Wednesday, July 17, 2019   
 
Mississippi State students have new permit options, parking spaces underway
As students prepare for the first day of classes at Mississippi State University, they may wonder where they can park on campus. Jeremiah Dumas, the Director of Parking and Transit Services for MSU, said students can purchase the "Any Valid" parking zone permit. The permit is cheaper than other permits, and allows students to park on campus and on the outskirts of campus in the permitted areas. Dumas added the university is constructing a surface parking lot and parking garage.
 
Students Learn Importance Of Drones In Agriculture As Part Of 'Agronomy' Day Camp
A group of students spent their day learning how drones are used in agriculture throughout Northeast Mississippi. It was part of a "Agronomy Day Camp" hosted by Mississippi State University's North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona. "Agronomy" means plant science, and students in the day long camp learned about row crops, and how science and technology , such as drones, are used in agriculture on a daily basis. Organizers say it's important for young people to develop an interest in agriculture and agronomy. "Agriculture is the main employer in Mississippi, most people don't realize that, most people don't realize where their food and fiber comes from and we are facing a potential shortage of professionals in the near future," said Dr. Bill Burdine, Regional Agronomy Specialist.
 
Summer Scholars create and star in a new musical production at Mississippi State
For the past two and a half weeks, the McComas theater at Mississippi State University has been busy with students working day and night on an original stage production. "So, the kids have been practicing on the stage, getting familiar transitioning their numbers that they've been working on in the past week, and their vocal numbers that they've also been working on, getting them ready and getting used to the space," said Dance Assistant Sarah Jo Norris. "The first week is what we call writers camp. It's a smaller group. About half the campers come for writers camp. They wrote the show, and they wrote half of the music in the show. They wrote six original songs in five days," said Production Coordinator Joe Evans. This week, campers are gearing up for the show's premiere.
 
Oktibbeha does not qualify for HOME program
In 1990, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development established the HOME program in an effort to assist those living in rural communities or small towns that might not otherwise have access to HUD assistance. The program provides help in reconstruction and rehabilitation of homes whose owners lack the funds to do the work themselves. But the funding for the program, which operates in 40 states, including Mississippi, has been cut in half since 2010. On Monday, the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors learned of the impact of those cuts. "I wish I had better news for you today," Phylis Benson of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District told supervisors during their regular board meeting. "Right now, you're not going to be eligible for this program." Benson said the formula is heavily weighted to provide funds in the poorest areas of the state. She said that worked against Oktibbeha County.
 
Barry delays Bonnet Carre Spillway closing again
The closing of the Bonnet Carre Spillway has been delayed yet again, the Army Corps of Engineers said Tuesday. The Corps originally expected to begin closing bays this week, but rain up north due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry have pushed their plan back. It's been a record breaking spillway opening and many are anxious to see these gates closed, so the ecosystem has a chance to get back to normal, but additional rainfall from Barry looks to push the previous forecasted closure another 10 days. The Corps now say they expect to begin the process on July 28. Jeff Graschel works with the lower Mississippi River Forecast Center to help create a forecast for river levels, based on rainfall and runoff in the basin. "The river on the lower part of the Mississippi River comes up very slowly, but then goes down very slowly, so it's a very slow process," Graschel said. "You're draining 41 percent of the country, so it's rainfall in the Ohio valley and the Mississippi valley and the Missouri valley that makes its way down through here."
 
Tate Reeves releases job training, rural health proposals
Gubernatorial candidate Tate Reeves in recent days has proposed spending $100 million to modernize Mississippi's workforce and released a plan to attract more doctors to rural areas. They are the first significant policy proposals of Reeves' candidacy. In television ads and stump speeches, the Republican for months has leaned on red meat social issues and highlighting his accomplishments as lieutenant governor. He's slammed "extremist" national Democrats and praised President Donald Trump. But he's rarely explained his policy ideas or stances -- until the past few days. On Friday, Reeves discussed health care issues, including a plan to inject more state money into starting medical residency programs in rural areas. On Monday, he released the workforce training proposal, calling for state grants and other investment to help upgrade community colleges and assist working families with child care and transportation.
 
Candidates: Mississippi Should Focus on Vocational Education
Candidates for Mississippi governor are saying the state should strengthen vocational education programs to boost the economy. Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that he's proposing the state spend $100 million to try to improve job skills. Reeves said the single largest expense would be $75 million to community colleges for workforce training. "I believe in Mississippi; we need to work to promote a culture of work and to enable Mississippi's workforce to compete with anyone anywhere in the country and, in fact, anyone anywhere in the world," Reeves said during a news conference in the Jackson suburb of Clinton, at a factory that makes generators. Speaking later Monday to a Republican women's group in Jackson, former Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. and state Rep. Robert Foster both said the state needs to ensure some students are prepared to work after high school graduation. A Democrat running for governor, Attorney General Jim Hood, also has said people can earn good money with vocational skills.
 
Mississippi: Election lawsuit is not about voting rights
Attorneys defending Mississippi say a lawsuit that challenges the state's system of choosing a governor is about "partisan politics," not about protecting African Americans' voting rights. The election-year lawsuit was filed May 30 in federal court by four black plaintiffs with backing from Eric Holder, who was the first African American U.S. attorney general and is now chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. It says a provision in Mississippi's 1890 constitution "has its basis in racism," requiring candidates for governor or other statewide offices to win a majority of the popular vote and a majority of the 122 Mississippi House districts. Without both majorities, the election is decided by the state House. The provision was written at a time that white politicians across the South were enacting Jim Crow laws to erase black political power that had been gained during Reconstruction. No other state in the U.S. uses such a method to choose governor.
 
How a planned Democratic forum quietly fell apart after Jim Hood balked
Jacquie Amos has heard from many Democratic voters the past few weeks about whether the Democrats running for governor planned to share the stage and talk about their platforms. As field director for the Mississippi Democratic Party and chairwoman of the Hinds County Democratic Party, Amos regularly organizes events and runs the local chapter of the party in the county with the most Democratic voters -- and citizens -- in the state. "If we're going to force political change at the state level, we have to get the best messages to the voters so they can make the right decision," Amos said. "I don't think any candidate should say they're a shoo-in. If you give voters clarity, something concrete -- if we can do that, then I think we've done our job." So on July 8, Amos got to work.
 
Future Of Key Farming Research Uncertain As 2/3 Of USDA Staff Say They Won't Move
Two vital research agencies at the U.S. Department of Agriculture are hemorrhaging staff as less than two-thirds of the researchers asked to relocate from Washington, D.C. to the Kansas City area have agreed to do so. When U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the planned new location of the research agencies last month, he said it "will be placing important USDA resources closer to many stakeholders" and "increasing the probability of attracting highly-qualified staff with training and interests in agriculture." But groups such as the Union of Concerned Scientists call it a "blatant attack on science" that will "especially hurt farmers, ranchers and eaters at a particularly vulnerable time." The USDA gave employees until just before midnight on Monday to notify their employers whether they planned to accept the relocation.
 
House's condemnation of Trump may just be the beginning
Although Tuesday's long day of heated debate ended with the House voting to condemn President Donald Trump for racist tweets, the chamber's brawl over the president's behavior may be just beginning. The House voted, 240-187, to approve a nonbinding resolution that says the chamber "strongly condemns" Trump's "racist comments that have legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color." Getting there was an extraordinary journey stretching more than six hours. Lawmakers spent much of the afternoon in emotional upheaval, with members on both sides of the aisle seeking to strike their colleagues' words from the record, including those of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen on Monday introduced a resolution to censure Trump with nine co-sponsors, including the four progressive Democrats who were the targets of the president's attacks. He said seven or eight other Democrats told him Tuesday they want to sign on to the resolution, but it's been hard to rally support for it because Pelosi is opposed.
 
Former Justice John Paul Stevens, who became Supreme Court's leading liberal, dies at age 99
John Paul Stevens, the bow-tied, independent-thinking, Republican-nominated justice who unexpectedly emerged as the Supreme Court's leading liberal, died Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after suffering a stroke Monday. He was 99. During nearly 35 years on the court, Stevens stood for the freedom and dignity of individuals, be they students or immigrants or prisoners. He acted to limit the death penalty, squelch official prayer in schools, establish gay rights, promote racial equality and preserve legal abortion. He protected the rights of crime suspects and illegal immigrants facing deportation. Stevens served more than twice the average tenure for a justice, and was only the second to mark his 90th birthday on the high court. From his appointment by President Gerald Ford in 1975 through his retirement in June 2010, he shaped decisions that touched countless aspects of American life. Stevens was born on Chicago's South Side and became a die-hard Cubs fan, listening to radio broadcasts of games from his Hyde Park home and at his family's summer place in Michigan.
 
$20 million in construction underway at PRCC's Poplarville campus
It's been a busy summer for building at Pearl River Community College's Poplarville campus. About $20 million in new construction is underway, including two new residence halls and a new annex to the Science Building. Included is the installation of new artificial turf at Dobie Holden stadium. That's a $650,000 project that should be wrapped up on Wednesday. Meanwhile, employees of Pearl River Community College will soon be enjoying a pay raise. The school's Board of Trustees has approved a four percent, across-the-board annual raise, which will take effect later this month. Last year, employees also got a four percent annual raise.
 
Probe uncovers that ex-LSU frat member deleted 700 phone files
Prosecutors rested their case Tuesday against a former LSU student accused in the 2017 hazing death of Phi Delta Theta pledge Max Gruver after a toxicologist testified Gruver was a "walking dead man" by the end of that ill-fated night with a blood-alcohol level more than six times the legal limit to drive in Louisiana. Dr. Patricia Williams, an expert in the field of toxicology, told jurors at Matthew Naquin's negligent homicide trial that Gruver's blood-alcohol concentration of 0.495% led to "sleep, coma and death." "There was no way his body could get through this," she said. "He was a dead man walking at midnight." Numerous prosecution witnesses testified over the last two weeks that Gruver and other Phi Delta Theta pledges were ordered to chug 190-proof alcohol -- which is 95 percent alcohol -- during a Sept. 13, 2017, initiation ritual called "Bible study," if they answered questions about the fraternity incorrectly or could not recite the Greek alphabet.
 
Survey: UGA's Jere Morehead ranks 66th on pay list for college presidents
University of Georgia President Jere Morehead's $648,699 compensation in calendar year 2018 places him easily in the top 1 percent of U.S. household incomes, but not quite in the top 25 percent of 268 U.S. public college presidents ranked in an annual salary survey. Last year, 17 public college presidents made more than $1 million, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, which conducted the salary survey of public college presidents. Four Southeastern Conference college presidents were in the million-dollar club in 2018. Texas A&M University President Michael Young was second in the nation and tops in the SEC at $1,893,740, University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto was no. 4 in the nation at $1,534,806, University of Florida President W. Kent Fuchs was no. 11 at $1,131,114, and University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides was no. 15 with $1,046,899.
 
U. of Missouri used high costs to block records requests, witness says
The lawsuit over the University of Missouri's Sunshine Law practices being tried in Boone County Circuit Court began when the Beagle Freedom Project heard individual supporters of its work were being charged far more than the $50 the organization estimated for research animal records, a witness said Tuesday. Jeremy Beckham, who ran the Identity Campaign for the Beagle Freedom Project, said the organization decided to request records for all dogs and cats used in MU research. In response, the university sent a cost estimate of more than $82,000. The organization sued the university and records custodian Paula Barrett in 2016, alleging that the high cost discouraged access to the records. Beckham was Tuesday's primary witness in the trial, which is expected to conclude Wednesday. He said the organization first obtained a census of the research animals at 14 institutions, including MU. Supporters were urged to request records from the universities. The university's demand was by far the costliest, he said.
 
Senate lawmakers introduce bill to spur growth of income-share agreements
Senate lawmakers announced legislation Tuesday that they argue will spur the growth of income-share agreements, privately run alternatives to student loans that commit workers to paying back a portion of their future income. ISAs have received extensive press coverage, thanks to their promotion as an alternative to unmanageable student debt. They've yet to catch on widely, though -- in part, supporters argue, because of a lack of clarity surrounding federal law. Senator Todd Young, an Indiana Republican, and Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, were joined by Virginia Democrat Mark Warner and Delaware Democrat Chris Coons in rolling out the bill. Young and Rubio had previously introduced legislation. The new Democratic support reflects the growing interest in alternatives to traditional student loans. Coons said the legislation would allow ISA proponents to "proceed safely and with more government oversight."
 
Experts still digging into new taxes on higher education
Colleges and universities have paid or are preparing to pay for the first time two new, much-talked-about taxes under Republicans' 2017 tax-reform law: the so-called parking tax and the endowment tax. But that doesn't mean all the kinks are worked out yet -- or that the fight over the federal levies is over. The intricacies involved in paying and calculating the taxes were much discussed during the National Association of College and University Business Officers annual meeting here this week. So was discussion about repeal efforts, at least for the parking tax. NACUBO was asking business officers to sign up for a campaign against the tax, tweet with the hashtag #parktheparkingtax and tell their own local lobbyists to take up the campaign. Despite its nickname, the tax itself doesn't only cover parking. It's an unrelated business income tax on employee parking and transportation benefits that has been the focus of questions since its introduction.
 
Perspectives from the field on Amazon's big-dollar entry into training workers
Amazon announced last week that it would spend $700 million on training its employees, the latest (and perhaps biggest) decision by a company to make a major investment in ensuring that its employees have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed there (and, the company says, perhaps after they leave -- among the programs it is offering are those in fields such as nursing). Amazon's announcement is part of a larger move Inside Higher Ed and others have been writing about of employers getting (in many cases, back) into the business of educating and training their employees, after decades in which they seemed increasingly intend to subcontract that work to the postsecondary education and training ecosystem (running the gamut from community colleges and for-profit institutions to continuing education programs at research universities). Many of the companies that are investing anew in employee education and training are doing so through those colleges and universities -- but some, including Amazon, are increasingly turning to corporate third parties or building their own structures (like Amazon's Machine Learning University) or classrooms (Amazon will have 60 on-ground facilities).
 
Dr. David Sansing pushed his home state forward
Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: The death of retired University of Mississippi historian Dr. David Sansing is an event that should give all Mississippians pause, for we have lost one of the great, important voices urging our state to move forward. One of the most difficult things for native Mississippians to do is to see Mississippi -- warts and all -- for what it is while maintaining fervent hopes and aspirations for what our state can ultimately become. Dr. Sansing possessed that dual vision to perhaps a greater depth than anyone I've known. He was a prolific scholar and author, a compassionate yet demanding teacher, a reliable and generous friend, and a man who at his core had a warm and encouraging demeanor. He saw, acknowledged and confronted the worst in human nature, but he strived to encourage those individuals to become the best they could be.


SPORTS
 
Joe Moorhead, Bulldogs Set For #SECMD19 Wednesday, Watch Live on SEC Network
Football season has arrived for Mississippi State as head coach Joe Moorhead and Bulldog student-athletes Farrod Green, Erroll Thompson and Darryl Williams take their turn at SEC Media Day from 1:30-5 p.m. CT on Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Wynfrey Hotel. SEC Network will have live coverage, and it will be available on WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Moorhead, who enters his second season, will speak at the main podium at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday live on SEC Network. He is also scheduled to make live appearances on the SEC Network set at approximately 2:25 p.m., Sirius XM Radio at 4:20 p.m. and The Paul Finebaum Show at 4:40 p.m. Meanwhile, several Bulldogs joined Moorhead on Tuesday afternoon and evening in Jackson. The team visited with patients at the Batson Children's Hospital before signing autographs at the annual Central Mississippi Chapter Summer Extravaganza. State opens preseason camp on Aug. 2 in preparation for the Aug. 31 season-opener against Louisiana in New Orleans.
 
Trio of Bulldogs named to national watch lists
Southeastern Conference Media Days are not the only indicator that football season is right around the corner. Preseason watch lists have started to be released and three Mississippi State juniors have already been identified as potential candidates for a pair of national awards. Running back Kylin Hill was selected to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award while linebacker Erroll Thompson and cornerback Cameron Dantzler were named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the top player in college football while the Bednarik Award goes to the best defensive player in college football.
 
Mississippi State's Hill, Dantzler, Thompson garner preseason recognition
Mississippi State juniors running back Kylin Hill, cornerback Cam Dantzler and linebacker Erroll Thompson have been named to the Maxwell and Bednarik Award watchlists, respectively, per a news release Monday. MSU is one of four SEC teams with a player named to both watch lists. The Maxwell Award honors the nation's top collegiate football player while the Bednarik is given to Defensive Player of the Year. Hill, a Columbus native, rushed for 734 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and added another 176 yards and four touchdowns receiving in an injury-plagued 2018 season. He earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors after a 211-yard, three-touchdown outburst against Kansas State Sept. 8 in Manhattan last year. Dantzler totaled 43 tackles and two interceptions last season. He was named a 2018 second team All-SEC performer for his efforts and was honored as a second team preseason All-American by Phil Steele earlier this offseason. Thompson will serve as the Bulldogs' defensive captain in 2019 after notching 87 tackles and 3.5 sacks last year.
 
Mississippi State women's soccer adds Brian Dunleavy to coaching staff
James Armstrong has announced the addition of Brian Dunleavy, the former head women's soccer coach at Georgia Southern, as Mississippi State's newest assistant coach. Dunleavy joins the Bulldogs following the departure of former assistant Josh Rife, who accepted the head coaching position at Ball State earlier this summer. "We are incredibly excited to add Brian Dunleavy to our staff," Armstrong said. "He will bring new ideas to the field as well as extensive expertise to matters off it. His wealth of experience as a head coach at the Division I level will complement our staff and bring valuable guidance to our student-athletes. We cannot wait to welcome Brian and his wonderful family to Starkville." MSU is coming off its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2018 after finishing with a 9-7-2 record. State opens its 25th season of soccer at home on Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. CT against Alabama A&M.
 
Vann Stuedeman out as MSU softball coach
Mississippi State Director of Athletics John Cohen announced Tuesday that Vann Stuedeman will not return as head coach of the Bulldog softball program. "We are grateful to Vann for eight years of service to Mississippi State softball," Cohen said. "We appreciate her efforts and contributions to the program. We wish her the very best in her future endeavors. We will move forward immediately with a national search to identify our next head coach." Stuedeman compiled a 276-189 overall mark and a 69-127 SEC regular-season record in eight seasons.
 
SEC's Steve Shaw says officials were 'challenged' to improve in 2019
Steve Shaw, the Southeastern Conference's Coordinator of Football Officials, said Tuesday that league commissioner Greg Sankey "challenged" the conference's officials "to look at ways to get better" following a controversy-filled 2018 season. The challenge led Shaw and the SEC officiating program to take an inward look at its policies, which included hiring a consulting firm in the spring to speak with SEC coaches and athletic directors, study game reports and officiating performance reviews, and compare the league's policies with other sporting entities around the world. "I think as an outcome of this, you're going to see us embrace some new ideas," Shaw said at SEC media days in Hoover, Alabama. The new ideas mostly focus on improving communication between the league's officials and its coaches.
 
Handful of SEC football rule changes explained at Media Days
With the start of a new football season comes the start of a constant effort to improve the game. Steve Shaw, the SEC's Coordinator of Football Officials, attempted to explain a handful of tweaks to existing rules on Tuesday. Targeting has long been a long-standing, incredibly hard-to-dissect rule since it was instituted earlier this decade. It's been fine-tuned a handful of times to make it less ambiguous, and Shaw said he hopes this new change will make it easier to understand and keep players from being wrongly ejected from a game. The biggest change comes in the review process. Now, if a player will be ejected for targeting, all elements of targeting must be "confirmed" by instant replay. There's no "call stands" anymore. If every element of targeting cannot be confirmed, then replay should overturn the foul and leave the player in the game.
 
New Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork's impact still felt at Ole Miss
New Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork may no longer serve the student-athletes of Ole Miss, but his legacy continues to live strong at his former school and throughout the SEC. As Ole Miss took its moment in the spotlight Tuesday at SEC Media Days, Bjork's positive impact on the program was a common thread between the head coach and players. Head coach Matt Luke has Bjork to thank for his current position, as Luke was hired by the athletic director to fill the void left by Hugh Freeze's firing. "Obviously I have a lot of respect for Ross and gratitude," Luke said. "He hired me and gave me this opportunity, but [I] really, really enjoyed my time with him. He does a great job of interacting with the coaches. He also did a bunch of things with our facilities and building new facilities. So I think I got a lot of respect for him. I think he'll do a great job."
 
UT-Knoxville cheer coach retires after yearlong probe into racist remarks
The longtime University of Tennessee-Knoxville cheer coach retired Tuesday, ending a 13-month investigation into allegations that she made "racially and ethnically insensitive remarks," according to the university. Joy Postell-Gee, the cheer coach for over 25 years, was on paid administrative leave since June 2018 while the investigation was ongoing. The investigation "found evidence of poor and demeaning treatment of members of the spirit squad," as well as "instances of disorganization" when it came to how the program was managed, according to a memo written by Jennifer Richter, associate vice chancellor of the Office of Equity and Diversity, who conducted the investigation. UT-Knoxville will now seek a permanent replacement for Postell-Gee. Janeen Lalik, senior associate athletics director for strategic initiatives, began overseeing the spirit squad when Postell-Gee was placed on leave.



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