| Monday, June 17, 2019 |
| MSU Idea Shop hosts gift-making workshops for Father's Day | |
 | Anna Richey and her younger brother, A.J., didn't have much experience with woodworking before Friday afternoon. That didn't keep the two from joining a six-person group in the Idea Shop downtown to handcraft a Father's Day gift for their father, Mike. Anna, 15, is a student at Starkville High School and A.J., 11, will begin attending Armstrong Middle School in the fall. Anna heard about the workshop from her best friend and decided to attend with her brother in tow. As the Idea Shop, a makerspace that's overseen by Mississippi State University's Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, buzzed with activity, Anna and A.J. set about creating their gift -- a phone charging stand with room for a watch and other gadgets. The Idea Shop hosted two of the Father's Day workshops on Friday and one on Saturday. Brook Lammert, a coordinator for the Idea Shop with the E-Center, said the workshops are the first community-focused events the facility has hosted. |
| Some feeling impact of Cotton District construction while others prosper | |
 | Business is booming for some restaurants in the heart of the Cotton District, despite the recently-announced closure of a Starkville culinary destination that partly blamed construction in the area for its financial hardships. Bulldog Burger and Two Brothers both reported strong sales despite extensive changes to the facade of the neighborhood. Following the announcement that City Bagel would close after 23 years, many in the community became concerned about the impact had on local business by large-scale construction efforts to add housing in the area. General Manager of Bulldog Burger Ian Few said the construction was initially cause for concern when it began last year. In the face of these concerns, however, the restaurant saw an increase in sales. Barton Dinkins of Two Brothers similarly confirmed that his eatery had not been negatively affected by construction in the area over the last year. |
| Customers laud convenience of fourth Delta flight at GTRA | |
| When Delta Airlines announced in February it was adding another round-trip flight to Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Lowndes County, it was more than just a fourth daily flight. It was also Daylight Saving Time, providing passengers another chance to get where they are going before dark. Sunday, Delta began its new flight, with an arrival from Atlanta at 1:15 p.m., followed by a 1:45 departure from GTRA to arrive in Atlanta at 4:05 (EDT). Other flights to Atlanta depart GTRA at 6:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 5 p.m. "It's been sort of a mixed bag so far," said GTRA Executive Director Mike Hainsey. "Some of the flights have been over-sold and some are not very crowded. Overall, though, we're happy with the performance." The new flight was a big hit with Thursday travelers on the flight. Hainsey said the benefits of the extra flight extend to passengers who aren't even on it. "I think it's going to reduce the over-booking we have," Hainsey said. |
| Monday Profile: Reeses contribute to OCHS | |
| Bob and Donna Reese have found their own ways to help out the Oktibbeha County Humane Society. The Reeses, both retired from Mississippi State University, have worked in different ways -- direct and indirect -- to support the nonprofit. Donna started volunteering as OCHS' treasurer in 2005, after former treasurer Mildred Sellars stepped down from the position. She joined the OCHS board two or three years later and has served ever since. "It's not just taking the donations and adoption fees and that sort of thing," Donna said. "It's actually paying the people and paying bills at the shelter (for) the food, supplies, transport, gas, the van maintenance, insurance, doing the annual tax documents, filing payroll taxes. It is really like running a small business." Bob runs a service to rescue cats who are stuck in trees, which started when one of the Reeses' cats got stuck in 2013. "I called a couple of local tree services and they were busy," he said. "I started looking on the internet and found out about people who did this. That night, our cat climbed down and came home, but I had the bug. So I ordered some gear, made some mistakes, ordered some more gear and watched a lot of Youtube videos." |
| Federal government finally stepping in to investigate dolphin deaths in the Gulf | |
 | In the wake of the Bonnet Carre Spillway opening, the federal government is acknowledging the high dolphin death rate in the Gulf of Mexico as an "unusual mortality event," which will bring experts, resources, equipment and funding for an investigation by the National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration. NOAA announced the designation Friday for the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and the Florida panhandle. In Mississippi, where 129 dolphin strandings have been reported, NOAA partners with the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport for its investigations. IMMS has been retrieving dolphin carcasses for necropsies performed by veterinarians with Mississippi State University, who partner with the education nonprofit and work out of its Gulfport facilities. Moby Solangi, IMMS executive director and president, has been sounding the alarm for months about high dolphin death rates and is relieved NOAA is stepping in. |
| For some Mississippi River cities, there are only 2 choices: adapt or move | |
 | In early July 2014, the Mississippi flooded downtown Davenport, turning its minor league baseball stadium into an island. It happened at a particularly bad time: just before a three-game Independence Day weekend series against upriver rivals from Wisconsin. But the game played on. With floodwaters lapping at its base, the stadium welcomed more than 6,000 fans to watch the hometown River Bandits take on the Timber Rattlers of Appleton, Wisc. The post-game fireworks display was bigger than ever, and the stadium's Ferris wheel offered birds-eye views of the flooding. "This (stadium) -- it literally becomes the middle of the Mississippi River," Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch said. That's by design. Davenport, population 103,000, is the only major city along the Upper Mississippi without a floodwall. Part of its downtown functions as an urban floodplain. |
| Money will preserve part of Civil War site in Mississippi | |
 | A grant will buy a tract of land to help preserve a Civil War battlefield in central Mississippi. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History is receiving nearly $110,000 from the National Park Service, The Vicksburg Post reported. The money from the American Battlefield Trust will purchase 58 acres at the Champion Hill Battlefield, about halfway between Vicksburg and Jackson. Vicksburg National Military Park Superintendent Bill Justice says the land is along a section of road that connected the parts of the Confederate line and later two parts of the Union line. The Battle of Champion Hill was part of U.S. Gen. Ulysses Grant's successful effort to take Vicksburg. |
| Mississippi children more likely to live in high poverty areas than any state in country, report finds | |
 | In the latest annual Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT report released Monday, Mississippi maintained its 48th ranking from last year for overall child well-being, with 27 percent of its children living in poverty in 2017. That's a decline from 33 percent in 2010. Before 2018, Mississippi had ranked dead last in the report every year but one dating back to 1991. "I feel like I sound like a broken record, but I also feel like we have to keep saying the same things," said Heather Hanna, co-director of Mississippi KIDS COUNT. But attitudes are changing in state leadership with the acknowledgement of just how important those early years are. Mississippi is in the process of changing its quality rating system for child care centers, and those eventually designated a "comprehensive" center will be reimbursed through the child care voucher at almost double the standard rate, said Laurie Smith, executive director of the State Early Childhood Advisory Council. |
| Tate Reeves campaign sets up shop in Tupelo | |
 | The most well-funded candidate in the race to be Mississippi's next governor flexed a little campaign muscle Friday and formally opened a dedicated field office in Tupelo. Incumbent Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves spoke with local supporters and campaign volunteers Friday afternoon, emphasizing his record as presiding officer of the state Senate and promising more of the same if elected to Mississippi's chief executive post. Social policies continue to receive an especially strong accent in the lieutenant governor's stump speech. On the campaign trail, Reeves, a Republican, has largely ignored his primary opponents and highlights the general election race against the Democrat nominee. "I'm running for governor because I know that Mississippi's values are Mississippi's strength," said Reeves Friday. "As governor, I will fight for those values every single day." In his remarks Friday, Reeves did briefly mention his two primary opponents, state Rep. Robert Foster and former state Supreme Court Justice Bill Waller. |
| Should the person who wins the popular vote be governor? | |
| Mississippi has its own unique electoral system that like the federal Electoral College for president could prevent the person with the most votes -- even a majority of the vote -- from being elected to office. Under the federal system, each state is awarded the number of electoral votes totaling its two senators and U.S. House members and a presidential candidate must win the state to capture those electoral votes, in most instances. The national popular vote total, in reality, has no determination on who is elected president. The federal electoral system has at times been criticized as antiquated and undemocratic. Since the turn of the century, two presidents -- George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump in 2016 -- have been elected after losing the popular vote and winning the necessary votes in the Electoral College. The Mississippi system now faces a challenge as part of efforts incorporated into the state's 1890 Constitution to ensure African Americans, then the majority in the state, were not elected to statewide office. |
| Analysis: Lawyers argue over abortion access in Mississippi | |
| In 2015, on the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide, Mississippi Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said: "I am as committed as ever to ending abortion in Mississippi." Reproductive rights lawyers cite Bryant's statement in their recent court filing as they ask a federal judge to permanently block a law the governor signed this year to ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. That's at about six weeks, before many women even know they're pregnant. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves issued a temporary injunction last month to block the law from taking effect July 1, and he asked attorneys to file detailed arguments as he considers the constitutionality of the law. Plaintiffs who sued the state filed their arguments May 30, and the state attorney general's office responded June 11. The filings address not only the law enacted this year but also other Mississippi abortion laws, including one requiring at least a 24-hour waiting period before a woman can have the procedure. The lawyers present starkly different views. |
| Women's Group Honors Evelyn Gandy: 'A Giant in Mississippi Politics' | |
| The first thing Jennifer Ingram Johnson wanted to do after she registered to vote in the early 1990s was visit Evelyn Gandy at her law office in Hattiesburg. When the young, newly registered voter arrived to share the news, Gandy, a former Mississippi lieutenant governor, called a coffee break. "Everybody in the office celebrated that we have another voter---and another woman voter," Johnson, who is now the president-elect of the Mississippi Bar Association, told an audience in Gandy's hometown on Tuesday. Johnson, who counts Gandy as a mentor, was the featured speaker at a League of Women Voters luncheon meant to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. The League honored Gandy for her historic achievements. Johnson described Gandy as a towering figure among Mississippi women, and whose career included many firsts. |
| Kansas, Missouri teamed up to lure USDA jobs to KC; now, the competition begins | |
 | Kansas and Missouri leaders have enticed the federal government into shipping hundreds of high-paying jobs from Washington to Kansas City through an unusual level of cooperation between the two states. But now it's time for the competition to begin. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday that it would be relocating two research agencies -- and hundreds of jobs -- to the Kansas City region. But the USDA didn't specify which side of the state line will be the new home for the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture. "We have not determined which side of the river we're going to be on," Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue told reporters Thursday. Perdue said the USDA will save $20 million annually in rent and employment costs by moving about 550 research jobs to Kansas City. He also touted $26 million in unspecified incentives he said that state and local governments have offered to the USDA for the relocation. |
| Inside Trump's plan to battle the 15 investigations facing him | |
 | President Donald Trump is facing a hurdle no other president has -- an unprecedented onslaught of investigations into almost every recent organization he has led. In total, Trump faces at least 15 criminal or civil inquiries by nine federal, state and city agencies into his business, his charity, his campaign, his inaugural committee and his personal finances. As he launches his campaign for a second term on Tuesday, Trump doesn't plan to avoid talking about the investigations. Unlike most other candidates who face allegations of wrongdoing, he hopes to use them as part of a strategy that he hopes will help win him re-election. Trump plans to characterize the investigations in these blue states -- just like those by special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional investigations -- as attacks by the same people: Democrats, the media and his critics. To his backers, it's already been a winning strategy. |
| Agricenter turns 40: Research, education and community remain focus | |
| While Memphis celebrated its 200th birthday last month, Agricenter International celebrated its 40th year in the community, highlighting the massive economic impact it has on the city. Most Memphians might point to Graceland or the National Civil Rights Museum first when thinking about the spots most likely to bring visitors to the city, but on the edge of Shelby Farms Park, the Agricenter is adding nearly $500 million to Memphis' economy every year, according to an impact study it commissioned in 2016. n 1979, the Agricenter was started by a group of business leaders in the agriculture industry. They wanted to promote research and education, celebrate technology and make the industry more accessible to the general public. Forty years later, the Agricenter has grown exponentially, but those tenets are still part of the mission. And as Agricenter reaches more of Shelby County, its next step is combating food insecurity and increasing access to healthy food for every family. |
| UM Chancellor Search Advisory Committee holds first meeting | |
 | The University of Mississippi Chancellor Search Advisory Committee held its first meeting this morning at the Inn at Ole Miss. The meeting began with each member of the committee saying a few things about what they would like to see in the next chancellor. "What I'm looking for in a chancellor is kind of two things," Associated Student Body President Barron Mayfield said. "Someone who is going to come in with a strong vision. We are changing as a university, and I want someone who has a vision for where we will be on the other side of that change." Mayfield also said that he was looking for someone who could put students first. Gregory Alston, former ASB and Law School President, said that he wanted three things in a new chancellor: someone who could put an emphasis on Mississippi and recruiting students in the state, could work well with state officials and someone who loves Ole Miss and Mississippi. |
| IHL begins search for 'toughest job in Mississippi' | |
| Meeting for the first time Friday, members of a Campus Search Advisory Committee said the next chancellor of the University of Mississippi should be a visionary leader who can unite the different stakeholders and constituents that make up Ole Miss. "What I would like to see out of this chancellor is someone who can get this university back on track with a clear vision moving forward," said Gregory Alston, former ASB President and University of Mississippi Law School President. "Somebody who has a relationship with a lot of the alumni and someone who can work with the state legislature." Ford Dye, the IHL Board Search chairman, announced there will be a smaller committee to come out of the 39-member advisory group. This smaller group will form the interview committee. He said this committee will interview the candidates at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He did not say who the members of the interview committee were or if the list of the members would be made public. "This may be the toughest job in Mississippi," Dye said, referring to the chancellor job. |
| Ole Miss chancellor search: What committee is looking for, timetable | |
 | A 39-member panel of faculty, alumni and student leaders met on Ole Miss' campus Friday to discuss finding a new chancellor for the university. The panel, led by Ole Miss' associate dean for research Dr. Charles Hussey and Oxford mayor Robyn Tannehill, will be a search advisory committee. According to discussions Friday, some of the main criteria include: a clear vision to lead the university into the conversation of the top public universities in the country; an affable and communicative leadership style; an ability to showcase and develop the talent at Ole Miss; experience leading large organizations; talent to foster relationships with students, alumni and government leaders. Tannehill said she's looking for a "team builder," a candidate who has the wisdom to inspire the employees working below the chancellor and surround themself with intelligent and competent people. |
| It's all about the experiences for Okra campers at Delta State | |
| Okra Kids Camp, the annual day camp offering from Delta State University, has become one of the most popular activities for children during the summer. Todd Davis, assistant professor of health, physical education and recreation at Delta State, is the director of the Outdoor Recreation Program and the director of the Okra Kids Camp. The camp was first held in 2010 and was funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield. "We had all this gear and equipment, so we thought it'd be really nice to have a kids camp," said Davis. Once the children arrive, they participate in a variety of 45-minute stations that sees them play disc golf, lacrosse and basketball. Water-based activities at the Delta State Aquatics Center include kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. Children are shuttled all over campus from the Delta State Quad to the fitness trail. The camp also includes a nutrition class that was introduced thanks to parental feedback, which allows nutrition students at Delta State University to earn credit hours by teaching the classes. |
| U. of Alabama to modernize mail system on campus | |
 | The University of Alabama plans to roll out a new mail system this fall in an effort to modernize services on campus with better tracking, more accessibility and faster processing. "This new system is way above what we are currently using and is going to offer so many things that we can't accommodate right now," Campus Mail Service Director Linda Johnson said. "We have the capacity and capability to grow even more with this software." On June 7, the UA System board of trustees approved the purchase of an integrated mail management system from Neopost USA Inc. of Milford, Connecticut, for $1.5 million. The plan is to have the system installed and operational during the upcoming fall semester. The ongoing annual cost of operation is $208,556. "It will be much better for the students. We are really excited about this project," Vice President of Financial Affairs Matt Fajack said during his presentation on June 7. Fajack predicted the more modern and efficient system would pay for itself in two years. |
| U. of Florida has plans for $2.2B in projects in next 10 years | |
 | The University of Florida has big plans. The university's capital improvement plans include a new honors college, athletic dorms, a new student health facility, academic buildings, and a landscaping plan that would change the face of the university. The plans coincide with UF's goal to become top-5 public university. A top-5 university has top-5 facilities and a top-5 campus, according to UF administrators. But getting there will be costly. The preliminary cost to transform the university, in terms of facilities and campus look and feel, to UF's top-5 standards is projected at about $2.2 billion over five to 10 years. Before the plan was presented to the UF Board of Trustees, President Kent Fuchs said it had the "full endorsement of the senior leadership," but there wasn't enough money in the bank to make it happen overnight. "We don't have the resources right now to make it happen," Fuchs said. "We have to find the resources to make it possible." First on the plan is to address the university's housing situation. |
| Florida looking at increasing dorm rates | |
| University of Florida students could help fund the multi-million dollar cost of new campus housing through a proposed increase in rental rates. The UF board of trustees was presented a financial plan at the board retreat on June 7 that proposes year-over-year increases in student housing rental rates for the next five or 11 years. One plan would increase rental rates by 4.5 percent during the next five years. That translates to a 22.5 percent rental rate increase. At Beaty Towers, where rental rates currently hover about $2,800, the rate would go up by about $600 to $3,400 per student, per semester. In another plan, rental rates could be increased each year by a smaller percentage, but for more years. UF administrators could impose a 3.5 percent increase in UF housing rates each year for 11 years. This plan would increase housing costs by 38.5 percent in 11 years. UF Chief Operating Officer Charlie Lane said UF does not have to go down the route of increasing rates, but it's an option. |
| Helium's recovery focus of U. of Arkansas effort | |
| The purchase of a liquid helium recovery system at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville aims to help scientists avoid the rising prices and uncertain availability of a key substance used in research equipment, a UA professor said. "It's really pretty much irreplaceable," said Wesley Stites, chairman of UA's chemistry and biochemistry department. But about two years ago, scientists worldwide faced what Stites called a "supply interruption" because of political action taken in the Middle East that affected exports from Qatar, a major helium supplier. Stites said it amounted to a rationing of helium. "That really kind of made me think," Stites said. UA has long-term contracts with suppliers, but "that still doesn't do any good if 25% of the supply has gone," he said. "That's when we really started to consider helium recovery. Before, it wasn't cost effective," Stites said. |
| UGA's Young Dawgs encourages students' passion for science | |
 | Noor Sohal loved science as a student at Lambert High School in Forsyth County. Her interest in genetics and synthetic biology brought her, as a rising high school junior, to Janet Westpheling's lab in 2016 as part of the University of Georgia's Young Dawgs Program. The lab works to make energy in sustainable and environmentally friendly ways, such as converting plants to fuels like ethanol, butanol and bioplastic. During her Young Dawgs internship, Sohal worked with the organism Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, or C. bescii, which breaks down biomass. She also constructed plasmids -- pieces of DNA that have genes on them -- to make the organism produce ethanol. Sohal completed her internship as part of the Young Dawgs Summer Science Program, a six-week program focused on science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, subjects. The Academic School Year Program, a second Young Dawgs offering, lets students participate for one or two semesters and receive high school credit for successful completion. Since the Young Dawgs Program began in 2008, 1,198 high school students and more than 500 UGA departments have participated. |
| U. of Kentucky cuts didn't bury state archeological group; WKU rescues effort | |
 | When staff members for Kentucky Archaeological Survey found out the University of Kentucky was cutting the program in March, they thought their jobs were lost. However, Western Kentucky University announced Thursday that it will provide KAS with a new home where the agency can serve the state, according to a WKU press release. KAS tries to protect archaeological sites by working with teachers, students, landowners, communities and government agencies, WKU said. KAS also educates the public about Kentucky's archaeological background. A few of KSA's partners include The Capitol City Museum, Shelby County Historical Society and other nonprofit organizations, according to WKU. KAS also works with the Kentucky Heritage Council and has previously opened up archaeological digs to younger students. KSA was originally housed in the UK College of Arts and Sciences in Lexington. |
| First-of-its-kind living wall at Texas A&M designed to house native plants | |
 | Ten feet tall and composed of about 300 metal diamonds, Texas A&M University's newest living wall is no ordinary garden. What was once a blank expanse of brick now hosts a variety of Texas-tough plants, attracting small wildlife and catching the eyes of students as they walk past A&M's Langford Architecture Center. Designed and built by two professors and a team of graduate students, the first-of-its-kind system eventually may be found off campus and around the world. For Bruce Dvorak, associate professor of landscape architecture, the story of the wall starts on top of the Langford Center, where, in 2013, he started work on a green-roof research project. These specially-designed rooftop gardens can help manage stormwater runoff, conserve energy and reduce air pollution in urban environments. Before joining A&M, Dvorak had worked on several other green roofs, including one on top of Chicago City Hall that helped popularize the concept throughout the Midwest. |
| Survey shows public's support for, and qualms about, higher education | |
 | Nuance is a good thing, and it tends to help improve our understanding of complex issues and public policy questions. Unfortunately, our political discourse and, increasingly, news media coverage seem less and less inclined to traffic in it. Take some of the key issues in postsecondary education right now. Most political speeches or media coverage would leave you with the impression that Americans believe college degrees aren't worth the money, that Democrats overwhelmingly support free college as the answer to the college affordability problem, and that Republicans don't care about holding colleges and universities (especially for-profit ones) accountable. Turns out none of those things are really true -- or at least that the public's true attitudes are much more nuanced than that. The picture that emerges from Third Way's comprehensive survey of nearly 1,400 Americans who describe themselves as likely to vote in the 2020 general election is of a public that still believes in the value of colleges and universities and their degrees and thinks the institutions must do a better job of educating students affordably and effectively. |
| Liberty University cuts divinity faculty | |
| A dozen faculty members at Liberty University's Rawlings School of Divinity learned at the end of May they would not have their contracts renewed, representing significant cuts to the on-the-ground instructional work force of the Christian university in Lynchburg, Va. At first glance, the cuts would seem to come at an odd time for both Liberty and its School of Divinity. The university and its president, Jerry Falwell Jr. have never been more prominent culturally or politically. An online education boom has helped fuel massive construction projects on campus. Just last year, the university opened a 275-foot-tall, 17-story tower serving in large part as the home of its divinity programs. But on-campus and online enrollment in Liberty's School of Divinity, which were among the university's largest programs in 2013, have been falling in recent years. The declines came as freshman applications for all on-campus programs to study all programs on Liberty's campus plunged after 2016 -- and as enrollment across the university's vast online offerings fell by almost 10 percent between 2014 and 2018. |
| Conservative Robert Foster pushing for Medicaid reform | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: Successful DeSoto County small businessman Robert Foster is one of the more conservative members of the Mississippi Legislature, e.g. the American Conservative Union gave him a 95% "conservative" rating in 2018. Serving his first term as a state representative, Foster decided not to seek re-election but put his name on the ballot for governor. He said his experience these four years is the reason. "Career politicians have been in charge for too long," he said, adding that many are good people but get captured by the system over time. "I realized the same thing would happen to me if I stayed." He argues this system maintains policies that "keep us in last place." Relying on his lens as a small businessman he sees education too focused on university transfer while what we need is more skills training in high school and community college. ... And, he sees the need for Medicaid reform to cover more low-income working people. |
| Reeves, Hood both battle-tested but attorney general has faced tougher election contests | |
| Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: The two favorites in this year's election for governor, Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood and Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, have each been elected to statewide office four times. But Hood, a Chickasaw County native, has faced far more opposition -- in terms of the electoral viability of his foes -- than has Reeves, a Rankin County native. If nothing else, Hood is battle-tested. That is not to say Reeves' election conquests should be discounted. As a 29-year-old with no campaign experience, he came out of nowhere to win the office of treasurer in 2003 against more seasoned, but not widely known politicians. He captured the seat, in large part, by raising more money -- a feat that to campaigning is what recruiting is to college football. Then in 2011, Reeves won a tough Republican primary on the way to be elected lieutenant governor. But, in recent campaigns, Reeves and other statewide Republicans have benefited from the lack of Democrats' resources to wage competitive campaigns. |
| The sexism behind the 'controversy' over the U.S. women's soccer team's 13 goals | |
 | Rachel Allison, an assistant professor of sociology at Mississippi State University and author of "Kicking Center: Gender and the Selling of Women's Professional Soccer," writes for The Washington Post: The United States women's national soccer team went into halftime of its game against Thailand in the Women's World Cup on Tuesday with a solid 3-0 lead. The defending champions ended with the largest margin of victory in World Cup history, scoring 10 more times in the second half for a final score of 13-0. And as the goals piled up, so did the criticisms. Some watching felt a sense of unease with the lopsided score. Others were put off by the U.S. women's continued celebration of their later goals, particularly by veteran players. ... But the U.S. women didn't really misbehave on Tuesday. The backlash to the final score -- and the lopsided score itself -- is a product of the way we treat women's sports differently from men's. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State scores 4 in the 9th, stuns Auburn in Omaha | |
| Marshall Gilbert turned a mostly forgettable night at the plate into a memorable one. The No. 9 batter hit a bases-loaded single up the middle that capped a four-run ninth inning and gave Mississippi State a 5-4 walk-off victory over Auburn in the College World Series on Sunday. Gilbert had been 0 for 4 before he came to bat, following six teammates who had kept the line moving. "First of all, I was in awe by everybody that was able to get the job done before me," Gilbert said. "It was incredible, the fact we could get to that point to where I was coming up to the plate, and all the at-bats prior to that I had kind of been a little off, missed some pitches. I kept getting encouragement from my teammates saying, 'Keep going, keep going, don't quit.' Gilbert ripped a shot past pitcher Tanner Burns and just out of reach of second baseman Ryan Bliss. Dustin Skelton came home from third and the Mississippi State dugout emptied, with players running into right field to mob Gilbert after the Bulldogs' third walk-off win of the season. |
| Black magic: Mississippi State's wild, 9th-inning comeback gives team 10-0 record in 'Nickelblack' jerseys | |
| Baseball is a game of superstition. Senior center fielder Jake Mangum is chief among those players who believe in such things. With a 9-0 record in the all-black "Nickelblack" uniforms entering the College World Series, Mangum pleaded with redshirt junior and Game 1 starter Ethan Small to don the jerseys Sunday. Small, who as starting pitcher had the honor of choosing the team's game jerseys, was hesitant. Traditionally a Friday starter, he always reverted to the Maroon '85s top. It had worked pretty well. MSU is 14-4 in those games. Pressured by Mangum and others, Small relented. Sunday, the shiny magic of the Nickelblack uniforms looked as though it had worn. For eight innings, the Bulldogs labored through varying missed opportunities, trailing 4-1 headed to the bottom of the ninth inning. For three hours, 23 minutes the "Nickelblack" jerseys were for naught -- until suddenly, it seems, whatever magic they had started working. |
| 'We don't lose in blacks': How Mississippi State baseball uniforms aided in CWS walk-off win | |
| Peyton Plumlee was one of the last Mississippi State players to make his way back to the locker room after the Bulldogs' 5-4 walk-off victory over Auburn on Sunday night. Before veering hard to meet up with his teammates in the room, he passed a mixture of fans and media personnel in the tunnel at TD Ameritrade Park. He had a message for everyone. "We don't lose in blacks," Plumlee said. For most of the night, it looked like Mississippi State would lose in their patented "Nickelblack" uniforms. Red-shirt junior Ethan Small, who is accustomed to pitching on Fridays in a maroon jersey with white pants, didn't have his SEC Pitcher of the Year form against the Tigers. He gave up a two-run blast to sophomore third baseman Edouard Julien in in the second inning and surrendered an RBI single to the same batter in the fourth. Small, who has gotten through 6.0 innings in 14 of his 18 starts this season, only got through 5.0 on Sunday. He blames the black jerseys a bit for that. "I will never wear these uniforms ever again in my life," Small said. "I'm sticking to my maroons from now on." |
| Mississippi State rallies with four runs to walk-off against Auburn | |
| No. 3 Mississippi State entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing Auburn 4-1 after stranding 11 men on base, seven of which were in scoring position. But the Bulldogs battled right down to the final out and their perseverance paid off with a 5-4 victory in walk-off fashion. "No matter the situation, if you give our offense one more chance to swing the bats and keep it close, that what they can do, that's what they're capable of," said MSU closer Cole Gordon. "I watched them do it all year." The Bulldogs (52-13) advance to play Vanderbilt in the winner's bracket game on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN. The Commodores defeated Louisville 3-1 earlier Sunday. Auburn (38-27) plays an elimination game against the Cardinals on Tuesday at 1 p.m. |
| Mississippi State scores 4 in 9th to win College World Series opener against Auburn | |
| Mississippi State players gathered in shallow left field 15 minutes before their College World Series game against Auburn on Sunday night. The Bulldogs have a routine ritual of hyping themselves up for every game with a quick huddle in the outfield. This brief team meeting at TD Ameritrade Park took a little longer to start than usual. Everyone had their eyes on the video screen in right field as it played highlights from MSU's Starkville Super Regional Game 2 victory over Stanford. The Dogs waited until they saw senior right fielder Elijah MacNamee blast his ninth-inning, three-run home run before they tightened their circle and said whatever it was that was supposed to get them fired up for their inaugural game of the 2019 CWS. It didn't work -- until the ninth inning. |
| Auburn collapses in 9th inning, loses 5-4 to Mississippi State | |
 | On the grandest stage of college baseball, Edouard Julien had a chance to end the biggest win for Auburn baseball -- maybe ever. A sharp ground ball to third that he gobbled up and put in his right hand without trouble and hesitation. Now all it took was one throw to put a capper on his great, three RBI game. It seemed fitting he would get the final act. He'd provided the power -- hitting the longest home run in this venue's history just hours earlier. It was his stage -- and he threw it away. And with it, he threw away a win, too. Two infield singles later, and Auburn lost 5-4, seeing its three-run ninth inning lead collapse in swift and stunning fashion. Only minutes later, Julien was on a new stage. This one, lights, microphones and cameras in his face as he sat in front of his locker -- trying to explain something so inexplicable. "It sucks," Julien said, barely above a whisper, his voice quivering, "I mean, we lost because I couldn't make a throw." |
| SHOCKED: Auburn unravels as Mississippi State walks off for win at College World Series | |
 | Under the bright lights, Auburn crumbled. Mississippi State scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth for an indescribable 5-4 walk-off win, and the Bulldogs danced over Auburn's misery at TD Ameritrade Park on Sunday night, capitalizing on a series of Auburn struggles in closing stages and sending the Tigers to the losers' bracket at the College World Series. Auburn led 4-1 going into the bottom of the ninth before everything unraveled. Auburn will play an elimination game on Tuesday afternoon against Louisville. Auburn scraped the bottom of its pitching depth in that ninth inning. The Bulldogs chewed through six Auburn pitchers in the game. After freshman Richard Fitts gave up a leadoff double jeopardizing that 4-1 lead, Auburn turned to limited veteran Tanner Burns. Mississippi State scored one run with one out down, then another on an RBI groundout. With two outs down and a man on second, Mississippi State had its chance but Auburn's win was still within grasp. Then it happened. |
| Mississippi State Finds Magic Against Auburn | |
| Kendall Rogers writes for D1Baseball: Something magical just seems to follow this year's Mississippi State team around, and Elijah MacNamee could feel it as he patrolled right field in the top of the ninth inning, even while trailing SEC rival Auburn. For eight innings Sunday night against Auburn, it looked like the Bulldogs, if they wanted to win their first national title, would have to do so by coming out of the loser's bracket. Not an easy task against this gargantuan field of four on their side of the bracket. Auburn got a strong pitching performance by lefthander Jack Owen, Edouard Julien smacked a home run for the Tigers and the AU bullpen was doing just enough to keep control of the game, heading to the bottom of the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead. That magical feeling, the one MacNamee had a hunch about in the top of the ninth inning, became a reality, as it has done so many times over the past two seasons with this group of players. |
| 'Grit of our ballclub played out' -- and State wins a thriller | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Just when it seemed Mississippi State was headed to the losers bracket -- the College World Series version of hell on earth -- maroon magic occurred on a warm Nebraska night. Down all evening and still down 4-1 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Bulldogs rallied for four runs and defeated Auburn 5-4 in one of the most improbable finishes imaginable. "We fought, we battled, and, in the end, the grit of our ballclub played out," said State coach Chris Lemonis. Said winning pitcher Cole Gordon, "With our offense, we're never out of a game, and we know that." For State, it was the 52nd victory of the season against only 13 defeats. Amazingly, this was the 28th of those 52 when the Bulldogs had to come from behind to do it. Seldom before did things look so bleak. And, never, had the stakes been higher. |
| How Mississippi State freshmen are handling first time at College World Series | |
| Jake Mangum hopped off the bus like he's been here before. So did Elijah MacNamee. Tanner Allen did, too. The list of Mississippi State players who have been to Omaha for the College World Series goes on and on. The Bulldogs were just here last year, after all, so they've been around the block at TD Ameritrade Park. Literally. But what about the ones who haven't? A lot has been made of MSU having been here before, but freshmen like JT Ginn, Brandon Smith, Brad Cumbest, Luke Hancock and Eric Cerantola all have serious shots of seeing the field this week. The feeling of excitement isn't foreign to any of the first-year players. While guys like Mangum and MacNamee have had tunnel vision to stay focused on winning it all, players like Cumbest are still in "soak it up" mode. He was wide-eyed as can be during Mississippi State's practice Friday. |
| How Mississippi State pitcher Jared Liebelt's dad has prepared him for College World Series | |
| Tim Liebelt had everything he needed right in front of him. A microphone, his drum set, a tall glass of water, 1,200 people jamming to his band's tunes and -- an iPad? A tablet is a device better suited for an office desk or a comfy couch. Not a crowded musical stage at Wrigleyville, the famed entertainment district right outside Wrigley Field in Chicago. That's where Liebelt and his band, the Suburban Cowboys, were playing on May 10. Liebelt uses the iPad to control programs for the band during its shows, but sometimes he uses it for something completely unrelated to the band's performance. While hundreds of people were focused on the music Liebelt and the four other band members were making on stage, Liebelt's attention often wandered to the screen in front of him. His son, Mississippi State senior pitcher Jared Liebelt, was having the game of his life at Swayze Field in Oxford, Mississippi, some 623 miles south of Wrigleyville. |
| Father's Day gift: Chris Lemonis gets to coach at the College World Series in front of dad | |
| Father's Day is an occasion for sons and daughters all over to find ways to show appreciation to their dads. One of the many MSU fans that'll pack the stadium ... is Lemonis' father Thomas, who not only will get to see his son be a head coach on college baseball's biggest stage for the first time, but will get to root on Chris while he guides Thomas' alma mater towards a possible national championship. Chris was just a newborn back in 1973 when his life's journey essentially began where it now sits once more – in Starkville. Thomas was finishing up an engineering degree at Mississippi State before baby Chris could even walk. The Lemonis clan lived in on-campus married housing. Jump ahead some four and a half decades, and here is Chris guiding the same school his dad attended in one of the premier events in all of sports. |
| Auburn's baseball coaches cherish family time at College World Series on Father's Day | |
| Butch Thompson smiled as he told his story. The assistant coaches around him had all heard it before, but it was just as good now. He laughed again as he talked about his first baseball coach --- his own dad --- who taught him the game, who encouraged him, and who, as Thompson likes to laugh over, wouldn't take him for ice cream if he didn't get a hit out on the Little League fields. "I just, dad-gummit, I hate that I can't pick up the phone and share this with him," Thompson said. "This" is the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Thompson's father, David, died last July. On the first Father's Day since his passing, one of Thompson's greatest dreams is coming true. It's a family affair for the Auburn baseball program. All three of Thompson's daughters are with him on the trip. Thompson talked about the crowded breakfasts at the hotel here. He loves seeing those elevator doors slide open and seeing his coaches and their whole families walking off together. He laughed again talking about how his wife and daughters "let" him go shopping for souvenir hats and shirts in Omaha on Thursday night. "So I guess I've already bought my own self my Father's Day gift," he laughed again. |
| Starkville restaurants show support for Mississippi State baseball | |
 | Thousands of Bulldog fans may have traveled to Omaha to support their team, but there are plenty of people still in Starkville that spent the day gearing up to watch the big game on TV. Starkville restaurant managers have planned a few baseball viewing parties, and they say showing their support for MSU baseball is really the least they could do. "We're expecting a good turnout. We usually have a good turnout for the games. People still in town, not in Omaha, will be tuning in to watch," said Central Station Grill Assistant Manager Patrick Sandidge. Across town at Stagger In, employees spent their Sunday getting ready for the big game. Both restaurants said supporting the Bulldogs is the least they could do. "The university does so much for us bringing great guests in, so we like to give back. These things are always fun, hosting things for the university. It's always a great crowd for the Bulldog fans to come out," said Sandidge. |
| College World Series: Is the Vandy whistler in Omaha? Yes and no | |
 | Some Vanderbilt fans want the Vandy whistler leading the way at the College World Series. Many other college baseball fans want his chirping nowhere near Omaha and ESPN broadcasts this week. Both are getting their wish. Despite a common misconception, the Vanderbilt baseball fan called Vandy whistler is actually two different men. One of them, Preacher Franklin, is at Vanderbilt's game against Louisville Sunday in the College World Series. The other whistler, Jeff Pack, cannot attend the early portion of the tournament due to work obligations. He hopes to make it to Omaha if Vanderbilt advances to the championship series. During Vanderbilt's 2014 national title run, Pack and Franklin were whistling constantly during the game, and the ESPN microphones hanging overhead picked up every shrieking sound. They both say a security guard and an ESPN staff member threatened to toss them out of the ballpark if they continued whistling. An ESPN spokesperson denied that claim at the time. |
| Chris Woods named Mississippi State track and field head coach; April Thomas promoted to associate head coach | |
 | After guiding the Mississippi State men's team to its third-highest point total in school history at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier this month, Chris Woods has been named head coach of the Bulldog men's and women's track and field teams, Director of Athletics John Cohen announced on Friday. In addition, throws coach April Thomas has been promoted to associate head coach. The leader of "JavU," Thomas' squad swept the men's javelin podium at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships, marking the first time since 1964 that a school had achieved the feat. Thomas was tabbed USTFCCCA South Region Men's Assistant Coach of the Year last month. Woods had served as the interim head coach since Sept. 20, 2018, after five seasons as a sprinters and relays coach for both the MSU men and women. With its 11th-place and 24-point showing at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships, State secured its third-highest point total in program history and second-best mark since 1982. |
| Chris Woods promoted as head track coach at Mississippi State | |
| After guiding the Mississippi State men's team to its third-highest point total in school history at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships earlier this month, Chris Woods has been named head coach of the Bulldog men's and women's track and field teams, Director of Athletics John Cohen announced on Friday. "We conducted a national search, and the best fit for our next head coach was right here in Starkville," Cohen said. "I am excited for Chris and the future of Mississippi State track and field. Chris knows exactly what it means to be a Bulldog having lettered and served as assistant coach and interim head coach at Mississippi State. Our program continues to produce many of the world's best, All-Americans and champions at a record pace. Chris understands what it takes for our program to continue the path to championships and develop our student-athletes to the fullest. My sincere congratulations goes out to Chris, Wanda, Trace and Cade." |
| Teaira McCowan adjusts to life as WNBA rookie | |
| Last Thursday, rookie center Teaira McCowan had a solid night of work for the WNBA's Indiana Fever -- six rebounds (four offensive), two points and a blocked shot in 15-plus minutes off the bench. But once the Fever had defeated the Dallas Wings, 76-72 at College Park Center, she had other business. McCowan took time for photos and a conversation with two Mississippi State fans sitting courtside who had driven from the Magnolia State to see her play in person. "My time at State has most definitely built me into the person I am today. From freshman year, not knowing if I was going to make it to my last year where I just really came alive," McCowan, 22, said before the game. "We went to back-to-back Final Fours ... Just looking back on that, I just feel like it's really prepared me to go and play against who I'm up against now." The third overall draft pick in April's draft, the 6-foot-7 McCowan is averaging 4.0 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench for the Fever (4-4) as she adjusts to the pro game. |
| Gov. Greg Abbott hopes to schedule two-game football matchup between A&M and Texas | |
| Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is continuing his efforts to bridge the divide between the Texas A&M and Texas football programs. While speaking with Scott DeLucia on WTAW Friday morning, Abbott said he has talked to the leadership of both universities about the possibility of a two-game series in the future. He said he hopes to call a meeting between those leaders soon to further discuss the possibility. "It's going to be harder long-term," Abbott told WTAW. Abbott had previously mentioned his desire to renew the game during his State of the State address in February, backing a bill filed by state Rep. Lyle Larson, an Aggie. House Bill 412 mandated the two universities to schedule an annual nonconference football game on the fourth Thursday, Friday or Saturday of November or face losing state funds for athletic scholarships or athletic financial aid. However, neither program uses state funds for athletic scholarships. The bill ultimately didn't make it out of committee, according to the Texas Tribune. |
| Alabama football continues to thrive as attendance dips slightly nationally | |
| It's been the talk of college football for a few years now. Bama fatigue. You see headlines all over the country about it: "Is Alabama ruining college football?" "America tired of Alabama dominance?" "Is Alabama as tired of Alabama as we are?" The verdict is in, folks want Bama. According to National Football Foundation numbers for the 2018 season, Alabama was a big ratings grabber, with the SEC Championship Game between the Crimson Tide and Georgia being the most-watched and highest-rated regular-season game on any network in seven years. The game, televised on CBS, drew 17.5 million viewers and was the second-most watched SEC title game since 1992, which also featured Alabama. Alabama football appears to be in good shape with attendance. Its total attendance for seven 2018 home games averaged 101,562 fans per game. Compared to the 101,722 average in 2017, UA saw just a .16 percent decrease. The attendance average has fluctuated since the expansion of Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2010 with the highest average in 2016 (101,821) to its lowest average in 2013 (101,505). |
| Tennessee cheer coach still on paid leave as probe into 'racially insensitive remarks' continues | |
 | After nearly one year, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville cheer coach placed on paid leave while an investigation took place into "racially and ethnically insensitive remarks" is still being paid. And the probe has not concluded. Joy Postell-Gee, the cheer coach for over 25 years, was placed on leave on June 29, 2018, for the second time. She also had been placed on paid leave earlier in 2018 and had returned to her duties on June 8, 2018, according to her personnel files. She was expected to return to coaching on Dec. 31, 2018, her file said. Postell-Gee remains on paid leave and the investigation is ongoing and open, UT spokeswoman Tyra Haag said Thursday in an email. She earns an annual salary of $46,630, according to the files. |
| Panel: 90% of US sport bets could be online in 5 to 10 years | |
| Some gambling and technology executives say 90% of sports betting in the United States will be done over mobile phones or the internet in the next five to 10 years. Speaking this week at the East Coast Gaming Congress in Atlantic City, the leaders say rapid advances in technology are pushing sports betting further online. Since winning a U.S. Supreme Court case last year clearing the way for all states to offer legal sports betting, New Jersey has taken in nearly $3 billion in sports bets. Around 80% of those have been placed online. That percentage is set to increase in about five years, several executives said in a panel. "Society's movement to mobile in just about every area cannot be denied," said David Rebuck, director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. "To ignore it will just cause problems in the future; Your customers want it, and they'll access it on the black market for sure." |
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