| Thursday, September 5, 2019 |
| Home games herald tailgate fever, food safety | |
 | With both Mississippi State and Ole Miss hosting their first home games of the 2019 season Saturday, you can bet tailgate plans are in overdrive. The Junction in Starkville and The Grove in Oxford will overflow this weekend with fans and food. Sure, thinking about the safety of your tailgate food isn't as fun as selecting the menu, but it's critically important. You don't want to be that guy, the one that made folks at your tent sick, right? The MSU Extension Service offers guidance as you prep, pack for and participate in the great fall tradition of tailgating. Right now, before the first home game, is a good time to review it. Most bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses thrive in the "temperature danger zone" -- between 40-140 degrees F. Keep this in mind when packing coolers to transport. Use ice, ice packs or a refrigerator to keep foods cold. Pack drinks in a separate cooler from food products because the drink cooler will be opened and closed frequently, causing the temperature inside to rise. Enjoy the tailgating ahead, just remember bacteria on food can't be seen by the human eye, so preparing, cooking and storing foods the right way is vital. |
| Heat Advisory Initiatives In Place For Football Home Opener | |
 | With temperatures expected in the mid-90s, Mississippi State Athletics has a number of measures in place to help ensure the safety and well-being of fans attending Saturday's MSU-Southern Miss football game in Davis Wade Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to follow these safety measures before arriving at the stadium: Hydrate early, before and during the game to avoid heat exhaustion. Apply sunscreen of at least 30 SPF (recommended) and repeat the application periodically. Avoid excess caffeine and alcohol, which could result in dehydration. MSU announced last week several new, exciting fan experience enhancements at Davis Wade Stadium. Among the many enhancements being implemented based on fan feedback are: improvements to the metal detector entry process, new cash only quick-serve concession kiosks, new concession menu items and sound system improvements with the addition of eight new speakers. Tickets for the home opener as well as season tickets are still available. |
| Apartment construction delays displace some Mississippi State students | |
 | Some Mississippi State University students are without a home because of constructions delays at The Vista in Starkville. The Vista is a luxury apartment and condo complex on 705 University Drive. Greg Wood, spokesperson for The Vista, said workers are still constructing Building Two which has 256 bedrooms. Wood said last fall, heavy rains delayed construction and put workers behind schedule. The original move-in date for students was on August 15. The date has been changed twice since then. Wood said they gave students two to three weeks notice before the changes, and now their goal is to have construction completed by September 20. Students had three options after the second date change. Wood said students could stay in a hotel and pay 50% of August and September's rent. Students could stay with a friend or stay somewhere else and get paid by The Vista in cash for their living expenses. Lastly, students could opt to terminate their lease. |
| Starkville delays vote on budget with tax increase | |
| A "serious split" among aldermen on whether to raise the ad valorem tax rate caused them to delay voting on the budget Tuesday evening. Instead, aldermen opted to mull the issue a little longer and finalize the Fiscal Year 2020 budget on Sept. 17, two days after the deadline set by the state. They also set a work session for 4 p.m. Thursday to bore into budget details. Aldermen are considering a proposed 1.5-mill increase, from 26.63 mills to 28.13 mills, which would generate $400,000 in new revenue. That revenue, Mayor Lynn Spruill said, would cover pay raises for some city employees, the cost of some new hires and equipment. "I think our future is important enough that a mill and a half is not too much to ask, so let me say now that I think this is an extremely important vote," Spruill said. Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker proposed the Thursday work session to look more closely at the budget and see if the board can find ways to fund pay raises and equipment without raising taxes. |
| Oktibbeha supervisors approve Garan redevelopment TIF | |
 | The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday morning to unanimously approve the Garan redevelopment TIF. The tax increment financing plan is a tax incentive originally created in California designed to attract businesses. Relating to this TIF, Columbus-based development firm Castle Properties has proposed a plan to redevelop the property where Garan Manufacturing currently sits, just off of Highway 12 near the intersection with Industrial Park Road. Castle Properties' Mark Castleberry has previously worked on the renovation of The Mill on Russell Street in Starkville. The plan proposed by Castle Properties sees Garan moving to a to-be-built building in the Northstar Industrial Park. It's former building will then be demolished and construction will begin on a new 90,000 square foot retail center. The projected timeline from start to finish for the project is at least three years. |
| Siblings get taste of business with summerlong lemonade stand | |
| Armando and Julia Dunand's first lemonade stand in June might have made a profit if it hadn't been for all the overhead. Their mom, Lisa Dunand, bought a crate of 75 lemons to fuel her children's effort on Golden Triangle Lemonade Day. That proved too many for one day of sales. But the thing about lemons, as Armando and Julia will quickly tell you, is "they're delicious" and they keep. So, the young entrepreneurs and their LemonHeadz Lemonade Stand pressed on through the summer at the Hitching Lot Farmers Market, eventually selling through the crate and two more bags of lemons before they finally packed it in Aug. 24. After Lemonade Day -- a program sponsored by the Mississippi State University Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach geared toward teaching youth some of what it takes to run a small business -- the Dunands got up at 5:30 a.m. every Saturday, loaded up their folding table, signs and goodies and drove to the Farmers Market where they spent three hours peddling their wares. |
| Tornadoes hit Carolinas as Hurricane Dorian floods Charleston; 200K without power | |
 | A reinvigorated Hurricane Dorian roared toward the Carolinas on Thursday, bringing tropical storm conditions along the South Carolina coast and flooding in Charleston, along with the threat of tornadoes across the region, including northward into North Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said as of 9 a.m. that Dorian is a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds at 115 mph. Dorian was located about 70 miles south-southeast of Charleston, S.C., and 160 miles south-southwest of Wilmington, N.C., moving north-northeast at 8 mph. "Rain bands from Dorian producing tornadoes across northeastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina," the NHC said. As of early Thursday, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said utilities were reporting more than 200,000 power outages statewide. Duke Energy, in a news release Wednesday, said it expected the storm to cause 700,000 outages in the Carolinas and that it brought in resources from 23 states and Canada to respond "as soon as it was safe to do so." |
| Casinos have 'serious concerns' about state's regulation since Gulfport attorney took the helm | |
 | The Mississippi Gaming Commission has remained notably free of public controversy for more than 25 years, but a letter claims that has changed. The letter lays out "serious concerns" about the regulation of casinos in Mississippi since Gulfport attorney Al Hopkins was appointed chairman of the Gaming Commission in 2015. The letter was written by Larry Gregory, former executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission and now executive director of Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association, which represents the 26 casinos operating in the state, including 12 on the Coast. Hopkins was out of town Wednesday and didn't return a call from the Sun Herald. In the six-page letter to state Rep. Casey Eure, R-Biloxi, chairman of the House Gaming Committee, Gregory says the casino industry ". . . is concerned as it has watched the commission dedicate an extraordinary amount of its resources to assist RW and DH." RW Development and Diamondhead Real Estate, to which Gregory refers, were turned down for casino site approval by two different Gaming Commissions. |
| Federal judge intervenes in Mississippi mental health system | |
 | A federal judge will appoint an expert to oversee changes to Mississippi's mental health system, saying that attorneys for the federal government have proved the state is doing too little to serve people outside the confinement of mental hospitals. "The United States has met its burden and shown that despite the state's episodic improvement, it operates a system that unlawfully discriminates against persons with serious mental illness," U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves wrote late Tuesday in a ruling on a federal lawsuit. Reeves wrote that he's "keenly aware of the judiciary's limitations" in cases like this. He ordered the state and federal government to each suggest three possible names to act as a special master, along with a proposal for that person's role. Until Reeves decides on the special master's role, the depth of federal intervention into the mental health system won't be clear. |
| Jim Hood, Tate Reeves clash over state losing mental health lawsuit | |
 | Attorney General Jim Hood, the Democratic nominee for governor, says if his Republican opponent -- Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves -- had listened to his warnings in 2013 the state would not have been found liable by a federal judge this week of not providing the mandated community-based services for mentally ill patients. "This is not politics. It is economics," Hood said recently during a news conference from his office in the Sillers state office building after this week's ruling against the state. The issue of U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ruling against the state with plans to appoint a special master to help the state enact community-based services for the mentally ill is just the latest instance where the two gubernatorial candidates are clashing in advance of the November general election. Parker Briden, a spokesman for Reeves, said, "Like the rest of the national Democrats, Hood will find a way to blame Republicans for every problem under the sun for the next two months. This blame game is just more partisan politics from a liberal Democrat." |
| District 50 Senate seat headed to a re-vote | |
 | The extremely contested Senate District 50 race will head to a re-election of split precincts. The Republican Executive Committee made the decision after controversy over the race between Scott DeLano and Dixie Newman. The committee received information from the Clerk's office that some voters received incorrect ballots. With that, the outcome of the August 6th election declaring Newman the winner could have been different. In a Facebook post, DeLano, the candidate who has pushed for the Committee to look into the race said he and Newman have agreed to re-voting in the five split precincts. "The actions of today will require a petition to the court and a special judge will have to be appointed. The date of a special election will be determined after the court hearing," said DeLano. A recount of the votes was initially done August 24, in which 6,000 votes were hand counted and inspected. The person who wins the re-vote will not be contested in November, sending them straight to the seat. |
| After Sen. Roger Wicker's bill, auto makers move to prevent hot car deaths | |
 | A bevy of automobile manufactures have announced plans to help prevent accidental deaths of children left in cars by voluntarily installing warning systems in new vehicle models. This move by auto makers comes on the heels of efforts by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who has used his influential perch as chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee to push forward legislation that would have required alert systems in passenger vehicles. In a Wednesday interview with the Daily Journal in Tupelo, Wicker hailed the decision by private industry to comply with safety measures without federal mandates. "I'm ecstatic," said Wicker. "This is a major accomplishment." Members of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers announced on Wednesday afternoon their plans to install backseat warning systems. These trade organizations account for almost all vehicles sold in the United States. |
| White House aide Joseph Lai moves to lobbying firm BGR Government Affairs | |
 | Joseph Lai, special assistant to the president for legislative affairs, will join BGR Government Affairs as a vice president. Lai will focus on trade and defense issues, effective later this month. He left the White House in early August and there has been no announcement yet of his replacement. He has worked for President Trump since Jan. 2017 when he led outreach to the Senate on economic issues. Recently, he has been focused on passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and tariffs. "Joe has earned the trust of his colleagues in the Administration as well as with Senators and their policy staff. His substantive experience working to advance pro-growth economic policies will add tremendous value to our work for clients," former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, founding partner at BGR, said in a press release. "His unique ability to discuss the development of legislative strategy between the Senate Republican majority and the White House will provide crucial insights," Barbour said. Prior to the White House, Lai worked as legislative director and military legislative assistant to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and worked for ex-Sens. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.). |
| Trump's family separation policy amplified children's trauma | |
 | Through its "zero tolerance policy" at the southwest border during 2018, which led to separation of migrant children from their parents, the Trump administration "added to the trauma that children had already experienced and put tremendous pressure on facility staff," according to a report Wednesday by a government watchdog. The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General visited 45 of about 90 facilities holding migrant children in August and September of 2018 and conducted interviews with operators, medical coordinators, mental health clinicians and other staff. In the resulting report, these officials and practitioners described significant challenges in meeting the mental health needs of children in their care. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, put out a statement slamming the Trump administration for its treatment of children in the wake of the report. "President Trump's zero tolerance and family separation policies inflicted massive pain and trauma on children and their families -- but the suffering did not end there," Thompson said. |
| Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visits central Arkansas, offers assurances | |
| Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, with two appearances Wednesday in central Arkansas, made a lot of assurances but no promises while speaking to farmers affected by a range of issues. Perdue and Gov. Asa Hutchinson spent about an hour at a "town hall" meeting that attracted about 100 people at the headquarters of the state Department of Agriculture. Many were farmers; others were "stakeholders" in agriculture, including conservationists and foresters, all of whom were invited well ahead of the gathering. For rice farmers and marketers, the U.S. will work harder to include the grain in any future deals with Japan, Perdue said. A trade agreement reached last week between the two nations didn't include rice. "It [rice] wasn't left out," Perdue said. "[A deal involving rice] was just unobtainable. ... We won't give up on that. There are other hungry, rice-eating countries across the world." For farmers stuck with thousands of acres not planted this spring because of heavy rain and occasional floods, Perdue said there's a possibility of financial help beyond crop insurance. |
| Fewer U.S. Households Are Going Hungry. But Cuts In Food Aid Loom | |
 | Millions of families in the U.S. struggled to get enough food to eat last year, but conditions appear to be getting better as the economy improves. In a new report released Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says that about 11 percent of households -- just over 14 million -- had trouble putting enough food on the table last year and that in about 4 percent of households, someone went hungry because there was not enough money to buy food. While the numbers are high, they have steadily dropped in recent years and the government says that the level of what it calls food "insecurity" is finally back to where it was before the Great Recession began in 2007. The decline in the number of food-insecure households comes as the Trump administration has proposed tightening eligibility for some food aid programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. The administration also wants to eliminate the flexibility states now have to raise certain asset and income levels that cannot be exceeded in order to qualify for food stamps. |
| Chicken plants conspired to keep wages low at Southern plants, federal lawsuit alleges | |
| Some of the nation's largest poultry processing companies, including several with plants in Mississippi, have for a decade conspired to tamp down workers' wages at southeastern facilities, alleges a federal lawsuit filed last week in Maryland. The Aug. 30 complaint names nearly 20 chicken processing companies, including Mississippi-based Sanderson Farms and two processors, Koch Foods and Peco Foods, whose Mississippi plants were targeted in immigration enforcement raids in August. Tyson Foods, which operates in Mississippi, was also included in the suit. Beginning in 2009, executives and human resource officials at these companies conducted "off the books" meetings at a Destin, Fla., resort to discuss and set "artificially depressed" wages for their employees, the lawsuit alleges. Mississippi produces roughly 750 million broiler chickens each year, making it the nation's fifth largest chicken producing state. |
| New Koch Foods court filing claims ICE raid search 'illegal', violation of Fourth Amendment | |
| Tuesday's latest court filing cites nearly a dozen reasons why an attorney for Koch Foods believes the federal government illegally searched the company's Morton facility in August during the largest single-day raid in U.S. history, and therefore cannot use anything obtained under that search in a future case against the company. The filing comes amid public criticism toward the U.S. Attorney's Office that neither employers nor key company officials have been charged in the weeks following that raid. The 18-page memorandum, filed in support of Koch's August 30 motion to suppress evidence obtained during last month's raid, details why the company believes the search warrant was founded on suspicion, not probable cause as required by law. "The affidavit supporting the search warrant executed at Koch Foods' Processing Plant in Morton, Mississippi on Aug. 7, 2019, does not contain any evidence that Koch Foods knowingly employed persons lacking sufficient work authorization," attorney Michael T. Dawkins wrote in the memo. Dawkins also asserts that the U.S. government's use of anonymous tips to establish probable cause "must be given particular scrutiny." |
| Chicken plants across South struggle after Mississippi ICE raids | |
 | Federal immigration agents did not raid Sanderson Farms last month looking for undocumented workers. But the company says the raids have affected business. In an earnings call last week, officials with Sanderson Farms explained that some of their chicken processing plants "are struggling to debone dark meat" after workers stopped showing up for work. The news, first reported by the agricultural publication WattAgNet, shows how the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have had ripple effects beyond the 680 arrests the agency made on Aug. 7. Agents raided seven chicken processing plants that morning -- none of which were owned by Sanderson Farms. However, a transcript of the earnings call shows CEO Joe Sanderson mentioned some plants were struggling to debone dark meat, at which point CFO Mike Cockrell jumped in to explain that it was caused by the ICE raids in Mississippi. "...Then it spread into Alabama and Georgia," Cockrell said. "People not coming to work, because they were fearing ICE raids." In response to a later question about Sanderson producing more chicken despite "a tight labor situation." |
| Listening sessions set for Ole Miss chancellor search | |
| The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning will hold Listening Sessions to gain input from University of Mississippi stakeholders on the qualities and qualifications they believe the next Chancellor should possess. The Listening Sessions will be held on Thursday, September 5, in Oxford, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom at the Inn at Ole Miss. While all sessions are open to the public, each session focuses on the needs of a specific constituency group. The Listening Sessions will be live-streamed on the official University of Mississippi YouTube channel. Those watching the livestream may submit comments through a feedback form on the UM Chancellor Search website. Members of the University of Mississippi community may also provide feedback through an online survey that is available at this link and will be open until midnight on Friday, September 6, 2019. For more information and to track progress on the presidential search, visit the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning's website and through Twitter @MSPublicUniv and @UM_Search. |
| Meet the man who's openly campaigning to be the next chancellor at UM | |
 | Everyone wants to know who the next chancellor will be, but with the search committee bound by nondisclosure agreements and many candidates not publicly speaking about their interest, it's hard for the university community to know what's going on. Gerard Gibert is changing that: he has spoken openly about wanting the position. He's the first candidate to openly campaign for the job. Gibert, the founder of Venture Technologies and current vice chairman of the Mississippi Lottery Board, is not the candidate that would normally apply for the position. He has little experience in academia and holds only a bachelor's degree. "Let's see if we can figure out a way to get on board with things we should all be concerned about, such as academic excellence," Gibert said concerning his plan on handling controversial academic building names. "That was really the point: that, golly, the product that comes out of those buildings is way more important, in my view, than the name affixed to the outside of them." |
| Leaders gather at Ole Miss Tech Summit to discuss technology, connectivity, innovation | |
| U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., writes: The annual Ole Miss Technology Summit, which took place in Oxford at the end of August, brings together leaders to discuss how science, technology, and innovation are shaping our state and nation's future. I was a part of the inaugural event in 2016, and I have spoken at each successive meeting. The fourth summit was the largest and most impressive yet, and I was glad to join this time in my role as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. This Tech Summit brought Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai, senior executives from companies like Comcast, NBC, DISH Network, and Google, and Ole Miss's top researchers into the same room so that we could understand the challenges and opportunities ahead. ... The Ole Miss Tech Summit was not only about the leaders on stage. It was also about the students who just started classes and the young people across our state who will benefit from, use, and create their own new technologies. |
| FedEx Launches New HBCU Employment Program at Mississippi Valley State | |
 | On Wednesday, FedEx Logistics launched a program to establish satellite Express Clearance Operations office on the Mississippi Valley State University campus. The program's mission is to connect people and possibilities to deliver a better future for all team members, customers, suppliers, and communities. Students are offered part-time employment with the ECO organization while they are in college, with the potential to be hired full-time with FXL upon graduation. "The FedEx Logistics HBCU employment program is a unique program where the social benefit is just as important as the economic. We are creating a pipeline of diverse talent for our world-class customs brokerage operations. Through this initiative, FedEx is connecting people with possibilities," Bethany Rocheleau, VP of U.S. Brokerage, FedEx Trade Networks. |
| Free speech: Jones College in Mississippi faces lawsuit | |
| When J Michael "Mike" Brown was a student at Jones College, formerly Jones County Junior College, he tried to poll his fellow college students about legalizing marijuana. He wanted to spark a dialogue about civil liberties. Instead, he was deprived of his own, according to federal lawsuit filed Wednesday against the college. The campus police chief took Brown to his office and, according to the lawsuit, told him he should've been "smarter" and followed campus policy. The policy includes administrative approval and a minimum three-day waiting period before "gathering for any purpose" anywhere on campus. Public colleges like Jones College may put in place reasonable restrictions on student expression, but they cannot maintain blanket restrictions on all student speech. FIRE wrote to Jones College President Jesse Smith on May 16, offering assistance for what it said was bringing the college's unconstitutional policies into compliance with the First Amendment. Smith failed to respond. |
| Gun discharged at East Central Community College; no injuries reported | |
 | East Central Community College is investigating a shooting that took place on the Decatur campus over the Labor Day weekend. Randall Lee, vice president of student services, said in a news release on Wednesday that there were reports of what sounded like a gunshot at the college the evening of Aug. 28. Lee said that authorities initially thought the sound was a campus utility vehicle backfiring, but over the weekend, new evidence emerged. Lee said it was determined that person not associated with ECCC discharged a gun on campus. School authorities said a bullet from the gun struck the window of an unoccupied dorm room. No one was injured, according to the release. A suspect was arrested and charges have been filed, but the release did not identify the suspect. The college has recently installed 14 new security cameras and replaced six others, the release said. |
| Crimson Tide-themed boutique hotel approved for downtown Tuscaloosa | |
 | A new boutique hotel has been approved for downtown Tuscaloosa. The eight-room, Crimson Tide-themed hotel will occupy the former Saga Resource Partners building at 221 Greensboro Ave., located between River Hill Apartments and 301 Bistro, Bar & Beer Garden. "My personal opinion is that this is the center of hotel circle," said Edwin Smedberg Jr., a Eutaw resident and Auburn University professor who also is developing the project. The council approved the hotel under the Downtown Riverfront Overlay District guidelines, which give the council final say on the appearance of certain projects within a designated area of downtown. There is an estimated investment of $500,000 to renovate the office building in order to cater to the attendees of Tuscaloosa Amphitheater shows and University of Alabama events, according to information provided by City Hall. Although no one spoke up during a public hearing on the matter, the council's 5-1 decision went against the recommendation of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. |
| Auburn University makes $5.6 billion impact on the state, says new study | |
 | Auburn University and its alumni make an annual $5.6 billion economic contribution to the state of Alabama, including creating nearly 27,000 jobs in addition to university employment, according to a new study. "Auburn is a critical economic engine that benefits all Alabamians," Interim President Jay Gogue said. "We are establishing partnerships that provide students with learning experiences, while companies, organizations and communities benefit from Auburn's renowned research and outreach." The study notes Auburn's longtime support for established and emerging industries, its Extension presence across the state, research enterprise, outreach and faculty engagement as major assets for Alabama communities. Researchers based the study on 2018-2019 statistical and financial data from Auburn's main campus, Auburn University at Montgomery, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, which has offices in all 67 counties. Economic Research Services Inc. in Montgomery and Auburn's Division of University Outreach conducted the study. |
| U. of Tennessee students report issues with mold, dust in two campus dorms | |
 | University of Tennessee-Knoxville officials say they've discovered "no evidence of mold" in two residence halls after receiving seven complaints from students living there. Last year, officials shut down Laurel Hall after continuing problems with mold in the aging dorm. Seven maintenance requests related to mold have come from students in Reese and South Carrick halls, but no students have had to move and there is no sign of the mold, Tyra Haag, UT-Knoxville spokeswoman wrote in an email to Knox News. The university has also been dealing with reports of cockroaches, Haag said. Nine rooms in Reese Hall were treated for roaches, with two additional floors also treated as a precaution. Natalie Ward, a freshman living in South Carrick Hall, said she thinks there is mold in the air vents in her room. Ward said since moving in, she's been coughing and had a sore throat. After taping the vent above her bed closed and getting an air purifier, she's slowly started to feel better. "I really like living here, but I've been sick since I moved in," Ward said. She's also seen complaints about mold from other students who live in the dorm and are part of group message. |
| UGA researchers get $1.4M to combat opioid crisis | |
 | In 2017, with about 2.1 million people in the United States suffering from substance use disorders, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency to address the nation's growing opioid epidemic. As part of a new initiative called the Five-Point Strategy, the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration recently awarded nearly $400 million to combat the opioid crisis, including a $1.4 million grant to University of Georgia researchers who will work to enhance community-based training for students preparing to become behavioral health professionals focused on opioid and substance use disorders. UGA's award will bring an interdisciplinary team of researchers together from the College of Education, the School of Social Work and the College of Public Health to grow the state's opioid-related behavioral health workforce as part of HRSA's Opioid Workforce Expansion Program. Over the course of three years, the team will train about 100 graduate students to help increase mental and behavioral health services in Georgia and beyond. |
| Camel recovering from hip injury thanks to Texas A&M veterinarians | |
 | When a ranch hand noticed in June that Sybil, a 7-year-old camel who lives on the McMurry family's ranch in Jasper, was limping, it wasn't immediately clear what the problem was. "We thought that maybe she had twisted her ankle," owner Joanna McMurry said. "Our [local] veterinarian did an X-ray of the ankle, but they don't have the same equipment that the vets at Texas A&M do." So Joanna and Ron McMurry loaded Sybil into a trailer and drove her to College Station, where staff at the Texas A&M University's Large Animal Hospital were able to perform a larger X-ray on the camel's back half. The results weren't good. Sybil's hip joint had become dislocated from her pelvis, which can be a death sentence for animals as large as she is. But thanks to the work of a team of veterinary professionals and students with Texas A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Sybil -- and her unborn calf -- have been given a second chance at life. |
| Anti-hazing event at Mizzou Arena features emotional appeals from mothers | |
 | More than 4,000 University of Missouri Greek students listened as Rae Ann Gruver and Evelyn Piazza each recounted one of the worst moments of their lives. Both women lost their sons in fraternity hazing-related incidents. They visited MU to express to students exactly how dangerous hazing can be. After these tragic experiences, the two women started the Anti-Hazing Coalition, which is dedicated to talking to students about the reality of hazing. They call their talk "Love, Mom and Dad." They presented their stories at the Mizzou Arena to members of the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association Wednesday night. "Let me tell you about my son Max," Gruver said. She recounted how fond he was of sports, journalism and rap music, as the arena's scoreboard filled with a picture of the two hugging. Gruver said that picture was the last time she was able to look him in the eyes and tell him that she loved him. Twenty-nine days later, he died at the LSU fraternity chapter of Phi Delta Theta after a night of hazing that involved a fatal amount of alcohol. |
| Young men have died in fraternities every year for two decades, but frats are slow to change | |
 | Every year for the past two decades, at least one young man has died in connection with fraternity hazing. Whether it's alcohol poisoning, extreme physical labor, or physical injuries, dozens of lives have been lost in the name of fraternal kinship. Yet rush continues, pledge classes carry out antics, and Greek initiations roll on. In 2018-2019, the North American Interfraternity Conference, an organization with 66 fraternities, expects to have more than 300,000 members. Supporters and active members of fraternities say the deaths are isolated incidents that do not represent the whole of the Greek life experience. Greek organizations get young people involved in public service, they point out, and they connect college students with a built-in network of successful and supportive alumni. In 2017, the annual death toll at fraternities spiked to four, reviving an old discussion: Are the benefits of fraternity membership worth the lives of young adults? |
| New memo offers first glimpse of how Trump's science adviser would like to shape spending priorities | |
| A new White House directive laying out next year's spending priorities for federal research agencies describes a U.S. science enterprise imperiled by internal problems and foreign governments. It's the first time this annual exercise has addressed the perceived threat to research posed by Chinese government entities. The nine-page memo also incorporates several favorite themes from recently arrived presidential science adviser Kelvin Droegemeier, notably, that the continued health of U.S. research enterprise depends on preserving "American values" and that scientists must do a better job of modeling and predicting environmental variability. The bulk of this year's R&D memo, released on 30 August, hews closely to the two previous memos issued by President Donald Trump's administration. Four of its five budget priorities -- ensuring a strong military, advancing cutting-edge technologies like 5G and artificial intelligence, fostering medical breakthroughs, and promoting space exploration -- were also featured in the 2018 memo. |
| Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness Denies Most Requests | |
| A new report from a government watchdog, first obtained by NPR, says an expanded effort by Congress to forgive the student loans of public servants is remarkably unforgiving. Congress created the expansion program last year in response to a growing outcry. Thousands of borrowers -- nurses, teachers and other public servants -- complained that the requirements for the original program were so rigid and poorly communicated that lawmakers needed to step in. But, documents show, even this expansion of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program isn't working. Ninety-nine percent of loan-forgiveness requests under that new Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) were rejected during the program's first year, from May 2018 to May 2019. According to the review out Thursday, conducted by the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Department of Education processed roughly 54,000 requests and approved just 661. It spent only $27 million of the $700 million Congress set aside for the expansion. |
| George Washington University seems to be moving away from controversial Colonial | |
 | The term "Colonial" used to grace (or disgrace, depending on where you fall) mugs, expensive T-shirts and community spaces across George Washington University's downtown D.C. campus. However, that tradition seems to be changing. Student groups have been advocating for the transition for some time now. On one side of the argument, GWU fans and alumni say that the term is traditional and respectful of the university's origins. (GWU was founded through congressional charter, and the term "Colonial" was used as homage to American colonists.) Those that want to leave the outdated term behind say that it is representative of ethnic violence, genocide and racism. This past April, students passed a referendum requesting the university to change the widely used nickname. The initiative was approved by 54 percent of student voters, or 2,700 participants, while 2,100 students voted against the change, bringing the total number of participants to less than half the student body. The Colonial debate on the GWU campus reflects a broader discussion on political correctness and mascots. |
| Billionaire B. Wayne Hughes Sr.: This secret donor has given USC $400 million | |
 | To walk the campus of the University of Southern California is to be presented with a list of its benefactors. Donor names shout from classroom buildings and dorms, the food court and the swimming pool, the news desk at the journalism school, and even the yard of the Catholic church. But for the man believed to have given more money to USC than anyone else, there are no engraved facades or illuminated signs. Billionaire B. Wayne Hughes Sr., a founder of self-storage behemoth Public Storage, has donated about $400 million to the university -- nearly all of it anonymously, according to sources familiar with his philanthropy. It is a staggering generosity that has not previously been reported and ranks him among the most significant backers of higher education in the West. Hughes, 85, has told associates that publicizing charitable work diminishes it. He "has intentionally chosen to live his life in a way that he avoids the spotlight," his attorney said in declining an interview request. His reticence is a rarity in Los Angeles, where wealth and self-promotion often go hand in hand. And it obscures an extraordinary biography that blends the American Dream with California noir, with USC playing a pivotal role. |
| Medical school diversity falling behind shifting racial composition of the country | |
| U.S. medical school diversity is falling behind the shifting racial composition of the country, according to a new study published Sept. 4 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.U.S. medical school diversity is falling behind the shifting racial composition of the country, according to a new study published Sept. 4 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. While the U.S. had population increases in 24- to 30-year-olds, both male and female, who are black, Hispanic and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (NHOPI) between 2002 and 2017, there were no significant increases in medical school applicants and attendees from these groups over the same period, the study concluded. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine who conducted the study created a ratio -- Racial Quotient (RQ) -- for the proportion of medical school applicants and matriculants from underrepresented groups in the Association of American Medical Colleges next to U.S. Census demographic data. Racial groups with an RQ of less than 1 were defined as underrepresented and more than 1 were overrepresented, according to the study. |
| New mentor program connects Marshall freshmen to upperclassmen | |
| As a first-year student at Marshall University two years ago, Katerina Coon stayed in her room for the majority of the first few weeks of school. "I almost went home," she said. "I was that person who made friends with her (resident adviser)." Now a junior accounting major, Coon is helping ensure no one ever feels alone like she did by being a peer mentor in the new Friends at Marshall, or FAM, program. Based on a program at President Jerome Gilbert's alma mater Mississippi State University, the FAM program consists of 19 peer mentors who are each assigned about 90 freshmen. Each freshman has an assigned peer. Gilbert said the idea for the FAM program came when he was provost at Mississippi State and the university, like Marshall currently, was looking for ways to boost retention rates. At an accrediting body meeting, they heard about a program at King University in Tennessee that paired incoming students with an upperclassman to help them transition from high school life to college. |
| Students Are Starting a Promising New Chapter. Institutions Are Working to Ensure They Reach the Finish Line | |
| Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, writes: The excitement is palpable as new college students descend on campuses across the country. It's a period filled with great promise and excitement as students embark on a new chapter in life that they hope will pave the way for countless opportunities. But while the first days of college should be celebrated as an important milestone, the real celebration will only come if those students stay in school and earn their degrees. In survey after survey, students are clear that improving their employment and earnings prospects are top reasons for attending college. And it's no wonder why: college graduates benefit from a host of economic advantages. ... But while the benefits of a college education are immense, they are only fully realized if students graduate. Nationally, 65 percent of students who enroll at a four-year public university complete a degree within six years. While that figure is improving, there's a lot more work to be done. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State QB Tommy Stevens looks to build off of debut performance | |
| The first test was passed for Tommy Stevens, but the Mississippi State senior quarterback is not satisfied. Despite tossing two touchdowns passes and posting a 66.7-percent completion rate in his Bulldog debut, Stevens is quick to point out his first quarter fumble coming off of a sack from his blindside. It is something that the senior knows he obviously can't continue to do going forward into this Saturday's home opener against Southern Miss and beyond. "I didn't like, obviously, turning the ball over," Stevens said. "[I need to have] a heightened awareness on ball security." The bad did not outweigh the good for MSU coach Joe Moorhead who saw a calming presence in Stevens under center, as well as a quick decision-maker and that paid off with Stevens connecting on 20 of his 30 passes to lead the Bulldogs over UL-Lafayette. "There were very few times where he dropped back and didn't know where to go with the ball," recalled Moorhead. "He was working his progressions, he was reading the covers and did a great job diagnosing [the defense]." |
| Development key in Cameron Dantzler's success | |
| College Football Hall of Famer and former Thorpe Award winner Terrell Buckley considers his pupil at Mississippi State, Cameron Dantzler, to be the best cornerback in the country. Believe it or not, the Preseason All-American didn't have much experience at the position prior to his arrival in Starkville. Dantzler was a high school quarterback and had only played a handful of defensive reps. "In high school I only played DB a few times if they had a good receiver, but I had no experience at corner at all," Dantzler said. "I'd never worked out or trained at cornerback. When I got here it was something new. "Coach Buck just stayed on me because he saw something in me. He stayed on me hard every day and trusted me to get better." Buckley's influence can be found in just about every aspect of Dantzler's game. Both Buckley and Dantzler arrived at MSU in 2016 and went to work. Dantzler redshirted his first season and has appeared in all 27 games since, including 14-straight starts at corner. |
| Mississippi State's receivers are sharing the wealth in 2019 | |
| There was a look of legitimate surprise in Tommy Stevens' eyes. Just minutes after walking off the field following last Saturday's win over Louisiana, he was informed he had targeted junior receiver Osirus Mitchell nine times that afternoon. "Really?" he said, almost puzzled. "Honestly, I didn't know. I'm shocked." The number shouldn't have come as a major surprise. Mitchell was among a corps group of receivers who practiced with Stevens after-hours in the Palmeiro Center during the offseason. And though high target and catch rate was encouraging, it was more an indictment on Mississippi State's inclination to find favorable matchups in employing their deep receiving corps. In MSU's 38-28 season opening win, nine receivers caught a pass from Stevens -- who finished the afternoon 20-of-30 with 236 yards and two touchdowns. |
| USM hopes to slow down Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens | |
 | As many USM players will see fellow Mississippi natives on the Mississippi State sideline on Saturday, the Bulldogs' quarterback is an unfamiliar face. Senior Tommy Stevens made his first collegiate start in MSU's 38-28 win over Louisiana-Lafayette after transferring from Penn State. Southern Miss quickly realized what type of player it would be dealing with after Stevens completed 20 of 30 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs' season-opener. "I thought he played extremely well Saturday," said USM head coach Jay Hopson. "He's a multi-talented quarterback. He can run it, he can throw it. He kind of looks like Nick Fitzgerald back there with that 7 on, running around. We know he's a really good football player and quarterbacks of that athletic capability make you work." "The thing I was impressed with is you could see the poise," said USM defensive coordinator Tim Billings. "You could see he's a fifth-year senior. It wasn't a freshman out there starting, it wasn't a guy that it's his first start. He's older and matured and you can tell. I was very impressed with how he grasped the offense." |
| Mississippi State faces tough road to SEC three-peat | |
| Mississippi State has won the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship the past two years in women's basketball while posting a 31-1 record against league opponents over that span. The Bulldogs begin their quest for an SEC three-peat by hosting Florida on Jan. 2, but will play four of their first six games on the road. In fact, five of the eight SEC road games for MSU will be against teams who reached the NCAA Tournament last year. "As always, it's a 16-game rivalry schedule," said MSU coach Vic Schaefer. "For two months, you have to be locked in and know that, if you're not ready to play, you will get embarrassed. It's a very challenging schedule. The first thing that jumps out to me is that two of our first three games are on the road at two places that we have historically had difficulty playing at with Georgia and Missouri. We have some big Monday games that we are a part of and will have some great television games as well. I talk about it every year, we have 16 rivalry games, and it's a grind. January and February are the two hardest months of the year, but I'm looking forward to the challenge." |
| Mississippi State women's basketball releases SEC schedule | |
| The Mississippi State women's basketball team released its 2019-2020 SEC schedule Wednesday afternoon. "For two months, you have to be locked in and know that, if you're not ready to play, you will get embarrassed," MSU coach Vic Schaefer said in a news release. "It's a very challenging schedule." The Bulldogs draw Ole Miss, Auburn and Georgia twice. Auburn was the best of the bunch last season as the Tigers finished 22-10 -- falling to BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Georgia concluded last season 18-12, while Ole Miss was 9-22. A road matchup with South Carolina -- who was ranked No. 7 in ESPN's way-too-early top-25 poll Wednesday -- will highlight the conference slate. Schaefer boasts a just a 3-10 record against the Gamecocks in his seven years at the helm. MSU also travels to 2019 NCAA tournament qualifiers Missouri (Jan. 9), Tennessee (Feb. 6) and No. 13 Kentucky (Feb. 16). |
| Inspiration in Starkville: How watching Mississippi State helped West Lowndes volleyball notch its first win | |
| Look no further than Starkville to find the inspiration behind the first win of the season for West Lowndes' volleyball team. Coach Ashley Clark took her Panthers to Mississippi State's match Friday night against Mississippi Valley State and there they saw what comprised a successful squad. The Bulldogs communicated, moved their feet and played excellent team volleyball to sweep Valley. And it wasn't just in the winning team that West Lowndes' players saw the light. "Some of the mistakes that Valley made, they realized they do," Clark said. The Panthers traveled to Columbus High for their first match after watching the Bulldogs romp, and in the Falcons' gym they pulled off an encore. That sloppy footwork and miscommunication were scarcely found on West Lowndes' side of the court, but they afflicted Columbus extensively. And just like the one they saw at the Newell-Grissom Building, the Panthers pulled off a sweep of the Falcons to get that elusive first win. |
| When the Quarterback Earns a Degree and Switches Colleges | |
 | Graduate transfers are lining up at new universities to take more snaps, and coaches are taking them up on it, seizing talents they know they will have for only a season or two. Three Big 12 teams opened the year by starting a quarterback who had finished his degree at one university and moved on to another. Five Southeastern Conference teams did the same, as did three in the Big Ten. "This is not going to be an unusual topic, even next year or the year after," said Chad Morris, the head coach at Arkansas, which played two graduate transfers at quarterback on Saturday. "This is fixing to be the norm." The N.C.A.A. allows a student to move to a new university and play immediately if he has completed his undergraduate degree. Although there are exceptions, many students who transfer without degrees are allowed to play only after sitting out a year. For this season, No. 4 Oklahoma, home of the last two Heisman Trophy winners, brought in Hurts, who spent three years at Alabama. No. 6 Louisiana State has Joe Burrow, and Mississippi State, Texas Christian and Maryland are among the teams that have entrusted their offenses to graduate transfers. |
| Ole Miss Athletics: Student party section nearing completion | |
| With 72 hours until kickoff, the Magnolia Rental and Sales crew continues to install the student party sections in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Gil Bridges, owner of Magnolia Rental and Sales, said the company providing the tents for the student party area, said the crew will be on a tight deadline for the home opener this weekend as they've only had a few weeks to plan and build the section. The company has not installed cooling fans, televisions and charging stations as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Ole Miss's push to improve fan experience in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in response to falling season and student ticket sales has been a long and complicated one for the university. The biggest change for the students was the revealing of new student party decks. The temporary platforms presented in early August would hold 800 fans at the top of the stands in the north end zone with cooling fans, televisions and charging stations. However, soon after the news of alcohol sales in the stadium being approved by the university, Ole Miss Athletics announced modifications to the original party decks. Capacity for the decks increased from 800 to over 2,400 and the area would be entirely general admission with no lottery for student groups as originally planned. |
| Jordan-Hare Stadium to use walk-through metal detectors | |
| To ensure the safety of everyone in attendance, Auburn Athletics will begin using walk-through metal detectors at all gates of Jordan-Hare Stadium this season. Metal detectors will be required at all Southeastern Conference football stadiums by the fall of 2020. They are mandatory at all NFL and MLB stadiums. Fans are encouraged to arrive at gates approximately 30 minutes earlier than normal to ensure a smooth entry into Jordan-Hare Stadium. All public gates will open two hours prior to kickoff. The screening process in the student section will begin two-and-a-half hours before kickoff. The clear bag policy remains in effect. Pocket knives are not permitted inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. Guests are allowed to bring one factory sealed water bottle (up to one liter) and one empty water bottle or Yeti-type cup which can be filled at multiple water stations throughout the stadium. |
| Political football needed to honor Vince Dooley at UGA's Sanford Stadium | |
| Most inside the program are pleased to talk about Saturday's occasion of the University of Georgia naming its football field after Vince Dooley. Until, that is, the conversation turns to the politics that it took for it to happen. Ask about that, and folks suddenly get quiet or vague. "I'm going to plead the Fifth on that," said Billy Payne, who played football for Dooley at Georgia before his stints as chairman of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and Augusta National Golf Club. Payne allegedly led the lobbying efforts of the UGA football lettermen for this to happen. "I'll just say I appreciate the governor. I'll leave it at that," said Daniel Dooley, Vince's oldest son, who grew up as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's best friend and roomed with him in college. Even Vince Dooley himself is a bit dodgy on the subject. "I know (the politics of it) has been brought up on several different occasions," Dooley said in a recent exclusive interview with the AJC. |
| Florida game day experience grows longer, louder | |
 | Back in the day, and in this case we're not talking about all that long ago, the game day experience in The Swamp consisted of, well, the game. The game and what came with it -- tailgating, cheerleaders, the band, Mr. Two Bits and "We Are the Boys." Now, the game day experience at Florida is so much more than just the game. Things started changing when Urban Meyer came along and created the popular Gator Walk in 2005. Since then, the game day experience in and around The Swamp has grown to the point that it is a day-long (or night-long) event. The game is still the centerpiece, of course, but there's a lot more stuff going on to engage and entertain the fans before and during games. "We talk a lot about creating and having fun," UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said. "That's really important. We want to have fun and we want to create a lot of fun for our fans, make it more than just coming to see the Gators play." |
| The reality of Gamecocks attendance numbers: How many fans really fill South Carolina's venues? | |
 | This Saturday isn't lining up to be a great attendance week for South Carolina football. The opponent, Charleston Southern, isn't a big draw. Last week against North Carolina was disappointing. There's the threat of a hurricane during the week, which will create some instability around the state. The game is at noon and projects to be a hot one. There is the benefit of it being the home opener and the curiosity of quarterback Ryan Hilinski's first college start. Whatever attendance number is announced, there will be some skepticism from fans and media about the accuracy of those figures. South Carolina of late has posted strong attendance numbers in football, baseball and both men's and women's basketball, and there's a bit of an art to how those numbers are reached. Through a public records request, The State obtained the University of South Carolina's internal numbers that shed a different light on the Gamecocks' ticket situation and how many fans are actually coming into USC's stadiums. |
| NCAA does not move forward with new academic reform rules | |
| The governing board of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I conferences will not adopt rules that would have allowed it to punish institutions that engage in egregious academic fraud. The prospective policy change followed widespread and withering criticism of the NCAA for declining to penalize the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which created fake classes that largely benefited athletes for nearly two decades. The NCAA said it could not definitively prove the "shadow" courses in the department of African and Afro-American studies had been set up solely to boost the grade point averages of athletes and keep them eligible to play. They noted that nonathletes took the classes as well. NCAA rules allow institutions to decide if academic fraud occurred on their campuses. |
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