| Wednesday, September 11, 2019 |
| Mississippi State ROTC cadets host Remembrance Run | |
 | Mississippi State ROTC cadets run to remember Wednesday morning in Starkville. The sun was rising as the cadets made their way downtown. The "Remembrance Run" started at the Sanderson Center on the MSU campus and with a speech at city hall. Mayor Lynn Spruill and Starkville police officers met the group at city hall and thanked them for their future service and talked about the importance of first responders. Dozens Air Force and Army ROTC participated. They host the run each year. |
| Former Starkville mayor, gridiron great Billy Stacy dead at 83 | |
 | The Mississippi State University and Starkville communities, along with the National Football League, lost a legend on Tuesday. Former Starkville Mayor Billy McGovern Stacy -- who played football at Mississippi State and became an NFL first round pick -- died at his home in Starkville Tuesday after an extended illness, according to his obituary submitted by Welch Funeral Home. He was 83. A large defensive back for his time, the native of Drew, Mississippi was a second team All-American in football and went on to be the third pick overall in the 1959 NFL Draft by the Chicago Cardinals, who moved to St. Louis during his second season. Stacy played five years in the rough-and-tumble infancy of the NFL and was a Pro Bowl selection in 1962. Following his career in football, Stacy returned to Starkville and served as its mayor from 1985 until 1989. Visitation will talk place on Friday, Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church in Starkville with a service to follow. |
| Second arrest made following weekend Cotton District fight | |
| A Biloxi man is now facing charges as the second person arrested following a large brawl that occurred near Starkville's Cotton District early Sunday morning. The Starkville Police Department on Tuesday announced the arrest of 23-year-old Dakota Husser on a warrant for misdemeanor simple assault, stemming from the incident. Husser is the second person to face charges after the fight, which saw a D'Iberville man -- 22-year-old Nathan Cvitanovich -- charged with misdemeanor simple assault on Monday. SPD confirmed both arrests are connected to a fight captured on video early Sunday morning on University Drive, which showed more than dozen people involved in a physical altercation on the lawn of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Those found guilty of simple assault face a maximum fine of $500 and could face up to six months in jail, according to Mississippi Code § 97-3-7. |
| SPD: 31 auto burglary reports since Sept. 2 | |
 | Starkville experienced 31 reported auto burglaries, six of which occurred within an 90 minutes, in the week starting with Labor Day, according to data from the Starkville Police Department. There were 22 auto burglaries between 8 a.m. Sept. 2 and 8 a.m. Monday, 12 of which occurred after 8 a.m. Friday, SPD tweeted Monday. Nine more occurred during the day on Monday, and seven of those were forced-entry break-ins that caused vehicle damage, SPD Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady said. So far there have been no arrests for any of the 31 incidents. Auto burglary is always a felony in Mississippi. The vast majority of instances happen when someone walks through a parking lot testing car door handles, looking for anything unlocked, and most of the first 22 burgled cars were, Lovelady said. To have multiple "smash-and-grab" thefts in one day is "out of the ordinary," he said. Three of the seven forced entries happened in a parking lot on Hospital Road, and three more outside a complex of medical clinics at the intersection of Highway 182 and Stark Road. The seventh was in the parking lot at Walmart, an "extremely odd" place for it to happen, said Capt. Brett Watson of the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office. |
| Mississippi Hills celebrates 10 years, unveils rebranding and next plans | |
 | The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area -- one of only three in the state and 55 nationwide -- celebrated its 10-year anniversary Tuesday. Supporters and members of the Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance gathered at the Mississippi Hills Exhibit Center at the Renasant Center for IDEAs, which is the official coordinating entity for the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area. The exhibit center also serves as the touching-off point to the Area and a clearing house of information for tourists and visitors. "This has been a good phase one welcome center for the region, and at some point we'd like to have a larger free-standing facility with more exhibit space and perhaps a gift shop and a cafe," said Kent Bain, the program coordinator for Alliance. "That's a huge project to tackle and not something we wanted to do in our first 10 years because it would absorb so much of our time and attention." Instead, the first decade was spent helping communities across the Hills region tell their stories and get the word out on what they had to offer. |
| GOP seeks helping hand from Trump in 2019 governor races | |
 | Republicans running for governor this year are turning to President Trump --- and familiar Democratic boogeymen --- to carry them over the finish line in Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana, three of the most conservative states in the country. In all three states, Trump is likely to be an asset to Republicans. He won Kentucky's electoral votes with 62 percent of the vote in 2016, and he scored about 58 percent in both Mississippi and Louisiana. In Mississippi, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) was forced into a runoff and now faces a spirited challenge from Attorney General Jim Hood (D). The Republican nominees in Kentucky and Mississippi have already signaled to the Trump team that they want to campaign alongside the president, according to sources close to both campaigns. Both parties face unusual complicating factors. In Mississippi, national Democrats have sued over an unusual state law that requires a gubernatorial candidate to win a majority of the vote in a majority of state legislative districts in order to win election. |
| Lt. Governor Tate Reeves accepts debate offers from WJTV | |
 | Lt. Governor Tate Reeves has accepted two offers from the Nexstar Media Group (WJTV) to debate Attorney General Jim Hood. Reeves is the GOP nominee for Governor. Hood is the Democratic nominee. Hood says he wants to debate; however, he hasn't officially accepted the offers from WJTV. A spokesperson says they've received multiple offers and want to look them over before making any final decisions. Hood has previously stated he'd like to take part in three debates. WJTV-12 is planning to host the debates September 25 at WJTV and October 10 at the University of Southern Mississippi. Both will air to a statewide audience at 7 p.m. |
| Mississippi Lottery Corporation Selects Advertising and Marketing Firm | |
 | The Mississippi Lottery Corporation on Tuesday hired an innovative and creative advertising and marketing firm to bolster the lottery's reach throughout the state. Maris West and Baker is a Jackson-based firm with a broad portfolio of artistic capabilities, branding experience, strategic knowledge and advertising experience. "We are ready for them to become a partner with us in this historic venture of starting Mississippi's lottery," said MLC President Tom Shaheen. "With their skillset, I am confident they will be able to help us grow the company and reach our audiences through exciting avenues." MWB will manage media purchases, assist in branding and create digital, video and audio advertising to assist the MLC's drive of sales through the use of traditional and non-traditional outlets. They will work directly with the MLC Director of Marketing in decision making. |
| With Coast projects competing for millions in BP money, which ones survived the first cut? | |
 | Gulfport residents would finally get the indoor swimming pool so many want, Gautier could develop its town center, and the state port could bring back frozen chicken with projects an advisory committee green-lighted for BP funds the state Legislature controls. The seven-person Gulf Coast Restoration Fund committee whittled down -- from 119 to 29 -- the proposals it is considering for funding the state receives from the 2010 BP catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. The Legislature has $57 million in hand, with another $30 million expected to be available in 2020. The state will continue to receive $30 million a year through 2033. The committee meets again Oct. 7 to finalize its recommended list. The oversight agency for the money, the Mississippi Development Authority, will finalize the list before it goes to the Legislature. Legislators could select some or all of the projects recommended, but they could also bypass the committee recommendations and choose any projects originally on the list, committee chairman Ashley Edwards said. |
| Mississippi Launches Statewide Human Trafficking Council | |
 | To address rising human-trafficking rates in Mississippi, a collaboration of government agencies has launched the inaugural Mississippi Human Trafficking Council. U.S. Attorney Michael Hurst, Southern District, told members of the press Tuesday that the council will function as a statewide, centralized task force bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement alongside nonprofits and non-governmental organizations. "When we uncover, in this office, these types of crimes, we are going to do everything in our power to prosecute these evil-doers to the fullest extent under the law, period," Hurst said, after revealing that human trafficking cases in Mississippi had more than doubled between 2017 and 2018. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Chad Lamar, U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, Mississippi Department of Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher and Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn also delivered remarks in support of the mission. |
| Federal prosecutors, state join forces to address Mississippi human trafficking | |
 | Federal prosecutors are joining with the state in forming a new task force to address human trafficking in Mississippi. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division joined U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Attorney Chad Lamar, Northern District of Mississippi, Marshall Fisher, commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, and House Speaker Philip Gunn, to announce the creation and launch of the statewide Mississippi Human Trafficking Council. Hurst said the council will build off the task force created by Gov. Phil Bryant. Mississippi passed a law in 2013 dealing with human trafficking. In 2015, Bryant appointed a human trafficking task force to research and make recommendations on combating trafficking. |
| Appointments now available at Mississippi driver's license stations | |
| The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has rolled out the latest of its programs to help speed up lines at driver's license stations around the state. The Wait Anywhere pilot program is now available at six driver's license stations throughout Mississippi. The new system will allow people to make an appointment for various services in an effort to help cut down the wait time. The six driver's stations in Mississippi that are trying out the pilot program include the stations in Gautier, Hattiesburg, Pearl, Jackson, Tupelo and Nesbit. DPS announced in May that it would begin implementing plans to shorten lines. Some of those new changes have included weekend appointments for teenage drivers and a feedback service where people can provide real-time surveying. |
| Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith seeks input from Mississippians as feds look to improve care in rural areas | |
| Mississippi's U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is urging Mississippians to participate in a nationwide U.S. Health and Human Services initiative to find ways to improve health care in rural America. The federal Rural Health Task Force, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, has issued a request for information from the public on how to make rural health care more accessible, affordable, and sustainable. HRSA set an 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019, deadline to receive comments. "Health care in Mississippi has its challenges, including rural hospital closures. I believe Mississippians can provide many good ideas and information on what is and what isn't working in rural areas. This material can help the Department of Health and Human Services begin to improve how its rules and regulations can support rural health care," Hyde-Smith said. Information is sought from health care providers, researchers, community members, patients, consumers, families, caregivers, advocates, and other parties. |
| China to remove tariffs on some U.S. products, but not pork or soybeans | |
 | China extended an olive twig, rather than a branch, to the United States in their trade war Wednesday, announcing it would exempt 16 American-made products from tariffs as a sign of goodwill ahead of talks scheduled for next month. But the gesture, which Beijing said was designed to ease the dispute's impact on American companies, does not offer relief from tariffs on the big-ticket agricultural products such as soybeans and corn that are causing the most hurt in the United States. "China wants to claim the moral high ground before the October talks and to send a message of goodwill," said Yao Xinchao, professor of international trade at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. "It's all about molding public opinion" to portray the United States as the aggressor, Yao added. "Pork and soybeans are two important bargaining chips that China won't play easily," said Yao. |
| President Trump marks 9/11 with pledge to survivors, warning to Taliban | |
 | Bells tolled across New York City, President Trump spoke at the Pentagon and moments of silence were observed across the nation Wednesday as America commemorated the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Vice President Mike Pence spoke in Shanksville, Pa., where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field after passengers fought with hijackers attempting to fly the plane to Washington, apparently to hit the U.S. Capitol. In New York, a moment of silence was observed at 8:46 a.m. ET to mark the time the first plane hit -- American Airlines Flight 11, flying from Boston to Los Angeles, had been hijacked before slamming into the north face of the World Trade Center's North Tower. President Donald Trump led a simultaneous moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House, joined by hundreds of guests that included 9/11 survivors and family members and current and former law enforcement personnel. Trump then spoke at a Pentagon ceremony, where 184 people were killed that day. "Today the nation honors and mourns nearly 3,000 lives that were stolen from us," Trump said. He recounted going to Ground Zero after the planes hit. And he promised the victims -- and the survivors – won't be forgotten. |
| Tate Reeves signs executive order for Patriot Day as acting governor | |
| Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves signed an executive order Wednesday as acting governor. The proclamation honors victims and first responders of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and orders state flags be lowered for Patriot Day. "Eighteen years ago today, our country was attacked," Reeves said in a statement. "Evil cowards driven by a hateful ideology killed scores of innocent Americans. We responded with strength -- met their terror with courage. That is the American way. Today, we remember those lost and recommit to that American way." Gov. Phil Bryant is out of the state on business, according to the governor's staff. They would not say where Bryant was or what business he was addressing. Mississippi code says among other stipulations, that when the governor is "absent from the state" the lieutenant governor takes on the powers and duties of the governor's office. |
| New Bailey's Woods signs vandalized | |
| At some point over the weekend, four signs along the Bailey's Woods Trail were vandalized. The incident was first reported via Facebook by the University of Mississippi Museum. The walking trail is under the purview of the UM Museum and grounds, as it connects Rowan Oak to the UM campus. The new signs, which were installed in recent months, were knocked off their posts and broken into pieces. "The University Museum and University Facilities Management only installed these interpretive signs with the funding support of the University's Rebel Well program this past summer," UM Museum director Robert Saarnio said. "So, it is certainly a disappointment to see two of them pushed off their stanchions by vandals." Those with information regarding the destruction of the signs are encouraged to call the UM Museum at 662-915-7073 or the University Police Department at 662-915-7234. |
| Before Faulkner: Research details lives of enslaved people from the 1860s | |
 | New research has revealed details of the lives of enslaved people that lived at Rowan Oak, which would later become the home of writer William Faulkner. The findings are a result of an ongoing, multi-phase research project conducted by the University of Mississippi Slavery Research Group. Following work to archive the history of enslaved people at Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, and the Hermitage, home of Anderew Jackson, the UMSRG conducted a preliminary dig at Rowan Oak in the fall of 2016 to begin the first phase of their archaeological survey to uncover evidence of slave life. An outbuilding that served as a smokehouse during the Faulkner era once stood as a slave quarter for a third-generation cotton plantation owner, Robert Sheegog, in the 1840s. "The only reason it's there today is because Faulkner bought the property, but the building has a much longer history that really has nothing to do with Faulkner," Anne Twitty, a leadership team member of the UMSRG and associate professor of antebellum America and slavery and the law, said. |
| President William LaForge gives Delta State update at Cleveland Board of Aldermen meeting | |
| The Cleveland Board of Aldermen passed an increase in the city's ad valorem tax Tuesday at its regular monthly meeting. Also at the meeting was Delta State University President William LaForge, who gave a brief update on what's been happening on campus. He said a recent economic impact study revealed that Delta State University has an impact of $175 million per year in the Delta. "In summary, basically the $175 million includes about $65 million in spending. That's direct spending by our employees, our university for projects and services, and then secondary spending by those who get that money. "A big chunk of it, $110 million, is what we call knowledge impact. It's the increased earnings that alumni and people who are involved with the organization gain, social benefits and cultural benefits." "This is a huge impact. We wanted you all to know it, understand it, because we love working together with the city and fostering good relations as always." |
| MGCCC working toward current, future educational trends | |
 | Nearly 60 career tech programs, improved technology, innovation, and high graduation success rates are just some of what MGCCC President Dr. Mary Graham says is happening at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Graham presented the MGCCC State of the College address Tuesday at the Jackson County campus in Gautier. Among the college's 12,289 students, she says an additional 16K are enrolled in workforce development training. "We're expanding facilities and we're trying to expand for growth in the new technology areas to make sure we're on point with all the things that we're offering," she added. MGCCC also recently announced the engineering partnership expansion between the college and Mississippi State University engineering partnership, where State will now offer an industrial engineering degree program at the MGCCC Jackson County campus. |
| Louisiana State University investigating alleged racial slurs used at football game | |
 | Louisiana State University is investigating an undergrad who allegedly shouted racial slurs at other students during a recent Tigers football game, officials said Monday. The incident happened on Aug. 31 during LSU's season opener against Georgia Southern at Tigers Stadium in Baton Rouge, when the young white man repeatedly yelled, without provocation, at three female undergrads, one of those students tweeted. Mari Fuentes-Martin, associate vice president for student affairs and the dean of students, acknowledged the incident in a prepared statement. "LSU has received the report and has been meeting with the students involved," according to Fuentes-Martin's statement to NBC News. "The language and words used in this incident do not reflect who we are as a university and the welcoming environment we have created for students of all backgrounds." Christy Nguyen, a freshman majoring in biology, said she and her crew was slurred late in the second quarter of the Georgia Southern game. |
| Emails, texts show political considerations factored in U. of South Carolina presidential search | |
 | Political ideology factored into discussions by some University of South Carolina board members before and after they chose Bob Caslen as the school's president in July, according to emails and other exchanges released by USC Tuesday. The emails and text messages sent to and from USC board members showed at least three believed they were withstanding what they saw as attacks from liberals and Democrats. They also saw an opportunity to bolster conservative and Republican positions. Caslen's election as USC president was controversial. He had been unanimously opposed by the school's faculty senate and dozens of students. The board itself was sharply split, voting 11-8, with several board members complaining about Gov. Henry McMaster's involvement. One board member abstained. The documents released Tuesday include an exchange between McMaster's chief of staff, Trey Walker, and USC board member Dan Adams. "The Democrats hate us. We took their castle," Walker said. Replied Adams: "It's our turn!!" |
| Bullied boy's 'jaw dropped,' website crashed due to people wanting to wear his Tennessee design | |
 | The same hand-drawn University of Tennessee shirt design a Florida boy was bullied for crashed a website this past weekend with support from Vol Nation. The VolShop website, which is now selling shirts featuring the boy's design, was temporarily down as people tried to place pre-orders. VolShop is the university's official campus store. All proceeds from the shirts will go toward STOMP Out Bullying and, as of Monday night, more than 16,000 orders had been placed, according to a statement from the university. Both the youth and adult versions of the shirt, which come in orange with a white design, are $14.99. "As the Volunteers, the University of Tennessee believes in putting others before ourselves," the statement read. "We're so glad we were able to support this student, put a smile on his face and bring more orange into his life." |
| Arkansas Scholarship Lottery net proceeds dip in August, but chief says revenue strong on sales of instant tickets | |
| The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery raised $4.9 million for scholarships in August -- the lowest amount of net proceeds in that month in 10 years of operations, the agency reported Tuesday. But total revenue for last month reached $40.89 million -- the second-highest collection in the month of August. A similar event occurred the month before, when the lottery also netted the lowest amount ever for college scholarships in any July while also taking in the second-best-ever amount of total revenue for that month. Lottery Director Bishop Woosley said Tuesday that "our proceeds were low due to the cash versus accrual accounting issue that occasionally trips us up, and the fact that we had [a] $1 million prize come in in August." He was referring to two types of accounting methods. Under the cash method, payments aren't counted until the money is taken in. Under the accrual method, sales are counted even if the money hasn't been paid to the lottery yet by retailers. The Arkansas lottery started selling tickets on Sept. 28, 2009, and has helped finance more than 30,000 Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarships during each of the past nine fiscal years. |
| U. of Florida student reports sexual assault, police say | |
 | A University of Florida student has reported that he or she was sexually battered on campus last month. An announcement about the allegation comes two weeks after another UF student was arrested on simple battery and false imprisonment charges following a report of attempted sexual battery. In the new case, a student reported the attack to a UF Campus Security Authority, according to a UF alert sent to students' emails by university police. A campus security authority is a designated person who is not a university police officer, but is available for students living on campus to approach with any safety concerns, said UF spokesman Steve Orlando. The sexual battery took place at about midnight on Aug. 21, the alert said. The student, who lives in Jennings Hall, told police he or she had been in a personal relationship with the male who is reported to have committed sexual battery. |
| U. of Kentucky sorority under investigation for alleged conduct violations | |
 | A University of Kentucky sorority is under investigation for alleged violations of the university's student code of conduct. UK spokesman Jay Blanton confirmed the investigation of Alpha Chi Omega Tuesday, but did not provide any further detail about the alleged violations. "At this time, they remain a registered student organization while the investigation is underway," Blanton said. "The organization will be provided due process prior to any findings or sanctions. When the process is complete, we can speak to its resolution and any sanctions that may be involved." Hazing and alcohol abuse within Greek organizations have been a constant worry for UK and many other universities in recent years. Last September, the national Alpha Tau Omega chapter dissolved its UK chapter following the death of a four-year-old boy who was struck by a vehicle allegedly driven by ATO pledge Jacob Heil. He is scheduled to stand trial in April on charges of reckless homicide and DUI. |
| Vanderbilt lecture: Actor Terry Crews hits on topics of masculinity and the #MeToo movement | |
 | Actor, activist and former NFL player Terry Crews recounted the time he was groped by a high-powered Hollywood agent at a party. He remembered the anger and urge to punch the man. He didn't act on his feelings, he said, because of a promise he made to his wife to steer clear of violence. Plus, who would believe him as a black male over a well-connected agent, he said. Instead, Crews explained to a packed audience Monday at Vanderbilt University's Langford Auditorium, he and his wife left the party. "I felt helpless," Crews said. Crews spoke on issues of masculinity and his experience with the #MeToo movement during the first lecture in Vanderbilt's annual Chancellor's Lecture Series. During the 2019 fall semester, six speakers at four other events will speak at the school. The list includes actor George Takei and author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Crews' conversation included childhood stories where he experienced violence and addiction. He said he battled his own addiction with pornography, which impacted his view of being a man and how to treat women. He carried unresolved issues into adulthood. Through his journey, he said, he needed to rethink what it meant to be a man. |
| Annual event at Texas A&M promotes suicide prevention, education | |
 | Texas A&M senior Natalia Suarez of Temple stood before a sea of small flames at Rudder Plaza on Tuesday and told the crowd of how her parents stood by her with open arms after she spoke to them about crippling depression and fear she felt early in her college career. "If there's anything you should take from me standing up here today, it should be that you should fight," Suarez stated. "You should fight for your life, because it can get better, and it will get better. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel. Don't be afraid to seek help, and don't be afraid to lean on your family and friends, because they love you and will always be there for you. With that I say, not another Aggie, and not another survivor." Suarez was one of hundreds who gathered on campus as part of "Not Another Aggie," an event sponsored by Texas A&M Counseling & Psychological Services to observe World Suicide Prevention Day, which was Tuesday. |
| Texas A&M dean to step down by mid-2020 | |
| Eleanor Green, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP, is ending a decade of service as dean of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine to join the policy and lobbying firm Animal Policy Group. Dr. Green was named a senior adviser and consultant effective immediately, and she will hold the Carl B. King deanship until her replacement is appointed. She is willing to stay at Texas A&M through June 2020, the lobbying firm reported. Animal Policy Group was founded by former litigator Mark Cushing, JD, and serves clients on a range of matters, from animal health issues and the Veterinary Nurse Initiative to veterinary school accreditation and the Veterinary Innovation Council. Dr. Green was appointed dean in 2009 and before that was a founding faculty member of the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. |
| Student veterans center of discussion at U. of Missouri mental health summit | |
 | For many student veterans, the switch from life in the military to life on campus can be difficult. Heidi Booth, a peer support specialist at Truman Veterans' Hospital, didn't know how she was going to make the adjustment after serving in the Army. "I was lost, and I was scared," she said. "I needed (to be around) veterans, but I didn't know where they were." It's a problem that MU and the veterans hospital tries to address by providing resources to help student veterans in the campus community. Part of that is the annual Mental Health Summit that was held Tuesday at the University of Missouri's Memorial Student Union. The summit featured panels on resources for student veterans both on and off campus. Topics included suicide prevention and future research on the student-veteran experience. At a panel focused on adjusting to civilian life and the struggles that returning service members face, David Hammer, a Vietnam War combat veteran and founder of All the Way Home, an organization aimed at helping veterans, talked about his experience with late-onset PTSD and how fellow veterans struggle with seeking help. |
| Trump administration acts on funding restrictions for religious HBCUs | |
 | President Trump said Tuesday that he planned to lift restrictions on capital financing funds for faith-based historically black colleges and seminaries. The announcement is the latest effort by the administration to demonstrate a special commitment to HBCUs, which have sought to cultivate close ties to the White House since Trump's election -- despite criticism from many of their supporters. It wasn't exactly clear, though, how many colleges, if any, had actually been denied federal funding over those restrictions. Trump said a Department of Justice opinion released this week declared restrictions on those funds unconstitutional -- a response to the Supreme Court's 2017 ruling in the Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer case, in which the court held denying funding to a religious school for secular purposes violated the First Amendment. He made the announcement at the National HBCU Week Conference in Washington, an event organized annually by the Department of Education. It wasn't exactly clear after the speech which, if any, colleges could receive new federal funding. |
| At Colleges, What's Old Is New: Retirees Living on Campus | |
 | College is a place to escape parental oversight for many new arrivals. But a growing trend on college campuses -- to place retirement homes near the dorms -- may one day prompt students to ask: "Is that grandma over there on the quad?" Mary Jane Karger and her husband, Tom, both 74, have put down a 10 percent deposit on a retirement community to be built on 40 acres of the 500-acre Purchase College campus, a former cattle farm that is now part of the State University of New York. Purchase is one of a growing number of colleges sponsoring retirement communities on campus or thinking about it. It is a marketer's dream, monetizing spare land, while milking the baby boom generation's affluence by appealing to their obsession with staying forever young. Arizona State University is working on a similar project on its campus in Tempe that is scheduled to open next spring. Its high-rise development of 252 apartments is nearly sold out. Other schools are following suit. |
| Betsy DeVos's Extraordinary Crackdown on Michigan State | |
| The $4.5 million fine for Michigan State University that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced last week is clear confirmation of one thing: The problems at MSU were not small and they were not the result of bad actors left to their own devices. The fine penalizes the university for failing to adequately protect students from sexual predators on staff and thus violating federal law. The punishment confirms, at least in the government's view, that the abuse at MSU was the result of systemic failures---massive ones. The fine is the result of an investigation DeVos opened into the public institution last February, just after Larry Nassar, a former sports doctor for MSU and USA Gymnastics, pleaded guilty to molesting more than 150 young women. The investigation into MSU is unusual not only because proactive probes are generally rare for the Office of Civil Rights, but also because DeVos has generally erred on the side of being hands-off with regard to enforcement of Title IX. |
| Legislature's look, leadership likely to change after election | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: The 2019 general election in terms of the Legislature are unlikely to significantly redistribute the partisan mathematics as Republicans appear likely to pick up at least a couple of net Senate seats. The House appears headed for no real changes to the present Republican majority. What will be different is the legislative leadership. While there is no indication that House Speaker Philip Gunn, the Republican who succeeded Democrat Billy McCoy of Rienzi in the leadership post in 2011, doesn't have the support to be returned to the post, that's about the only stability in the present legislative leadership. ... Over in the State Senate, two-term GOP Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is running for governor while State Senate President Pro Tempore Terry C. Burton stepped down from the post early in 2019 and did not seek re-election. Veteran Sen. Grey Tollison, R-Oxford, was elected to succeed Burton -- but that after he had announced his intention not to seek Senate re-election. There will be a new lieutenant governor and a new Senate president pro tempore leading that chamber in January in addition to a successor to Snowden in the House pro tem post. |
SPORTS
| 'I feel good': Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens updates injury status | |
| Three days removed from suffering a shoulder injury, Mississippi State senior quarterback Tommy Stevens addressed the media Tuesday evening after the Bulldogs' practice. Stevens was asked if he feels close to 100 percent healthy ahead of this week's game against Kansas State. "Yeah," Stevens responded. "I feel good, I feel good." Stevens would not say whether he was restricted in Tuesday's practice. Freshman Garrett Shrader made his collegiate debut in relief of Stevens last Saturday. He went 7-of-11 for 71 yards. Shrader concluded that he could have been better after watching his own film. "I thought I did fairly well for stepping in, but there's always plays you wish you had back," Shrader said. "I threw some balls behind some people, but I got it corrected and had a good practice today." Shrader said Mississippi State had its best Tuesday practice of the season as a team, just four days before what could be the first start of his career against Kansas State. |
| Finally healthy, Kylin Hill anchoring Mississippi State offensive explosion | |
| As Mississippi State junior running back Kylin Hill rolled around the turf, wincing in pain during last week's 38-15 win over Southern Mississippi, the crowd at Davis Wade Stadium held fast with bated breath. Just minutes earlier, starting quarterback Tommy Stevens was pulled from the game with an injury. Now it was Hill lying on the ground, audibly grimacing as he grasped his right ankle. After a short reprieve, he was helped to his feet and into the locker room the MSU training staff. A chorus of cowbells rang out in appreciation of his service. Hill was listed as questionable to return at half time. He quickly quelled those doubts as he took a handoff on the first play of the third quarter five yards to the MSU 25. In all, Hill finished the day with 127 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. "It happens, it's football -- it's a contact sport," he said postgame. "I went in there, got it looked and I was fine and I ran for more." Though injuries are always a lingering concern, Hill's importance to this year's Bulldog team through two games cannot be overstated. |
| Tommy Stevens the reason for offensive growth | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Logan Lowery writes: At a postgame press conference in the depths of Tiger Stadium last year, I witnessed a usually stoic Joe Moorhead left fuming by the performance of his offense. Mississippi State had just lost a 19-3 game to LSU in which its defense only allowed one touchdown on a 3-yard drive after the first of four interceptions thrown by Nick Fitzgerald that night. Fitzgerald completed just 8 of 24 passes for 59 yards in that game and Moorhead was frustrated and embarrassed that his offense -- which had a proven track record -- wasn't working the way he wanted it to. The offense remained inconsistent for much of Moorhead's first season, scoring seven or fewer points four times. MSU quarterbacks completed just 51.1 percent of their passes on the year and Fitzgerald had more carries (221) than the Bulldogs' top two tailbacks combined (Kylin Hill 117, Aeris Williams 85). However through two games this season, things seem to be much different. State has maintained balance between its running and passing game and new quarterback Tommy Stevens seems to have made all the difference. |
| Mississippi State football has found another legend in line with Dak | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Greatness of Mississippi collegiate football players over the years has been illustrated any number of ways. You can do it by citing their statistics, of course. You can do it by giving them trophies and retiring their numbers. But a simpler, more telling and enduring way exists that speaks to their greatness and the way their fan bases perceive their legacies. That is: You only have to use their first names and everyone knows who you are talking about. ... At Mississippi State, older fans know who Jackie (Parker) and Shorty (McWilliams) were and everybody knows Dak. Now, Mississippi State has another one who no doubt will be remembered by one name. He's Kylin, Kylin Hill from Columbus, and two weeks into the 2019 season, his junior year, he is about to become well-known around the nation. This guy is special. |
| Mississippi State men's basketball SEC schedule released | |
| The Mississippi State men's basketball team learned its 2019-2020 Southeastern Conference schedule Tuesday afternoon. MSU's 18-game conference grind features at least one matchup against the league's other 13 teams. The Bulldogs have home-and-home dates with five opponents, including in-state rival Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri and South Carolina. MSU opens its SEC slate by hosting Final Four participant Auburn Jan. 4, then goes on the road to face Alabama (Jan. 8) and LSU (Jan. 11). The Bulldogs then have three straight home contests against Missouri (Jan. 14), Georgia (Jan. 19) and Arkansas (Jan. 22). The first of two contests with rival Ole Miss is on Feb. 11 in Oxford. MSU closes with two road contests against Missouri (Feb. 29) and South Carolina (March 3) before hosting Ole Miss on March 7 in the regular season finale. |
| Mississippi State men's basketball SEC schedule analysis | |
| Southeastern Conference schedule-markers certainly did not make things easy for Mississippi State to start off the men's basketball slate this season. The Bulldogs begin the season at home on Jan. 4 but it's against Auburn, the only SEC team to reach the Final Four last season. Next up for MSU is back-to-back road trips to Alabama and defending SEC champion LSU. Ben Howland's bunch will also close out the regular season by playing five of their final eight games on the road at Ole Miss, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Missouri and South Carolina. The Bulldogs' home-and-home opponents are 2019 NCAA Tournament participant Ole Miss, NIT teams Alabama and Arkansas as well as Missouri and South Carolina. Unique this season is that the Bulldogs will be participating in the Big 12/ SEC Challenge for just the second time. Mississippi State travels to Oklahoma on Jan. 25, which is sandwiched between a home date with Arkansas and a road trip to Florida. |
| SEC teams expect road locker rooms to be lousy | |
| Georgia coach Kirby Smart was asked about opposing team locker rooms in the SEC, and he suddenly became a news editor. "Some of the SEC facilities on the road, y'all should go around and do a story on," Smart told reporters after the Bulldogs' practice Tuesday. "Because there's not very good locker rooms in the SEC on the road." The topic came up because LSU coach Ed Orgeron and some of the Tigers' players complained that their locker room at Texas' Darryl Royal Memorial Stadium did not have air conditioning. It was 103 degrees in Austin, Texas, this past Saturday. LSU still managed to win 45-38, however. Smart said that's basically status quo for the visiting team, especially in the SEC. "They're mostly the old '60s and '70s locker rooms from stadium to stadium," Smart said. "It'd be a nice little story. Some of the places that I've been to, and the dungeons you've been in. They're not high quality." |
| California passes bill allowing athletes to be paid for name, image and likeness | |
| In one of the most significant strikes against the National Collegiate Athletic Association's system of amateur athletics, California lawmakers have approved a bill that would allow players in the state to profit off their name, image and likeness. The adoption of the bill is likely to set up a battle between California lawmakers and the NCAA as the legislation heads to the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom for his anticipated signature. The association fiercely opposed the measure. NCAA President Mark Emmert went so far this summer as to insinuate that California institutions would be excluded from championship games if the bill was approved. A similar federal bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, a North Carolina Republican, earlier this year, would remove the NCAA's tax-exempt status if athletes were not allowed to profit off their name, image, and likeness. |
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