| Monday, August 26, 2019 |
| Mississippi State Launches New Bachelor of Applied Science Degree Program | |
 | Mississippi State University recently launched a new Bachelor of Applied Science degree program aimed at adults who have completed a technical associate's degree program through a community college or the military and need additional education to advance their careers, a release from the university says. Students can earn credits in the program through online or in-person courses. The program also allows community-college graduates to transfer up to 60 credit hours toward their respective degrees. On Thursday, Aug. 15, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees approved a new policy outlining requirements for state universities offering such degree programs, and MSU says in its release that the university will submit the applied-science program for board approval. |
| Rapper T-Pain to headline Mississippi State's 20th Bulldog Bash | |
 | Two-time Grammy Award-winning rapper T-Pain will headline the 20th annual Bulldog Bash on Sept. 20, the Mississippi State University Student Association announced Thursday. Bulldog Bash, marketed as "the largest free outdoor concert in Mississippi," will be in downtown Starkville for the third year in a row, having previously been held in the Cotton District. The show will be the day before the MSU football team will play the University of Kentucky in its first Southeastern Conference home game of the year. The organizing team expects about 45,000 people to attend and will set up extra production, including more video screens, said David Cuevas, a fifth-year senior at MSU and the Bulldog Bash director for the second-straight year. Bulldog Bash started as a small concert featuring local musicians and has blossomed into a significant revenue source for the city and an attraction for thousands of out-of-town visitors. The joint effort between the city of Starkville and MSU made Bulldog Bash flourish over two decades, both Cuevas and Mayor Lynn Spruill said. |
| Millsaps and Mississippi State Establish Dual Degree Program | |
| Robert Pearigen, president of Millsaps College, recently signed a formal agreement with Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State University, to establish a partnership allowing students to earn degrees from both institutions. Students at Millsaps will be able to complete a degree in math, physics, chemistry, biology, geology or a related major, and an additional degree in engineering from MSU at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students in the dual-degree program can be admitted to both schools. Students will spend the first two to three years at Millsaps completing coursework toward a Bachelor of Science degree, then formally enter the Bagley College of Engineering to complete the remaining coursework for an engineering degree. The program also supports graduate-level work, combining a bachelor's degree from Millsaps with a Master of Engineering or Master of Science degree from MSU, a release from Millsaps says. |
| Excitement grows as the $93 million Mississippi Aquarium inches towards completion | |
 | Spend any time at all with David Kimmel and Kurt Allen and it quickly becomes clear the new Mississippi Aquarium under construction in Gulfport is in good hands. Kimmel, the aquarium president and CEO, and Allen, the senior vice president and chief operating officer, have a level of excitement and enthusiasm for what they are doing that is palpable. "The aquarium is going to be so much more than just the physical campus," Kimmel said. "It's the impact it will have on the coast community. The educational programs we'll have. Our education people are sitting right now on the floor above us working on those educational programs and plans." The aquarium will employ some 70 full-time employees and 40-50 part-time workers, as well as a large number of volunteers and interns. The aquarium has already partnered with Mississippi State University's School of Veterinary Medicine to provide internship opportunities to students. |
| Hancock Whitney CEO John Hairston took a career curve from chemical engineering | |
 | When John M. Hairston was named CEO of Hancock Bank in 2008, the bank had about $4 billion in total assets. Since then, Hancock merged with Whitney Bank becoming Hancock Whitney Bank, and expects to finish 2019 at more than $30 billion in total assets. "Regardless of how large we become, Hancock Whitney measures our success by how our clients and communities feel about us," said Hairston, who is now is CEO of Hancock Whitney Corporation and Hancock Whitney Bank. "Size is simply a result of doing a great job at listening to the people we exist to help." After graduating from Gulfport High School in 1981, he planned to attend Mississippi State University. "My dad suffered a very difficult illness two weeks after my graduation, so I stayed on the Coast for a year to help take care of him," Hairston said. He graduated in 1987 with a B.S. chemical engineering, and initially expected to spend his career in the petrochemical business. |
| World's Best-Selling Light Business Plane HondaJet Outclasses Rivals With Radical Design | |
| Honda seems reinvigorated after its second win in the F1 Grand Prix championships while on two wheels, Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez claimed his fourth consecutive pole position at the British Grand Prix yesterday. The Japanese manufacturer of everything from cars to motorcycles, snow blowers, mountain bikes, generators, ATVs, robots, lawn mowers, outboard engines, hedge trimmers and inflatable boats is now celebrating the timely expansion of its HondaJet program after the aircraft was certified for use in China this month. It has taken well over 30 years in research and development to get to this stage. Way back in 1986, Michimasa Fujino, aeronautical engineering graduate from Japan's top college Tokyo University was given that unenviable job of heading up Honda's fledgling new aircraft development arm. It turned out to be one the last projects green-lighted by the company's enigmatic founder Soichiro Honda. After a decade of exhaustive research, calculations, design and testing in conjunction with the Mississippi State University Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, Fujino in 1997 came up with a concept sketch of what would become HondaJet. |
| Cotton District streets to close for parts of the weekends | |
 | Starkville Police have made some changes to downtown Starkville on the weekends. Starting Friday night, the area around University and Maxwell in the Cotton District will be closed to traffic from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. each Friday and Saturday night. The department said its strictly to protect people walking the streets in that area. |
| Tess Vrbin joins Dispatch as Starkville bureau reporter | |
| Tess Vrbin has joined The Dispatch staff as its Starkville bureau reporter. She started on the beat Aug. 12. In her role, Vrbin will cover local government in Starkville and Oktibbeha County, as well as write pieces focused on the people, trends and issues that impact the area. Vrbin, 22, is a Loves Park, Illinois native who earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in May from the University of Missouri. She most recently completed a summer internship at The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant. She also covered city and state politics for The Columbia (Missouri) Daily Tribune while she was in college. "Journalism is a public service and essential for a functioning democracy, so that's what keeps me going," Vrbin said. "I'm doing what I love, but I don't do it for myself. Being the bridge between the public and the information they deserve to know is a privilege. I hope to have my finger on Starkville's pulse and be aware of what people most need to know about its city and county government and how their decisions impact the community." |
| Republicans battle for conservative support ahead of Mississippi runoff this month | |
 | In Mississippi's GOP gubernatorial runoff, it's a battle over who can claim to be the truest conservative. Ahead of next week's election, the candidates -- Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves and former state Supreme Court justice Bill Waller Jr. -- are making their best efforts to tie their policies and themselves to President Trump, who remains a deeply popular force among Republicans in the state. Mississippi is among a handful of states that are electing a governor this year, including Louisiana and Kentucky. How well the Republican nominee performs in the general election could be an indicator of how the president and his policies will be received in the deep-red states in the 2020 presidential race. Nationally, 56 percent of Americans said they disapprove of the president's job performance, according to a recent Fox News poll. However, Mississippi's Republican gubernatorial run-off candidates said they would seek the president's support in a state where Republicans hold seven of eight statewide offices. |
| Primary voters make final choice: Tate Reeves or Bill Waller Jr.? | |
 | The inevitable versus the upstart, the policy pragmatist versus the political purist -- primary voters decide at last. In a Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, Tate Reeves and William "Bill" Waller Jr. face each other to see who will earn the party's nomination and advance to the general election against Democrat Jim Hood. Reeves nearly crossed the 50 percent threshold on Aug. 6 and now hopes that high name recognition, commanding financial advantages and a message of unyielding conservative governance will carry him to the GOP nomination. Waller, meanwhile, hopes that he can cobble together a winning coalition ready for a new direction in state government. In his effort to make up the gap, he touts the endorsement of the now-eliminated gubernatorial candidate Robert Foster and his problem-solver campaign pitch. Tuesday's primary runoff is open to any voter who cast a ballot in the Republican primary on Aug. 6, or to any voter who did not cast any ballot at all on Aug. 6. |
| Mississippi Gubernatorial Candidate Not Going for 'Nice Guy' | |
 | Republican Tate Reeves was a 29-year-old banker and political novice when he won his first statewide office in Mississippi in 2003. After two terms as treasurer and the next two as lieutenant governor, Reeves now has his sights set on becoming governor. To advance to the Nov. 5 general election ballot and face four-term Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood for the state's highest office, Reeves must first win his own party's nomination. Doing so will require overcoming an obstacle of his own making: a reputation as a hard-nosed politician who's not afraid to make enemies. |
| MHA Medicaid reform plan in spotlight post-debate | |
| Mississippi Cares has been at the center of debate ahead of the Republican primary runoff for governor. Using the blueprint created by Indiana's expansion of health care coverage, the Mississippi Hospital Association has put together a proposal to cover the working poor without adding to the Medicaid rolls. It envisions a provider tax and premiums to cover the state's contribution to draw down federal funds for expansion. "Why would you not say yes to helping the working poor of Mississippi when it's not costing the state money," said Tim Moore, Mississippi Hospital Association chief executive officer. "Our (federal tax) money is already going to other states." In the final debate before the runoff, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said he remains opposed to any Obamacare expansion. "I do not believe putting 300,000 more Mississippians on government health care is a good solution," Reeves said during Wednesday's debate. Former Chief Justice William Waller favors the Indiana model, stressing Vice President Mike Pence's role in crafting Healthy Indiana 2.0. |
| Lynn Fitch, Andy Taggart attorney general runoff: What you need to know | |
 | State Treasurer Lynn Fitch faces attorney Andy Taggart on Tuesday in the GOP attorney general runoff race. The Republican AG race was among the hottest of the primary, as Taggart narrowly beat out state Sen. Mark Baker to advance to the runoff alongside Fitch. Fitch won 44 percent of voters and Taggart 29 percent earlier this month. The winner will face Democrat Jennifer Riley Collins in the November general election. Regardless of who comes out on top, Mississippi will have its first new top law enforcement official in 16 years, as current Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood is running for the governor's mansion. Here's what to know about the candidates before you vote Tuesday. |
| Mississippi Congressmen Host Bipartisan Summit on Rural Healthcare | |
 | Congressman Bennie Thompson (MS-02) and Congressman Michael Guest (MS-03) hosted a Rural Healthcare Summit at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Health Related Professions last week. The summit brought together healthcare leaders to discuss issues facing the rural healthcare community. Among the speakers who joined Congressman Thompson and Congressman Guest were Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; Katie Waldo, Keynote Speaker, McDermott + Consulting; and Ryan Kelly, Chairman of the Governor's Rural Health Care Task Force. Additionally, Toby Butler, Trilogy Healthcare Solutions, Ridgeland; Tonya Moore, administrator of community health services in UMMC's Office of Strategy Development; and Joanie Perkins, North Sunflower Medical Center, Ruleville participated on a panel entitled "Innovative Solutions for Rural Health Care in Mississippi." Representatives of hospitals, state agencies, and state and federal government attended. |
| Congress' new caucus: Rep. Jennifer Wexton gives agritourism a voice | |
 | If you've ever enjoyed a winery or brewery tour, you've taken part in agritourism. U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton, a Democrat representing Virginia's 10th District, kicked off the formation of a new Agritourism Caucus Thursday by touring businesses throughout her district, highlighting the importance of agritourism to local economies and communities. |
| Veggie burgers were living an idyllic little existence. Then they got caught in a war over the future of meat. | |
 | Tofurky wasn't keeping cattle ranchers awake at night. For decades, veggie burgers were the token offering to vegans at the backyard barbecue, and Tofurky was the Thanksgiving benediction to the meat-free loved ones in our lives. But as plant-based meat goes from an afterthought to a financial juggernaut that aims to change how most people eat, the opposition has suddenly awakened: Many of the country's 800,000 cattle ranchers have declared war on newcomers Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, which use technology to make products that hew closely to the taste and texture of meat, and now "first-generation" veggie burgers and similar products are caught in the crossfire. In 2019, officials in nearly 30 states have proposed bills to prohibit companies from using words such as meat, burger, sausage, jerky or hot dog unless the product came from an animal that was born, raised and slaughtered in a traditional way. Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Wyoming have already enacted such laws. |
| CDF, Ole Miss-Tupelo partner for member-based scholarship | |
| Employees of Community Development Foundation member organizations now have more reason than ever to think about enrolling at the University of Mississippi's Tupelo campus. CDF and Ole Miss announced Friday a scholarship partnership that would provide additional financial aid for those individuals seeking to begin or continue their education. "CDF has over 1,200 members all across the Northeast Mississippi region and we wanted a way to impact as many people as possible," said UM-Tupelo executive director Derek Markley. The scholarship will provide $500 a semester for up to four semesters for anyone who wants to pursue an undergraduate degree in Tupelo. "We wanted something that would help small businesses," Markley said. |
| UPD Chief answers: How prepared is Ole Miss for emergency situations? | |
| A new school year is beginning at the University of Mississippi on Monday, and there are always concerns from parents regarding the safety of their children as the leave the comfort of their homes and enter a new environment. With the events that have transpired in recent months, those safety concerns have grown, but the University Police Department spends every summer adapting to any new threats the world may create. "What we do for our staff is that every year, of course, we do response to active shooter training for our law enforcement officers," UPD Chief Ray Hawkins said. Football season begins next week and the first Ole Miss home game is in two weeks. Thousands of people will descend onto campus with over 60,000 cramming into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. These high-population events become key targets, which UPD spends the days prior diligently planning for. "Those are large-scale events, so there's a lot of preparation going into the planning for the event itself, involving multiple resources on and off campus" Hawkins said. |
| U. of Mississippi has not sent plans to relocate Confederate monument | |
 | The University of Mississippi has not yet sent plans to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History concerning the relocation of the Confederate monument, MDAH Director of Public Relations Michael Morris wrote in an email Tuesday. On March 21, Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks announced that the university had submitted a notice of intent to the MDAH, but noted that "the process to secure the necessary approvals for this relocation will require some time." Sparks said the university would first meet with the MDAH to develop justification for moving the statue to the Confederate cemetery on campus before submitting a request to the state college board because the monument is considered a state landmark. Once the university sends the MDAH the plans, they can submit the proposal to the IHL Board of Trustees to relocate the statue to the cemetery. |
| Southern Miss freshmen volunteer to serve community | |
 | Hundreds of freshman students at the University of Southern Mississippi spent Saturday learning to help others. More than 250 students volunteered for service projects across Hattiesburg. They worked in conjunction with the United Way of Southeast Mississippi at many locations, including the Eagle's Nest Food Pantry on campus. "I just wanted to be a part of something bigger than me and help others in need," said Ashleigh Bell, one of the volunteers students from Olive Branch. "These people (at the pantry) are helping you and they're helping people just like you, so you might as well help them," said John Medford, another volunteer student from Memphis. |
| 'God Bless you Chick-fil-A,' Mississippi College student belts song after learning the restaurant coming to campus | |
| Well... It's a moment that many Choctaws have been waiting for... Chick-fil-A is officially coming to Mississippi College's campus. They announced the partnership Friday on Facebook and it's generated a lot of buzz on social media so far. It's even prompted a celebratory song by one student, Jared Vardaman who is a junior communications major at MC. He shared his excitement by singing God Bless you Chick-fil-A. It's a parody by Tim Hawkins of Lee Greenwood's Proud to be an American. He even added some of his own lyrics to the second verse. He says on his post "In honor of the announcement that Chick-fil-A is coming to MC, here's a little parody to brighten your day!" Vardaman's parody has been shared over 250 times and garnered just as many likes. It's clear that many are in favor of his take on the big news for the Clinton school. |
| Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith attends dedication of diesel technology facility at ECCC | |
 | Photo: U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (second from left) of Mississippi was among those helping East Central Community College and its partners celebrate the college's new Diesel Equipment Technology program and new facility during ceremonies held Friday at the former U.S. Motors Plant site in Philadelphia. Also participating were (from left) Dr. Billy Stewart, ECCC president; Scott Boatner, pastor of West Philadelphia Baptist Church, who gave the invocation; John Rounsaville, state director for USDA Rural Development in Mississippi; and David Vowell, president of the Community Development Partnership. The project was a joint effort between ECCC, the city of Philadelphia, Neshoba County, Community Development Partnership, and USDA Rural Development. |
| Married U. of Kentucky profs, scientist lose jobs over major health research misconduct | |
 | Two University of Kentucky professors and a staff research scientist have lost their jobs after being found guilty of "significant research misconduct" in several published papers, according to the university. The university has begun the termination process for professors Xianglin Shi and Zhuo Zhang in the Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology in the College of Medicine, UK Provost David Blackwell said Friday morning. The pair, who are married, will be fired if they don't willingly resign, Blackwell said. Donghern Kim, a roughly eight-year staff research scientist who worked in Zhang's lab, has already been fired. Unless approved by the University Legal Office, the trio has been barred from contacting any members of the UK community or visiting campus, except for medical care. In a Friday morning letter to UK faculty and staff, Blackwell and Vice President for Research Lisa Cassis said, "this matter involves a serious breach of ethics fundamental to who we are as members of an academic community." |
| LSU's Reveille moving from once to twice weekly print editions | |
 | The Reveille student newspaper at LSU will offer a print edition twice instead of once a week starting on Monday, the paper announced Friday. The newspaper, which is free, is distributed at more than 100 sites on Mondays and Thursdays both on and off campus. The change from a five-days per week print edition to once weekly was announced in January, 2016 amid controversy. The Reveille has also started a free, twice-a-week e-newsletter highlighting breaking news, sports, entertainment, food and music content at LSUReveille.com. A mobile app that includes all the material offered at LSUReveille.com is planned within days. |
| UGA orientation leader engineers his own success | |
 | Christopher Johnson has known since middle school that he wanted to be an orientation leader at the University of Georgia. A mechanical engineering major from Atlanta, Johnson attended Mini Medical School Camp as part of the summer academy held at UGA's Center for Continuing Education & Hotel in 2012. "I fell in love with UGA when I was in the eighth grade and came for a summer academy," he said. "I saw orientation live and saw the skits and knew I wanted to be an orientation leader." And this summer, his dream came true, as he was one of 16 orientation leaders that introduced about 5,550 incoming freshmen to the Georgia way. Johnson is thinking about law school and working as a patent attorney. He interned at a patent attorney office in high school, and it spurred his interest in engineering. |
| U. of Missouri-trained physicist donates $1.28 million to university | |
 | Ron and Cathy Boain's $1.28 million donation to the University of Missouri Department of Physics and Astronomy came with a challenge -- have an MU physicist become the school's first Nobel laureate in physics. Ron Boain, a 1965 graduate, and his wife, Cathy, donated $1.25 million to establish an endowment fund in their name to support professional development for astronomy and physics students. The university announced the gift in a news conference in the Physics Library on Friday morning. An additional $30,000 donation will support two programs for 10 years -- the Boain PhD Dissertation Award in Physics and the Boain PhD Student Travel Fund. The first dissertation award was given to two students last year, Zach Buck and Soma Khanra, and the travel fund will pay for students to attend conferences starting this year, Curator's Professor of Physics Sashi Satpathy said. |
| U. of Missouri sees increase in students living on campus, joining Greek life | |
 | After having to close several dorms in 2017 because of a decline in enrollment, the University of Missouri now has more students both living on campus and choosing to join Greek life. More than 6,700 students chose to live in the residential halls this year, according to a news release from MU. There was also a 42% increase in the number of returning students who chose to live in the dorms again. MU partnered with three apartment complexes to establish other "residential experiences" for students. The three complexes are the Rise on 9th on Ninth Street, U Centre on Turner Avenue and Campus Lodge on Old 63. MU is currently contracting 760 units in the private complexes, with 330 unitsoccupied by first-time freshmen, MU spokeswoman Liz McCune said. Greek life saw a jump in students participating this year. Both the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association had more people register to join their organizations. |
| New $35 million music center at U. of Memphis to anchor arts corridor | |
| The University of Memphis has applied for a building permit for its new music center. The $35 million permit was filed for 3800 Central Ave., where the planned 40,000 square-foot Scheidt Family Music Center would anchor a "Central Avenue Arts Corridor" at the university. The Corridor is meant to establish the university's arts department as a destination for both the campus and for the City of Memphis, said Anne Hogan, dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts. "We just have such talented faculty and staff, and we're excited to give the students the facility they really deserve," Hogan said. The new building, expected to open in the spring of 2021, will be much more visible than the university's current facilities, Hogan said. Construction should begin before Christmas. The new music center is one of several ongoing construction projects at the university. This week, the university also unveiled its pedestrian bridge, which spans Southern and Walker Avenues and the railroad tracks. |
| Academic Science Rethinks All-Too-White 'Dude Walls' Of Honor | |
 | A few years ago, TV celebrity Rachel Maddow was at Rockefeller University to hand out a prize that's given each year to a prominent female scientist. As Maddow entered the auditorium, someone overheard her say, "What is up with the dude wall?" She was referring to a wall covered with portraits of scientists from the university who have won either a Nobel Prize or the Lasker Award, a major medical prize. "One hundred percent of them are men. It's probably 30 headshots of 30 men. So it's imposing," says Leslie Vosshall, a neurobiologist with the university and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Vosshall says Maddow's remark, and the word "dude wall," crystallized something that had been bothering her for years. As she travels around the country to give lectures and attend conferences at scientific institutions, she constantly encounters lobbies, conference rooms, passageways, and lecture halls that are decorated with portraits of white men. She's now on a committee that's redesigning that wall of portraits at Rockefeller University, to add more diversity. And this is hardly the only science or medical institution that's reckoning with its dude wall. |
| Lex Taylor says skills training should begin in 8th grade | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "The paradigm of get a job and we will train you is gone," says Louisville's Lex Taylor. He is talking to a large multi-county group of business, education, and government leaders at the Dome, Louisville's new community safe room. Understand that Taylor is no common businessman. He is the third-generation leader of one of Mississippi's great rural industry successes. Today, under the third generation leadership of Lex and his brother Robert, Taylor Machine Works is now one division in the Taylor Group of Industries, Inc, that includes national defense product, power system, logistics, leasing and rental, and "sudden service" divisions. The company has operations in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Wyoming, and multiple locations in Mississippi and is a major player worldwide in materials handling equipment. "Taylor competes on a world stage, now, with its products and services, and like all businesses here and our surrounding areas, we need a pool of trained, ready-to-work labor," says Taylor, "workers that with minor orientation on the job can be productive day one." That was the purpose of the meeting in Louisville, to kick-off and promote a four-county initiative to begin building pools of ready-to-work labor. |
| Bill Waller's unwillingness to cast blame may be second guessed if he comes up short in Tuesday's runoff | |
| Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: In 2009 in the midst of the so-called Great Recession as Gov. Haley Barbour was making multiple budget reductions to deal with an unprecedented drop in state revenue collections, Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. put his foot down and said no additional cuts could be made to the judiciary. Waller sent a letter to the Republican governor saying that as a co-equal branch of government the judiciary had to have enough funding to carry out its constitutionally mandated function. Barbour said OK. The episode was surprising for two reasons. First of all, as head of the state's judiciary, Waller was known as a person who did not rock the boat or cause conflict with the state's political leadership. And secondly, as governor, Barbour was known for not backing down -- being willing to cause conflict to get his way. Based on the governor's reaction, it is safe to assume Barbour believed Waller had made a firm argument. |
SPORTS
| NCAA places Mississippi State on three years probation | |
| Mississippi State's football and men's basketball teams have been placed on three years probation after an investigation concluded that a tutor committed academic misconduct in aiding 10 members of the football team and one basketball player in an online general chemistry course during the fall semester of the 2018-19 school year. The NCAA and Mississippi State found that the part-time tutor, a student who has been disassociated from the university and been given a 10-year show-cause order, had "completed multiple assignments, exams and, in some instances, nearly the entire course for student-athletes." Mississippi State president Mark Keenum said in a statement that "our commitment to operating a competitive athletic program within NCAA guidelines is unwavering." "Our staff at Mississippi State was proactive in our preventative measures, quick to respond, and worked in full cooperation with the NCAA enforcement staff," said Mississippi State director of athletics John Cohen. |
| Humble and hungry, Erroll Thompson ready to lead Mississippi State defense | |
| Stewart Reese recalls the exact moment he met junior linebacker Erroll Thompson on a football field. Both freshmen at the time, Thompson came at the 6-foot-5, 345-pound junior offensive lineman. Delivering a massive blow, Reese refers to the sequence as the hardest he'd ever been hit in his life. "I don't remember it," Thompson said through a smirk. "But I know Stu is a big guy and I guess that's a really good compliment." Never one for the spotlight, the Florence, Alabama native is quietly determined at a position tailor made for loud talkers and violent hitters. Yet with his subtle demeanor and humble persona, Thompson will be tasked with leading a revamped defense into 2019. "He's a head-hunter," senior defensive back Maurice Smitherman said. "He's going to stuff the hole and there isn't any running back that's going to get through there." Thompson's impact is easily quantifiable in numbers. The junior finished 2018 with 87 tackles -- nine for a loss -- 3.5 sacks, and two interceptions in 13 games. Beyond the numbers, this season offers a slightly different, albeit more official role, for Thompson. |
| Familiar faces in new places along Mississippi State's O-line | |
| Mississippi State brings back three starters along its offensive line this season. However, none of those returning starters will be in the same spot they were last year. Darryl Williams, who has 25 starts at left guard, is now at center. Stewart Reese has shifted inside to right guard after 26-straight starts at right tackle, while Greg Eiland has flipped to right tackle after 17 starts at left tackle. "Darryl's done well and is probably more of a natural center than Elgton (Jenkins) because he is more of a vocal guy," said MSU offensive line coach Marcus Johnson. "I think he wanted to be in that role ... Greg's done well at right tackle and Stew's done well at right guard. "All those guys have done well being in new roles but you don't know until the spotlight comes on and once that football is kicked off next week we'll see." |
| Mississippi State's Kylin Hill preparing for breakout season | |
| Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead backed up the offense. Starting his unit at their own goal line during last Saturday's scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium, he told the group if they earned a first down, they could go the rest of the field. Junior running back and Columbus native Kylin Hill wasted no time. Taking a handoff on the first play of the simulated series, Hill gashed the defense for a first down and offered the offense a few more added attempts. "I told him I'm going to do it on one play," he said through a wry smile. Though just a snippet of Hill's dynamic playmaking ability, the sequence was one that only furthers the notion he is primed for a breakout season. Battling a hamstring injury throughout 2018, Hill totaled 734 yards and four touchdowns on 117 carries despite missing two games. He also added another 176 yards and four touchdowns receiving. Despite the slowed production, Hill has earned a number of preseason accolades -- including being named to the Maxwell Award Watch List and a preseason third-team All-SEC selection. |
| MSU QB Keytaon Thompson enters transfer portal | |
| A day after being passed over as Mississippi State's starting quarterback, Keytaon Thompson has entered the NCAA transfer portal according to a school spokesman. Thompson appeared in 19 games for the Bulldogs and went 2-0 as a starter in his career. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder from New Orleans completed 50 of 105 throws for 846 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions during his two seasons at MSU and also rushed 99 times for 672 yards and 10 more scores. MSU coach Joe Moorhead named Penn State graduate transfer Tommy Stevens as the Bulldogs' starting quarterback on Thursday afternoon. Thompson has two years of eligibility remaining and also has a redshirt option available. |
| Mississippi casinos gear up for year two of sports betting and football season | |
 | Year two of sports betting in Mississippi is just getting started. And it comes just as football season is gearing up for kick-off. "Teasers, pleaser, parlays, straight bets, reverses...we've got it all," said Ameristar Sports Book Manager Keith Hardy. Ameristar is Vicksburg is gearing up for what proved to be the busiest season for year one of their sports book. "We take in more bets on football than all the other sports combined," noted Hardy. They say both college and pro-football have been popular with some guests traveling from Louisiana, Alabama and Texas since Mississippi is the only Southern state with sports betting up and running. Statewide, gross gaming revenues are up four-percent over last year. And more than $300 million in wagers have been wagered since sports betting was legalized in the state. |
| Ragin Cajuns WRs Ja'Marcus Bradley, Bam Jackson taking Louisiana to next level | |
| On a team that opens its 2019 season featuring three of the Sun Belt Conference's top running backs in Trey Ragas, Elijah Mitchell and Raymond Calais Jr., receivers sometimes seem like an afterthought. But UL has one of the Sun Belt's best in Ja'Marcus Bradley, and another -- Jarrod "Bam" Jackson -- who this season is expected to play a much higher-profile role in a Ragin' Cajuns offense that needs some counterbalance to its ground game. With numbers already behind their names, the two are looking more of the same of 2019 -- even within the constraints of an offense that last season produced one 1,000-rusher, Ragas at 1,181, and another, Mitchell, who came up just a few yards shy at 985. Bradley had a team-high and career-high 608 yards and 10 touchdowns on his 40 receptions in 2018, with three of the TD grabs coming in a 48-38 November win over South Alabama at Cajun Field. |
| Kansas State football tries to combat declining ticket sales | |
| Kansas State football's season ticket numbers keep dropping. The past three years, on average, the total number of season tickets declined by approximately 3,000. Per information released to The Mercury by the K-State athletics department last week, the total number of season tickets sold in 2017 was 43,043, of which 7,073 were students. In 2018, it sold 40,909 total season tickets (6,730 students). And year-to-date, the Wildcats have sold 37,029, with 5,608 bought by students. The downward trend isn't a concern to K-State athletics director Gene Taylor. It is, however, a situation the athletics department is monitoring. "If we come back from Mississippi State 3-0, the ticket-buying market probably will change," Taylor said. "I think there's a lot of cautious optimism and excitement out there about watching Chris Klieman coach the team, just to see what it's going to be like." In the meantime, Taylor and his staff will continue doing everything they can stem the tide of declining attendance --- and, in an ideal world for the Wildcats, reverse it. |
| AD Jim Sterk: NCAA ruling on Mississippi State shows Mizzou penalties were 'excessive, inconsistent' | |
| The NCAA announced sanctions Friday for Mississippi State in an academic misconduct case involving a part-time tutor that completed coursework for 10 MSU football players and a men's basketball player. That should sound familiar to Missouri fans, who have been waiting months for a resolution to MU's academic fraud saga. Mississippi State was placed on three years probation and hit with recruiting restrictions and scholarship reductions but, unlike Mizzou, no postseason ban. "In response to many questions we have received in regard to today's NCAA infractions case decision involving another Division I institution, it is important to note that the University of Missouri did not have the opportunity to utilize the NCAA's new negotiated resolution process because our case was already in process when the organization's membership adopted it," Missouri athletics director Jim Sterk said Friday. |
| LSU contest initially excluded 'females' from sideline pass prize; university fixed 'mistake' | |
| An LSU official said Sunday that the school "made a mistake" in the wording of a promotion for a fan contest for the football season opener that once read that "females" who won the contest would not have sideline passes. The promotion, which was shared on LSU football's official Twitter account, has since removed the wording. "We made a mistake and it's been corrected," LSU senior associate athletic director Robert Munson said in a post on Twitter. "Everybody is welcome to participate in the contest." The contest is a bid on a "Dream Weekend" for LSU's game against Georgia Southern on Saturday, and it includes a Friday night hotel stay, meals with the football team and two sideline passes to the football game. |
| With upcoming season of 'Last Chance U,' community colleges question its value | |
 | Brett Vana, the new athletics director at Independence Community College, stayed up until 3 a.m. answering emails last Wednesday. On this particular night, he was answering a slew of questions from staff members after writing several recommendation letters for former athletes from the college. With just three weeks on the job, he spends his nights catching up on administrative details and his days running around the campus in Independence, Kan., a town of about 10,000 people, lots of cornfields, a single high school and little notoriety -- until two years ago. That's when camera crews from Netflix swooped in and thrust the college and the town into a searing national spotlight with the production company's documentary series Last Chance U. Though the show gave the college exposure, it also set off a series of events that bruised the town's reputation and led to multiple departures of high-level administrators, including the president. |
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