas tax hike was on the table when asked whether the White House would support such a move. And this week, Democrats are indicating that they too are ready to consider a tax increase -- an effort that would fund publicly popular infrastructure improvements but has hit a hard wall of opposition for years from fiscal conservatives and advocates for low-income people alike. Republicans and Democrats are motivated by the same forces: Constituent demands that infrastructure, notably roads and bridges, be improved now. Iowa tops the list of states with the biggest number of structurally deficient bridges, followed by Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, California, New York, Louisiana and Mississippi.
 
They Thought It Was Their Uber. But the Driver Was a Predator.
The black sedan glided up to the Las Vegas hotel where Elizabeth Suarez was waiting to take an Uber home after a night of gambling. She recalled asking the driver: Are you waiting for Liz? Yeah, he responded. Get in. She had done it countless times. But that night in July 2018, as the man veered off course toward a deserted parking lot, as he cranked up the radio and ignored her questions, as her real driver called her wondering where she was, Ms. Suarez said she realized with horror: This was not an Uber. On busy streets outside bars or clubs, people often hop into a car without a second thought. But the killing of Samantha Josephson, a 21-year-old college student in South Carolina who was stabbed to death after getting into a car she mistook for her Uber last weekend, has brought national attention to a rash of kidnappings, sexual assaults and robberies carried out largely against young women by assailants posing as ride-share drivers. There have been at least two dozen such attacks in the past few years.
 
UM student charged with manufacturing fake IDs
An Ole Miss student was arrested and charged with manufacturing false identifications by the Oxford Police Department on Monday. Liam Little, a sophomore political science major from Ontario, Canada, was taken into custody at the Jefferson Apartments when the property manager noticed "suspicious activity" occurring at the apartments, according to a press release from OPD. Officers discovered a large fake identification manufacturing system at the apartment. Little was transported to the Lafayette County Detention Center, where he was given a bond of $75,000 by a Justice Court judge. Little's arrest comes after the passage of the alcohol safety and security ordinance, with which city officials and the Oxford Police Department have tried to decrease the use of fake IDs to gain entry into bars.
 
52nd annual Kaigler Children's Book Fest begins at USM
Some of the nation's best-known authors and illustrators of children's literature have gathered in Hattiesburg for an annual meeting. The 52nd annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival opened Wednesday at the University of Southern Mississippi with a welcome and awards session. Before that, author Brian Floca hosted a book talk at Lillie Burney STEAM Academy. He spoke about his book, "Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11" and signed copies for students. "It's always good to get out of the studio and meet the people you are actually writing the books for, and also, to try to have the chance to try to bring them into the studio in a sense and for them to see how the book gets made," Floca said.
 
Community college student arrested after guns, dozens of drug-laced desserts found in dorm room
A Southaven man is facing felony charges for having drug-laced cookies and an assault rifle on campus at Coahoma County Community College. FOX13 found out the arrest came from social media tips. The Coahoma County Sheriff's Office told FOX13 they served a search warrant on Hardest Vaughn's dorm room and found guns and cookies that will have to be tested at the crime lab. Law enforcement laid out the goods they said Vaughn, 19, was keeping in his dorm room -- more than two dozen brownies and cookies laced with THC. Vaughn is a junior at the college and is facing felony drug and weapons charges. The cookies will have to be sent to the state crime lab to be tested to see how much THC is actually in them.
 
In Kentucky, a Hunger Strike for Basic Support Forces a President's Hand
More than a week ago, Beau Revlett and his partner shared a plantain, one final meal before a hunger strike to pressure President Eli Capilouto of the University of Kentucky. They were demanding that he create a basic-needs center on campus to help hungry students. Some 300 students at Kentucky have since limited their diet in some way, but Revlett was one of about a half dozen who swore off food until the demands were met. They included creating not only the center, but also a donor-supported fund to help students find food and housing, and an employee to oversee the one-stop shop. After going several days without food, Revlett felt lethargic and had difficulty paying attention. Even more intimate parts of his life suffered. "It's definitely thrown a wrench into our love life," said Revlett, a senior philosophy major whose partner was also striking. "We're very irritable and taking it out on each other." The protest paid off, and the hunger strikers resumed eating on Tuesday. With a national spotlight on low-income and vulnerable students, the protest at Kentucky is the latest sign that colleges are being forced to do more to provide for their basic living needs.
 
UGA to add 20 electric buses to fleet
In the next academic year at the University of Georgia, some students taking buses might be shocked at seeing their new rides. UGA recently agreed to a contract to purchase up to 20 Proterra Catalyst E2 electric buses. The move is a significant step forward in reducing carbon emissions and increasing alternative transportation options for the UGA campus transit system, one of the largest of its kind in the country. "Adding electric buses to the UGA fleet will dramatically reduce transportation, maintenance and operating costs for the university, which will in turn help to keep student fees low," said Don Walter, interim associate director, Auxiliary Services and director, Transportation and Parking Services.
 
Florida growers favor UF blueberry strains, and so do competitors
As Florida blueberries begin to show up in farmers' markets here and in grocery stores across the nation, Alachua County growers say they understand why better plant strains developed by the University of Florida are being licensed globally --- including to exporters with whom they compete. But some blueberry producers across the state aren't so happy. When television station WFTS in Tampa ran a February story about a blueberry farmer critical of UF for selling licenses to other countries for plants it created in part with state money and for state growers, it was like a blueberry pie to the face to UF. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, which creates and licenses hundreds of different varieties of fruits and berries, fired back with a document to "state the facts and correct falsehoods and misrepresentations about international licensing."
 
Ex-Tiger Transit driver sentenced to more than 21 years for sexual assault
The former Tiger Transit bus driver recently convicted of the 2017 sexual assault of an Auburn University student was sentenced on Wednesday afternoon. Judge Christopher Hughes sentenced Tony Patillo, 53, of Columbus, Ga., to 255 months, Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes told the Opelika-Auburn News. Hughes said he is disappointed in the decision made. "That's just over 21 years for what this monster did to this young lady in one of the worst cases I have ever prosecuted," Hughes said in a statement. "To say I am stunned and disappointed in the sentence would be a gross understatement." Patillo was the first of two defendants charged in the case to go to trial. James Don Johnson, of Auburn, will be tried at a later date. Patillo and Johnson were charged in connection to the sexual assault of a then-18-year-old Auburn University student over homecoming weekend in September 2017. Both men were employees of First Transit, the parent company of Tiger Transit, at the time of the incident.
 
U. of Missouri works on name for planned research center
A new name for the University of Missouri's Translational Precision Medicine Complex will be revealed sometime this month as part of a marketing plan for the project. Kamrhan Farwell, chief marketing and communications officer for the University of Missouri system, discussed efforts to coin a new name Wednesday at a meeting of the External Affairs, Marketing and Advancement Committee of the UM Board of Curators. The meeting was in University Hall. "TPMC is too hard," Farwell said. "Nobody knows what it is. Translational -- nobody can translate that. We're very close on a new name." She said her staff is currently checking trademarks for names already being used. The research center is intended to allow researchers from several fields to work on medical treatments targeted for individual patients. It will focus on treatments for cancers and cardiovascular disease.
 
Annual giving increases across U. of Missouri System
Annual giving has increased at all University of Missouri System campuses so far in fiscal year 2019, system President Mun Choi said Wednesday. The University of Missouri-St. Louis has seen the largest increase, up by almost a third over last year. Choi met with members of the UM Board of Curators' External Affairs, Marketing and Advancement Committee via teleconference to share advancement performance updates across the system ahead of next week's full board meeting at Missouri University of Science & Technology. Annual giving operates at each campus under an office of advancement. Annual giving totals are the sum of all one-time, cash donations gifted to each campus during a specified fiscal year and do not include endowment or estate gifts. Annual giving to MU increased 18.6 percent, from $98,398,000 to $116,702,000.
 
NIH police yank Iranian graduate student from lab as agency clamps down on security
The National Institutes of Health is requiring all visitors -- including patients -- to disclose their citizenship as a condition of entry, a policy that has unnerved staff scientists and led to recent disputes with at least two Iranian scientists invited to make presentations, only to be blocked from campus. In one incident, a Georgetown University graduate student arriving for a job interview was held up at security, then allowed to proceed to one of the campus buildings. But as he prepared to make a presentation, NIH police arrived, removed him from a lab and escorted him off campus, according to a complaint Monday to a group that represents staff scientists. In another, a brain researcher said he was told to leave, then delayed at security for nearly an hour filling out online forms. After interventions by NIH police and other officials, he was told an exception had been made that would allow him to deliver his presentation to the two dozen waiting researchers.
 
Trump administration gets agreement on accreditation agenda
Trump administration officials opened champagne and shook hands with negotiators Wednesday after a lengthy rule-making process led to consensus on a broad array of changes to federal standards governing college accreditors and online education. Those changes will allow colleges to get faster approval for changes to their programs, facilitate quicker federal recognition of new accreditors and allow for more targeted, less comprehensive federal reviews of accreditors. And they would give accreditors discretion over when to take action against a college that is out of compliance with standards. Accreditors are the primary oversight bodies for college quality and act as the gatekeepers for federal student aid. But Education Department leaders said last year that too many burdens have been placed on accreditors at the expense of flexibility and innovation.
 
Education Department rejects nearly all applicants for a student loan forgiveness program
Tens of thousands of public servants have applied to have their federal student loans forgiven through a temporary relief program run by the U.S. Education Department. Fewer than 300 have had success. Now, one of the lawmakers who championed the initiative wants to know what happened. "We authorized $700 million dollars to help ensure public servants --- including firefighters, teachers and nurses --- receive the loan forgiveness they have earned, and it's maddening that the Trump administration is letting it go to waste," Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in an email. Kaine and other Senate Democrats have said the Education Department created eligibility criteria that are far more rigid than Congress envisioned. The measure in the fiscal 2018 budget that set up the onetime expansion, based on legislation introduced by Kaine and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), directed the agency to develop a simple way for borrowers to apply for forgiveness. Instead, lawmakers say, the Education Department has restricted access with a litany of rules.
 
MIT, Amid Scrutiny of Foreign Research, Announces Stricter Review of Chinese and Saudi Collaborations
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Wednesday said it would scrutinize more intensely research collaborations with Chinese, Saudi, and Russian universities and academics. Leaders of research at MIT also said the private university would not accept new engagements or renew existing ones with the Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE or their subsidiaries. It's the latest step by a U.S. research university to re-evaluate its research projects with China. The relationships have been subject to sharp scrutiny from U.S. government agencies and lawmakers. Institutions including Cornell University and Ohio State University have announced that they would not accept additional grants from Huawei. The U.S. government has accused that company of stealing trade secrets, and officials have warned of its ability to spy on U.S. communications networks. President Donald Trump last year signed legislation that forbids executive agencies from using Huawei and ZTE products.
 
Governor's race not the only powerful post in play
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Caleb Bedillion writes: They played nice -- mostly. Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Robert Foster and Bill Waller met on a stage Tuesday, but Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves skipped the year's first primary debate. A gubernatorial run by Reeves has been long anticipated, and he is the most well-known and well-funded of the three candidates vying for the Republican nomination. Waller mostly stuck to defending his own vision for the state's future, but Foster took a few direct jabs at the man who wasn't on the stage. "If our third opponent was here tonight, instead of being back home on the porch, I would like to ask him, how many favors does he owe?" Foster said in his opening statement. "How many promises has he made in order to build up a $7 million campaign fund?" Later, Foster managed to slip in a reference to allegations that Reeves attempted to influence the construction of an access road near his neighborhood.


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State pummels Warhawks, 21-8
No. 8 Mississippi State batted around in three different innings during its 21-8 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Wednesday. The Diamond Dogs scored seven runs in the first frame, 10 in the fourth and four more in the sixth to stay perfect in midweek play this season. It was the most runs MSU has scored in a game since plating 27 against Alcorn State on April 20, 2010. "I just thought that first inning really set the tone for us all night long," said MSU skipper Chris Lemonis. "We had some really good at bats there in the first." The Bulldogs (25-5) stacked up 19 hits in the contest led by Jake Mangum's 5 for 6 performance that included a triple, three RBIs and a stolen base. It was the fourth time in Mangum's career that he has had a five-hit game. "Jake was Jake tonight," Lemonis said. "It was just another five-hit night."
 
Mississippi State gets back in win column with rout of Louisiana Monroe
Mississippi State didn't score any runs until the ninth inning of Sunday's series finale against LSU. The No. 8 Bulldogs didn't waste nearly as much time to get going against Louisiana Monroe on Wednesday night at Dudy Noble Field. The Dogs plated seven runs in the first inning, effectively ending the Warhawks' chances of notching an upset. Mississippi State went on to win, 21-8, pushing its overall record to 25-5 ahead of this weekend's three-game series at Tennessee. Head coach Chris Lemonis said the first inning "set the tone" for his team, something the Bulldogs have had trouble doing recently. LSU scored first in all three games of last weekend's series. "I just think that coming out here and putting up as many runs as we can early on is huge for our pitching staff and huge for the starting guys," junior catcher Dustin Skelton, who is on an 11-game hit streak, said. "As long as we can just keep putting up seven-spots, it will be huge for our pitchers."
 
Three Bulldogs honored by Perfect Game
Mississippi State's JT Ginn has been as good as advertised this season since turning down an offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who made him a first-round draft choice. Ginn is 6-1 with a 3.32 earned run average, 58 strikeouts and only six walks in 43 1/3 innings and was named the Midseason National Freshman of the Year by Perfect Game. The right-handed pitcher from Brandon is tied for the SEC lead in wins, four of which were against ranked opponents. Ginn wasn't the only Diamond Dog recognized by Perfect Game. Senior outfielder Jake Mangum was honored as a first team Midseason All-American while sophomore shortstop Jordan Westburg was selected as a second team Midseason All-American.
 
Mississippi State's Cameron Gardner enjoying the benefits of home
When Mississippi State broke for spring break three weeks ago, most of the Bulldogs scattered across the country to visit friends and family. That wasn't the case for Starkville native Cameron Gardner. All Gardner had to do was simply drive a few blocks from campus to be back with his loved ones. Of course, being a hometown kid lends itself to some good-natured ribbing from his teammates as well. "I'm just right down the road and they'll tease me about it," Gardner said. "But they also tease me because they miss home-cooked meals so they'll talk about coming over to my house and eating all my food up." However, Gardner doesn't mind his current situation one bit. Close proximity was one of the main reasons he chose MSU over offers from Marshall and South Alabama as a three-star prospect last year.
 
Mississippi State's Reggie Perry to enter NBA Draft, will not hire agent
Reggie Perry's first season at Mississippi State was an All-Freshman caliber year. His award-winning year could be his last in maroon and white, too. Perry decided Wednesday to enter his name in the NBA Draft. He will not hire an agent though, which means he can still come back to Starkville for his sophomore season if he decides to withdraw his name from the draft by June 10. The draft is on June 20. Perry started 18 games this past season and averaged 9.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He had nine double-doubles.
 
M-Braves want to win hearts as 15th anniversary season begins
A Wikipedia report has it that at least a dozen Jackson Mets players wed young ladies they met while in Jackson. That's a lot of love. That the game was played on a diamond probably didn't hurt. And with both love and baseball blooming in the spring, the Mississippi Braves are throwing in a diamond ring of their own. "It is our goal for every fan to leave Trustmark Park with a smile on their face," new vice president and general manager Pete Laven said in a press release detailing the many promotions the M-Braves will offer fans in 2019. The Braves are in their 15th year in Jackson, or more specifically, Pearl. They aren't looking for anniversary well wishes. Fans in the seats is what they want. "My philosophy has always been that the fan experience comes first," says Laven, who previously served as director of corporate partnerships for the Chicago Dogs of the American Association and before that oversaw independent league franchises in the Chicago region.
 
A Shuck Nation is born as Biloxi Shuckers embark on 4th year
A Shucker uprising at the turnstiles requires a Shuck Nation. So goes the thinking from the winter brain storming of the Biloxi Shuckers on strategies for filling up MGM Park, the baseball venue adjoining MGM's Beau Rivage Resort & Casino. The idea is to make the product stickier. In the Shuckers new world, you make "sticky" by keeping the faithful involved with the Shuckers after the last out in the team's Southern League schedule. "It gives fans year-round access and experiences like never before at a very affordable rate," general manager Hunter Reed said in an email. Going into their fourth year, the Shuckers have erased the idea of a flash-in-the-pan in a tourist town. Last year they put enough fans in the stands for their 66 home games to occupy a middle ranking with average attendance of 2,430 for the Double A Southern League. They also earned a nod from the league to host its 2019 All Star game on June 18.
 
Texas A&M announces Buzz Williams hiring
Texas A&M made its second big-name hire in less than 16 months by landing Virginia Tech men's basketball coach Buzz Williams. The 46-year-old Williams has eight NCAA tournament appearances in 12 seasons as a head coach. "We kept our focus on finding an elite basketball coach, a developer of talent, a tremendous recruiter, a tireless worker and someone who fits Texas A&M," A&M athletic director Scott Woodward said in a press release. "Buzz Williams is all that and more. I have no doubt that Buzz will take our basketball program further than ever before and will make Aggies everywhere proud. It is an exciting day as we welcome Buzz and his family back to Aggieland." Woodward, who has been at A&M just over three years, hired Florida State's Jimbo Fisher as football coach in December 2017. A&M has improved on the field and recruited better under Fisher, and A&M expects the same from Williams, who served as an assistant at A&M from 2004-06 under men's basketball head coach Billy Gillispie.
 
Why Tennessee nepotism law wouldn't deter Kellie Harper from Lady Vols
Kellie Harper's husband, Jon, has been an assistant coach on her staff throughout her 15 seasons as a women's basketball head coach. If Tennessee hires Harper for its Lady Vols vacancy, she could add her husband to her coaching staff despite a state nepotism law that prevents one spouse from directly supervising another. The state's nepotism law, on the books since 1980, applies to higher education institutions. To navigate within the law, her husband technically would report to someone else, such as an athletics department administrator. There have been several instances of an assistant coach working on the same staff as a relative at state universities in Tennessee. Notably, when Lane Kiffin was Tennessee's football coach in 2009, his father, Monte, was the defensive coordinator and brother-in-law David Reaves was the quarterbacks coach. They reported to the team's director of operations.
 
College Sports 101: A U.N.C. Class Reviews a Scandal at Its Source
The summer of 2015 found the University of North Carolina in what some, including Jay M. Smith, a professor at the university, would characterize as a curious position. A year earlier, a university-commissioned report had found that the African and Afro-American Studies Department had offered nearly 200 fraudulent classes over almost two decades. The result was one of the worst academic scandals in college sports history, and a huge black mark on a prestigious university and its proud athletic program. The university's accreditation body placed North Carolina on probation. The N.C.A.A. conducted an investigation. But critics saw few systemic changes. And that is why earlier this week, as the men's college basketball world turned its attention to the Final Four, well over 100 undergraduates heard Smith lecture on the scandal as part of his increasingly popular course, History 383: Big-Time College Sports and the Rights of Athletes, 1874 to the Present.



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