| Friday, April 5, 2019 |
| Mississippi State's first TEDx conference set for Friday | |
 | Mississippi State University will host its first TEDx conference on Friday. Michael Poole, a university senior in computer science and president of TEDx at Mississippi State, said students began efforts to host a conference in the spring 2018 semester. At the time, a group of students held a public interest meeting to start the roughly 15-member TEDx at Mississippi State student group. From there, Poole said, they worked through the summer and into the fall to get a license to host the conference. Once they got it, they started planning the event in coordination with MSU. TED is a nonprofit that focuses on spreading ideas. Poole said the application process was "intensive" but helped the group learn what a TED conference is about. TEDx at MSU, which is scheduled for 4-9 p.m. in the Colvard Student Union's Dawg House, focuses on "Moving Forward." |
| International Fiesta set for Saturday at Mississippi State | |
| On Saturday, Mississippi State University's Drill Field will fill with people, food and flags from all over the world for the 29th annual International Fiesta. Hosted annually by the university's Holmes Cultural Diversity Center and the World Neighbors Association, the fiesta is a celebration of the world's cultures. This year, 48 different organizations from the university and surrounding communities have set up booths where they'll sell food, put on cultural performances and feature children's activities, said Kei Mamiya, a program coordinator for the Diversity Center and vice president of the World Neighbors Association. The fiesta has long been an event that draws big crowds, and Mamiya said he thinks Starkville and MSU's diversity helps drive that interest. |
| Keenum visits | |
 | Photo: Mississippi State University's president, Dr. Mark E. Keenum, recently spoke to Jackson Academy's junior class. He is shown with juniors (from left) Courtney Francois, Morrissey Claire Harmon, Bonner Dinkins, Sara Evelyn McClintock, Keenum, Reeves Stratton, Ava Del Vecchio, Kennedy Nations, and Mary Liz Black. |
| County Road 11: Clock Museum at Mississippi State University | |
 | There are over 20 museums and galleries at Mississippi State University in Starkville, all designed to increase educational opportunities both on and off campus. County Road 11 continues our look at some of these unique places with a trip to the Cullis and Gladys Wade Clock Museum. Located in the lobby of the MSU Welcome Center, the clock museum showcases an extensive collection of mostly American clocks and time pieces dating back as far as the early 1700's. "We have a lot of hidden treasures here on the University, said Cristi Stevens, the coordinator for the MSU Welcome Center. "We have a lot of museums that people don't realize, and this clock museum actually is the only clock museum in the state of Mississippi that we're aware of and so that makes it unique in itself." |
| Mini Maker Faire appealing to all tastes, with addition of food trucks | |
 | The fifth annual Meridian Mini Maker Faire continues to grow each year with new makers and visitors. This weekend's event will include the addition of food trucks from throughout the state, offering culinary choices to enjoy while attending the Saturday-Sunday Mini Maker Faire hosted by the Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum. "The food trucks invited to this event will offer a unique take on each of their styles of food," said Greg Hatcher, executive director of the museum and event producer. Mississippi State University's Idea Shop will bring some displays to the Maker Faire. One will be an interactive display where people will be able to assemble their own brush bots. "Brush bots are fun to build and operate," Hatcher said. "We have seen the Idea Shop's brush bot activity and believe this might be one of the most popular things this year." |
| IGNITE Dyslexia Conference Kicks Off for the First Time at Mississippi State | |
 | The T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability at Mississippi State University and its IGNITE Dyslexia Clinic, kicks off the very first Dyslexia and Related Learning Differences Conference on Thursday. The event focuses on the definition of dyslexia, its characteristics, and its role in school classrooms. Dozens of teachers, parents, principals, speech and language pathologists and psychometrists were in attendance. "We are really hoping to be able to create an environment of which these people can make connections with each other. These parents can get in contact with the right kind of psychometrists and be able to make those connections to get the help they need in their schools for the teachers," says the T.K. Martin Center's Ignite Dyslexia Clinic Assistant Coordinator, Jessica Cunningham. |
| Mississippi's credit-card debt on rise even in strong economy | |
 | Credit-card debt is at its highest point in the United States since the severe recession that ended at the end of 2008, according to WalletHub. American consumers started 2018 owing more than $1 trillion in credit-card debt and added another $67 billion, the personal finance website reported, citing data from the Federal Reserve and TransUnion, a credit reporting agency. "It's not a question of whether consumers are weakening financially. It's a matter of how long our overdependence on credit card debt will last and just how bad it will get," wrote report author Alina Comoreanu. Madison leads the state in average household credit-card debt of $15,294; followed by Hernando, with $12,909; Olive Branch, $12,705; Lucedale, $12,619; Hattiesburg, $12,359; Oxford, $12,173; Ridgeland, $11,927; Tupelo, $11,135; Southaven, $10,857; Corinth, $10,077; Jackson, $10,090; Brookhaven, $10,046; Vicksburg, $9,801; Meridian, $9,639; Laurel, $9,562, and Picayune, $9,556. |
| Knowing Natchez by Its Dead | |
 | Make your way around Natchez, Miss., and you get the sense that if some people ever got really close to living like European aristocrats in the United States, it happened there. The town, which overlooks the Mississippi River, has perhaps the greatest concentration of splendid antebellum mansions in the country. "Economic historians will tell you that Natchez was the richest town per capita in the United States from about 1820 to 1860," said Mimi Miller, executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation. Most of those fortunes were wiped out by the Civil War; but Ms. Miller believes that Natchez itself, with all its grand homes, was spared largely because "Natchez voted against secession." Not that its elite were opposed to slavery --- most of their fortunes were built on cotton, and thus on slave labor -- but, as Ms. Miller put it, the town's leading citizens recognized that "secession was bad for business -- and crazy." Even today, she said, you rarely see Confederate flags there. |
| Humanist group objects to 'In God We Trust' license plate | |
 | A national group that includes atheists and agnostics is objecting to Mississippi's new standard license plate design that has the phrase "In God We Trust." The American Humanist Association sent a letter Thursday to the state's revenue commissioner and attorney general. It demands that Mississippi either set a new standard license plate design without a religious phrase or allow people to get another license plate design without paying an extra fee. The association says it could sue Mississippi if the change is not made. Revenue Commissioner Herb Frierson said Thursday he's asking lawyers to review the letter. |
| Andy Taggart says experience his key asset in AG race | |
 | Aspiring attorney general Andy Taggart believes his legal experience and personal passion on key issues set him apart as the best candidate in the race. As part of a statewide campaign tour, Taggart rolled through Tupelo Tuesday in his campaign bus to pitch himself for statewide office. Following the 2012 suicide of his youngest son after a struggle with drug abuse, Taggart and his wife, Karen, have become vocal advocates for efforts to aid drug users. Taggart sees a run for political office as the natural next step for his advocacy on this issue, after previously deciding not to seek the office of attorney general in 2003 and 2015. "I just can't shake the conviction that this is the way for me to try and redeem our loss and lead Mississippi into the future," Taggart said in an interview with the Daily Journal. |
| Ole Miss organization hosts Confederate symbolism forum | |
 | A University of Mississippi student-led organization named "Solidarity" hosted a Confederate symbolism forum on Thursday in response to recent talks of the Confederate statue on campus. The organization says that the goal was to reflect on how confederate symbols have affected the Ole Miss community. "Tonight, I got a lot more of a sense of a progressive movement building up here in Oxford," said Ryan Oehrli, the vice president of Solidarity. "I think there was a lot more people here then I originally thought, and I think that's a good sign." Charles Ross is a professor who teaches African-American studies and history and has been at the University of Mississippi since 1995. He was one of four professors who spoke on a panel to share their experiences "Every time I walk past the statue it's a representation of time where we weren't allowed at this institution," said Ross. |
| UM panel discusses Confederate symbolism | |
| On the heels of an intense battle to move a Confederate statue on the University of Mississippi campus, a group of the university's professors joined a panel discussion on Thursday night focusing on Confederate symbolism, racism and activism. They said that although the university plans to remove the Confederate monument on campus, the battle is far from over. Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks issued a statement on March 21 that he is in discussion with historic preservation officials on moving the monument currently located in a prominent university location. Student, faculty and staff groups have all passed resolutions asking Sparks to move the monument to a secluded Confederate cemetery on campus. The move would also require the permission of the state College Board. Thursday's panel was moderated by Mahogany Jordan, a senior who was one of the two students criticized in a Facebook post by Ole Miss alumnus Ed Meek. |
| UMMC teams with Murrah High School for the Base Pair Program | |
| Breaking down DNA, studying brain tumors, and a better flu vaccine are just some of the things students from Murrah High School in Jackson are studying. Doctors work with the students through the Base Pair program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. These students are Mississippi Strong and preparing for their future. The Base Pair program began in 1992 at UMMC. Dr. Rob Rockhold has been a part of the program from the beginning. Dr. Rockhold said, "they will put their hands on the test tubes, they will pipe it, they will work the computer, they will do everything that a fully functioning scientist does on a daily basis." |
| USM hosts human trafficking conference | |
| Human trafficking is one of the top criminal activities in the world and will be the focus of a conference at the University of Southern Mississippi. The Center for Human Rights and Civil Liberties is hosting the conference titled "Human Trafficking: Awareness and Action" which is set for Friday, April 5 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Liberal Arts Building on the USM Hattiesburg campus. The event is free and open to the public. "This terrible and illegal worldwide business of forced prostitution, known as human trafficking, has reached even Mississippi," said Dr. Bob Press, an associate professor of political science who serves as director of the center. "Young females are held captive by traffickers, and in some cases, families sell their children for drug money. It has become one of the fastest-growing, illegal businesses globally." |
| Jackson State University launches Mississippi's 1st Virtual Reality Academy | |
| Virtual reality is the new wave of technology! The tool allows users to explore the world right at your fingertips. Jackson State University has launched Mississippi's very first University Virtual Reality Academy. The sky's the limit for these young people revolutionizing the future of education. "You can hear the sounds. You can be apart of a march. You can be fully immersed into these places and it makes you feel like you're right there and you get these emotional feelings." Just imagine standing in front of the Great Wall of China, or overlooking the Grand Canyon and never leaving Mississippi. Well, that's the new reality for JSU students where virtual reality is grabbing the attention of young minds. Dr. Almesha Campbell, Director of JSU's Technology Transfer, says the university wants students to change the future of education. "We wanted to test it out first to see if this is something our students and our faculty would want to incorporate into the classroom. Lucky for us, it was an overwhelming response. People wanted this at Jackson State University!" |
| Delta Players revisit campus | |
| On Friday, former members of the Delta State University theater club, the Delta Players, will return to Cleveland for a weekend of fun and nostalgia. "Many of the people who have responded to say they will be here are no longer living in Mississippi," said Amanda Robinson, interim alumni director for Delta State University. "In fact some of them have not been back to the area since graduating from Delta State. The playhouse started in the 1930s so there are a wide range of alumni members who we reached out to about the event," she said. The reunion will begin with lunch on Friday at noon in Jobe Hall. "After lunch we will be giving campus tours so that they can see all of the work that has been done on campus as well as get a chance to visit some familiar locations. "We will also be stopping by the Delta Music Institute and the Players will have a chance to do a little walk down memory lane. After they are done on campus they will be going downtown to have dinner at Sea Level," she said. |
| UGA scientists create world's first gene-edited lizards | |
 | A group of University of Georgia researchers led by geneticist Douglas Menke has become the first in the world to successfully produce a genetically modified reptile, specifically, four albino lizards. "Reptiles are very understudied in terms of their reproductive biology and embryonic development," said Menke, associate professor in the department of genetics. "There are no good methods to manipulate embryos like we can easily do with mammals, fish or amphibians. To our knowledge, no other lab in the world has produced a genetically altered reptile." They did it using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool. The team's results, which appeared online March 31, have been submitted for peer review. The ability to study the genes of brown anoles could also have implications for human genetics work. The tyrosinase gene is required for certain aspects of eye development shared between humans and anoles, but absent in the eyes of mice and other organisms commonly used for biomedical research. |
| Lawsuit rejected in U. of Arkansas sex case | |
| A federal district judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit claiming a University of Arkansas, Fayetteville student was wrongly sanctioned last year for violating the school's sexual-harassment and sexual-misconduct policy. The lawsuit challenged UA's procedures for resolving sexual-misconduct complaints at a time the U.S. Department of Education has proposed new regulations in part aimed at providing protections for students accused of misconduct. U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes III in his opinion and order stated the "UA investigation and resolution process included Doe every step of the way." "Doe" is a reference to the student who filed the suit. The lawsuit stated "Doe" was a UA senior when a three-person panel in April 2018 found him responsible for sexual assault in violation of UA policy, reversing an earlier ruling by the university's Title IX coordinator. |
| U. of Florida students create app to track, offset carbon footprint | |
 | Two University of Florida students have created an app that allows users to better keep track of their carbon footprint. UF junior Brian De Souza and sophomore Pablo Garces, who are both majoring in computer science within UF's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, have created LiveGreen, a mobile app that allows users to track daily carbon emissions and, through a subscription, help fund reforestation projects to offset their carbon footprint. Data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency shows the U.S. emits more than 5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. The app was made to combat that. After downloading the app, LiveGreen navigates users through a personalized carbon footprint survey and asks questions based on users' diets, utility bill, household occupancy, natural gas use, transportation method and miles driven per day. The user's answers allow the app to estimate their daily carbon dioxide emissions, which have been tied to climate charge. |
| U. of Tennessee's Sex Week costs about $10K less this year, has low attendance | |
 | Although Sex Week at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville has drawn criticism from state legislators and gained national attention for its provocative events, including drag shows and sex trade lectures, student attendance is actually low. And the group organizing Sex Week received almost $10,000 less than last year, spending over $12,000 for events and speakers this year. Last year, 1,649 students attended Sex Week events. According to a report from the comptroller, "no more than 2.5 percent of students at UTK attended Sex Week during the 2018 event." UT's undergraduate and graduate student population totals 28,894. Sex Week is an annual event that was started at UT in 2013 by the student group Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee, known as SEAT. It includes a week of events, speakers and panels. This year, the two themes of the week focus on humanizing sex work and promoting body positivity. |
| Texas A&M AgriLife debuts health initiative | |
 | As part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension's ongoing mission to use agriculture, service and research to help Texans live healthier lives, the educational organization introduced its Advancing Texas initiative with an event in Bryan on Thursday evening. Allyson Tjoelker, director of development and corporate relations at AgriLife, organized the event, which was held at Ronin Restaurant. She said that the Advancing Texas roadshow initiative aims to provide Texans with information on the intersections of agriculture, health best practices and research. "We want to bring AgriLife to every Texan," Tjoelker said. "Connecting agriculture to health is the theme of what we're talking about tonight." Patrick Stover, director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, gave a wide-ranging talk before about 90 Brazos Valley-area agriculture stakeholders and experts. In his remarks, Stover contended that agriculture is, and will be, at the center of solving a number of local, national and global challenges going forward. |
| U. of Missouri looks for freshman enrollment jump | |
 | A strong surge in freshman enrollment in the fall has the University of Missouri looking for space in private housing developments. The Finance Committee of the Board of Curators on Thursday approved adding prices for that leased space to room options for the fall, a move expected to be ratified when the full board meets next week. MU is expecting between 500 and 700 more first-time freshmen to enroll, an increase of 11 to 15 percent, when classes begin in August, spokesman Christian Basi said. "Things are looking so good in terms of enrollment that we are planning, and want to be ready, to use extended campus options like we have in the past," Basi said. The university had previously planned for about 5,000 students just out of high school to enroll and now expects between 5,200 and 5,400, Basi said. That is still more than 1,000 fewer than the record of 6,515 set in fall 2014 but it represents a significant rebound from the recent low of 4,134 in the fall of 2017. |
| U. of Missouri officials finalize proposed changes to Greek life | |
 | For incoming freshmen hoping to join a fraternity or sorority at MU, Greek life could look a bit different than it has in the past. New rules and regulations announced Thursday create higher GPA requirements for freshmen in Greek organizations to live in their chapter's facilities, amended recruitment timelines and processes and stricter rules on substances in chapter facilities. Dean of Students Jeff Zeilenga said the plan, composed over the past year by the Fraternity and Sorority Advisory Board, prioritizes safety for the entire Greek community. New "limited amnesty" policies will encourage students to self-report hazing, one of the biggest problems plaguing the Greek system across the nation. The recommendations were published Thursday in the final draft of the fraternity and Sorority Life Advisory Board Report. |
| Consensus or Chaos? Education Dept.'s Rule-Making Session Reaches Agreement | |
 | In January, the the U.S. Department of Education began a round of negotiated rule making that seemed destined, even designed, to fail. From the beginning, the question on the lips of those watching, and even at the negotiating table, was: "What problem are they trying to fix?" The number of topics to be discussed was unusually large and required a main committee and subcommittees for issues that involve distance education, Teach Grants, and faith-based colleges. Several of the department's proposals were controversial and seemingly gratuitous, such as allowing third-party companies to offer entire academic programs under the banner of an accredited college. Another would have altered the number of states that could be overseen by the nation's seven regional accreditors. But negotiators on Wednesday seemed to snatch consensus from the jaws of chaos, in part by rejecting many of the most controversial proposals. |
| Even When College Is Free, It Can Be Hard For Adults To Stay In School | |
 | Jim Bare didn't used to spend his Friday evenings watching math videos. But then again, he didn't used to be a college student. Bare is one of 13,000 adults who enrolled last fall in Tennessee Reconnect, a state-led program that gives free community college tuition to almost anyone over age 25 who doesn't yet have a college degree. The number of adults who applied for Reconnect last year exceeded state officials' expectations. But, as college administrators and current students know well, tuition is just one of many barriers that adult students face. Reconnect eliminates the biggest financial stressor of going to college: tuition. But schools need to do more to prevent students from dropping out, says Mike Krause, head of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. His office administers Tennessee Reconnect and its sister scholarship for graduating high school seniors, Tennessee Promise. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs try to get back on track at Tennessee | |
| Mississippi State's baseball team slid six spots in the rankings to No. 8 after losing a home series to LSU last weekend. It was the first series the Diamond Dogs have dropped all season. MSU (25-5, 5-4 SEC) seemed to take out some of its frustration on Louisiana-Monroe during the midweek in a 21-8 win and want to carry some of that offensive momentum to Tennessee this weekend. "We know that we've got to get right back on track," said MSU catcher Dustin Skelton. "Credit Tennessee because we know they're going to really pitch it well and defend it well. We've just got to go in there with one mindset and win the game on Friday night." Tonight's opener is set for a 5:30 p.m. Central first pitch in Knoxville while Saturday's game starts at 5 p.m. The finale on Sunday is set to begin at 1 p.m. |
| Tennessee looking to carry momentum into series with Mississippi State | |
| The Tennessee baseball team will enter this weekend's series against No. 5 Mississippi State with a two-game winning streak, which includes a win over No. 5 Vanderbilt last Sunday. Tennessee was able to win its most recent game as well, a 6-2 victory Tuesday night over the Belmont Bruins. The Vols will look to carry the momentum from those two victories into another tough series against an SEC opponent that is ranked in the top 25. "I think they are earning the title of being relentless," Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said. "It is very hard to earn that title, but once you have it you kind of wear it like a badge on your sleeve, and now you start to believe it." Each of Tennessee's first three opponents in SEC play have also been ranked. Overall, the Vols have a record of 3-6 in SEC play after series' against Auburn, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. The road does not get any easier from here, with a series against the Bulldogs looming this weekend. |
| Teaira McCowan earns WBCA Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan was named the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year, the second year in a row she's claimed a national honor for her defense. McCowan was selected as the 2018 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and is again a finalist for that award. The Bulldogs' senior center has also been the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year for the past two seasons. McCowan was second in the country averaging 13.5 rebounds per game and also blocked 87 shots, which was 11th in the nation. |
| Keytaon Thompson looking to the air for Mississippi State | |
| Keytaon Thompson knows it's his time. Though nothing has been officially endowed, the junior quarterback should be the starter when the season opens on August 31 against Louisiana at the Mercedez-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. After backing up Nick Fitzgerald, this is his offense to run. How it will look? That's still in the works. Tuesday's practice gave some insight into how head coach Joe Moorhead plans to use Thompson. A gifted thrower, Thompson possesses the intangibles to push the ball downfield and take some velocity off his throws on intermediate routes in a way Fitzgerald couldn't. Thompson showed control and accuracy during Tuesday's session, finding receivers down the seam, toward the sideline and on crosses over the middle. |
| Ally McDonald Takes First-Round Lead in ANA Inspiration | |
| Ally McDonald made a 5-foot birdie putt on the final stroke of the first round on Thursday to take the lead in the ANA Inspiration. McDonald shot a four-under-par 68 at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif., playing in the last group of the day off the first tee. The tree-lined course was made more difficult with thick rough, tighter fairways and some lengthened holes. She birdied all four par-5 holes, the last in fading light on the water-guarded 18th. McDonald, 26, played at Mississippi State after becoming the only female player to win the state boys' high school championship. She had made only two previous starts this season, her third on the tour. She tied for 58th two weeks ago in Phoenix in the Founders Cup and missed the cut last week in Carlsbad. |
| Southern Miss has a new athletic director and he's 'thrilled to be coming home' | |
 | Southern Miss has landed a rising star in athletic administration as its new athletic director, and he's a familiar face to Golden Eagle fans. USM president Rodney Bennett announced in a Thursday statement that he has chosen Troy athletic director Jeremy McClain to fill the same role for the Golden Eagles. Bennett plans to introduce McClain as athletic director in an event at 5:30 p.m. on Monday in the Trent Lott National Center on the USM campus in Hattiesburg. McClain's hiring is pending College Board approval, but that should be a simple formality. He is expected to start his new job at USM no later than July 1. McClain replaces Jon Gilbert, who was hired in December as the athletic director at East Carolina. The move should be a mostly popular one for the USM fan base. McClain was mentioned by many fans as a favored candidate to become school's new athletic director when Gilbert left in December. |
| Jeremy McClain named new athletic director at Southern Mississippi | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi has tapped Jeremy McClain as its next director of athletics. USM president Rodney Bennett sent a message to the school's faculty and staff on Thursday announcing the hire. McClain takes over as Southern Miss' athletic director after working in the same position at Troy University since 2015. McClain also has history with Southern Miss, having served as the athletics department's deputy director for three years. A Mississippi native, McClain also served a five-year stint as Delta State University's deputy director of athletics. In the message, Bennett said he expects McClain to begin working in July. Bennett also thanked interim athletic director Jeff Mitchell and interim deputy athletic director Brian Morrison for "demonstrating a strong sense of loyalty and commitment" to Southern Miss. |
| Details released on Kermit Davis' contract extension | |
| Ole Miss announced two weeks ago that they were agreeing to a new, four-year contract with head basketball coach Kermit Davis. Thursday afternoon, they released the details on the contract. Davis' base salary starts at $2.85-million in 2019, escalating to $3.15-million during year four, an average of $3-million per year over the course of the four-year deal. The contract makes Davis one of the top-25 highest paid NCAA Division I basketball coaches in the nation, according to the USA Today contract database. In addition to the base compensation, the contract includes annual incentives tied to attendance numbers, conference wins, postseason play and awards. Davis will earn an extra $50,000 if attendance averages 8,000 per game or more or if over 5,500 season tickets are sold. |
| CWD: New Mississippi management zone mapped out | |
 | In response to more cases of chronic wasting disease in Mississippi deer, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks has expanded the North Mississippi CWD Management Zone. Prior to enlargement of the zone, it included six counties and parts of five more. It now includes 19 entire counties. "When you put all the north Mississippi (CWD) positives on a map and you look at the 25-mile buffer, there is overlap," MDWFP Wildlife Bureau executive director Russ Walsh said. "There is no one 25-mile zone." The 25-mile buffer zone is a part of the department's CWD Response Plan. The plan calls for delineating a management zone that includes land within a 25-mile radius of any CWD-positive deer. The plan also calls for special management practices within the zones to slow the spread of the disease which is fatal among deer. |
| Will Wade, LSU Moving Closer to Ending Monthlong Standoff in Investigation | |
| LSU and suspended basketball coach Will Wade are working toward a meeting, multiple sources told Sports Illustrated, a somewhat stunning development unfolding only after the coach hired a new attorney. Steven Thompson, a Chicago-based lawyer known for his work with coaches in NCAA matters, is now representing Wade and is spearheading discussions with university leaders. The news comes a week after the Tigers' season ended in the Sweet 16 and nearly a month after school officials placed the coach on indefinite suspension for declining to cooperate in an internal investigation regarding a wiretapped phone conversation between the coach and a recruiting middleman. Thompson also represents Arizona coach Sean Miller and Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, who like Wade were both caught in the FBI's probe into the seedy underworld of college basketball. |
| Florida's Dan Mullen remembers influence father had on his life | |
| It has been an emotional past two weeks for Florida football coach Dan Mullen, who is coping with the recent death of his father. Robert Mullen, 75, died two Saturdays ago. Mullen found out about his father's passing while on his way to spring football practice that morning. "It's been tough," Mullen said Thursday. "He'd been sick for quite some time, so you knew it was coming. I was very fortunate. I got to go up and say goodbye. He lasted a couple of days after that. "Obviously, it's a really tough deal. My mom's still around, I haven't lost a parent before. It's a tough deal. It was a beautiful service. I was thankful I was able to go and attend his funeral and get to spend some time with the family. So that was very nice." Mullen returned to his hometown of Manchester, N.H., last week for the funeral. He and his wife, Megan, both gave the eulogy at the mass. "He was a great dad," Mullen said. "He was a really good person. One thing (Megan) said was, 'Boy, I never hear him say an unkind word.' And if you go back and look when I was like six or seven years old playing in Little League, he was there to try to help coach the team. He was always a huge fan, a huge supporter." |
| Aggies, Buzz Williams agree to six-year contract worth $3.8M per year | |
| Buzz Williams' new office overlooks the shiny Cox-McFerrin Center practice court, filled with state-of-the-art training equipment. Two stories below, the Texas A&M men's basketball teams calls a newly redesigned locker room its home. The athletic department has made a sizable investment in the program over the last several seasons, and yet Williams saw none of it before he decided to fill the vacancy at head coach. Williams was introduced as the Aggies' 21st head men's basketball coach during a welcoming event attended by several thousand at Reed Arena on Thursday. This job, like each one he's held prior, was accepted on the impression made by the hiring administrator, Williams said. Approximately 14 months after landing one of five active head coaches who have one a national title in football, A&M athletic director Scott Woodward again proved building quick relationships with his top coaching candidates is his forte. |
| How Auburn's strength coach has adapted to using analytics | |
 | When Auburn basketball strength & conditioning coach Damon Davis was approached by a company called Vert to have his Tigers team be the guinea pig in testing its movement analytics, Davis was a little hesitant. He was a strength coach first, of course -- a job associated with the image of hulking man telling players to lift heavier weights. But in a world with evolving technology, more knowledge means more advantages. "I'd say, I've been very resistant toward technology, because my feeling was, one, Coach Pearl has been doing this for 30 years. So he's got a really good thermometer on how much guys should do. And I don't think it's my job to just look at numbers and be like, 'Oh that's too much,' ... I really used it as a safety valve for when guys return to play." It's the third year that Auburn has used the Vert system, which has now also been adopted by fellow Final Four contender Texas Tech -- though the technology is most popular in the collegiate volleyball game. |
| UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell denies report of racist remarks to players, her lawyer says | |
| North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell is under investigation over allegations she made a series of racially offensive remarks, The Washington Post reported Thursday evening. Hatchell allegedly told her players they would get "hanged from trees with nooses" at an upcoming game if their performance didn't improve, the report said. Late Thursday, Hatchell's attorney told The News & Observer that Hatchell "absolutely did not use the word 'lynch' and she did not use the word 'noose.'" The lawyer, Wade Smith, said in a phone interview that Hatchell told him ACC play was about to begin, and she was trying to warn her players that conference play would be tougher than non-conference games. "She said, 'they are going to come after us, and hang us out to dry,'" Smith said. "There is not a racist bone in her body. She had no idea it would invoke a racist image." |
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