| Monday, September 16, 2019 |
| Mississippi State announces $27.9 million education grant | |
 | Three school districts and various students throughout the state will be assisted by a new $27.9 million grant awarded to Mississippi State University, according to a press release from the university. The school announced Sept. 6 that it received funding for its Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant program through the U.S. Department of Education. The application for the seven-year grant, designed to help low-income students pursue postsecondary education, was supported by U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker. Principal investigators for the grant are Carol Cutler White and Betsey Smith. White is an assistant professor in the MSU College of Education's Department of Educational Leadership, and Smith is the director of MSU's Research and Curriculum Unit. |
| Akropolis Reed Quintet to open Mississippi State's 2019-2020 Lyceum Series | |
 | Seven-time national prize-winning Akropolis Reed Quintet will open the upcoming season of Mississippi State's Lyceum Series. The quintet will perform Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. Doors open approximately 30 minutes before the curtain rises on all fall and spring performances in the Lyceum Series, MSU's long-running performing arts program. Billed as "America's premier reed quintet," the ensemble has been commended by Fanfare Magazine for its "imagination, infallible musicality and huge vitality." The group's style features dynamic melodies and tempo changes and showcases various instruments, such as bassoon and oboe. For additional MSU Lyceum Series information, contact the Center for Student Activities at 662-325-2930, visit lyceum.msstate.edu or email lyceum@msstate.edu. Contributions to the Lyceum Series can be made via the MSU Foundation by contacting Lynn Durr at 662-325-8918. |
| Theatre MSU unveils season, opens with 'The Magician's Nephew' | |
| Mississippi State's Theatre MSU debuts its new season this month with "The Magician's Nephew," a theatrical dramatization of one of C.S. Lewis's Narnia series classics. The Department of Communication's production division, Theatre MSU also is announcing this season's performances will include "Beowulf" and "Mamma Mia." All are slated for the McComas Hall main stage. Cody Stockstill, assistant professor and coordinator of the department's theater concentration, said these performances highlight the power and importance of human connection. "Whether it be friendship or familial connection, human connection is a vital aspect to everyone's life," Stockstill said. "Theater is about story, and we are really excited to share these familiar stories with the MSU and Golden Triangle communities." Beginning Sept. 25, "The Magician's Nephew"' opens with a matinee presentation for local school children. |
| Mississippi State's Community Music School to offer piano class for adult beginners | |
| Beginning Monday, Sept. 16 Mississippi State's Community Music School will offer a new series of 10 evening classes for adults interested in learning how to make music and play the piano at a relaxed pace. The one-hour Musical Moments Piano 1 sessions begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be taught by Jackie Edwards-Henry, professor of piano and coordinator of group piano in MSU's Department of Music. Only 10 spaces are available and will be filled on a first-come, first-reserved basis. Cost for the program is $225, which includes the method book. Adult beginners are defined as those who are 25 or older and have little to no prior experience with piano. Classes conclude on Nov. 25. All sessions will take place in the Piano Lab of Building C at the music department complex on Morrill Road. |
| Opening night for Ken Burns mini-series 'Country Music' at MSU Riley Center | |
 | It was a big Sunday night for Meridian to view the opening of the new Ken Burns mini-series "Country Music" at the MSU Riley Center. Meridian's deep connections to country music through Rodgers and other great singers and musicians inspired the Riley Center and the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience to host the premiere party. Meridian's deep connections to country music through Rodgers and other great singers and musicians inspired the Riley Center and the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience to host the premiere party. "This is a confirmation of what we all know. That the contributions of Jimmie Rodgers is seminal in the history of country music," says MSU Riley Center executive director Dr. Daniel Barnard. |
| Driverless vehicles could have a huge impact someday, but probably not anytime soon | |
 | Driverless vehicles could be the next really big business disruption in the U.S. There are some futuristic projections that by 2030, more people will use driverless taxis rather than owning their own cars, which could be less expensive while making finding a parking space no longer a big hassle. It could also cut the number of vehicles on the road, and hence reduce commute times and the need for highway expansions. Trucking could be impacted more by automated vehicle technology than any other industry, said Matthew Doude, associate director, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) at Mississippi State University. A lot of trucking is done on interstate highways and long stretches of road better suited to automating some driving tasks. But for the foreseeable future, automated vehicle technology is not expected to cost truckers their jobs. Doude said it is more likely that automation might help make up for the shortfall in drivers. |
| 2020 Destination Downtown Conference will be held in Starkville | |
| The 2020 Destination Downtown conference will be held in Starkville, Miss. on Sept. 9-11. The Main Street state coordinating programs from Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas are sponsoring the annual Destination Downtown conference, where over 200 Main Street directors, board members, architects, economic developers, planners, and public officials will meet to discuss the revitalization of the states' downtown areas. "We are so excited to be able to showcase all the great things going on in Starkville during next year's Destination Downtown event," says Thomas Gregory, state coordinator for the Mississippi Main Street Association. The conference will take place at The Mill Conference Center, which was designed around Starkville's historic cotton mill, built in 1902, and located between downtown Starkville and Mississippi State University. |
| Skate park, playground, pool renovations on Starkville Parks' improvement plan | |
| A variety of renovations and additions to local parks in the next few years are under consideration, including a skate park, a wheelchair-accessible playground, a new Moncrief Park pool house and the movement of Starkville's community garden from one park to another. Parks and Recreation Executive Director Gerry Logan presented a summary of planned and anticipated capital projects for the next three fiscal years, including how much money would be spent on each park and project, to the board of aldermen at a Friday work session. Aldermen will consider at Tuesday's meeting the designs for the additions of new restrooms at Moncrief Park, Patriot's Park and the J.L. King Park football field. The three projects will cost $130,000, according to Logan's presentation data. The board previously gave feedback on the designs of the renovations and will hopefully vote to approve them Tuesday, Mayor Lynn Spruill said. |
| Oktibbeha County FY 2020 budget shows rising property values | |
| Supervisors approved Oktibbeha County's $49.14 million budget Friday with no increase in property taxes for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, beginning Oct. 1. The decrease of more than $2.6 million from the current fiscal year's $51.78 million budget came largely from an almost $3 million drop in special revenue and agency funds, according to budget documents provided at the meeting. Special revenue funds pay for dedicated projects, while the general fund takes care of typical expenses. "The money that we had in our special revenue funds are now in infrastructure, an industrial park and a safe room," County Administrator Emily Garrard said. District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller considered recusing herself from the vote on the budget because she is the director of the Mississippi Horse Park. Board attorney Rob Roberson said Miller does not receive a direct benefit from the budget because she is an employee of Mississippi State University, which partners with the city and county to run the horse park. Additionally, Miller was allowed to vote on the budget because the board would lose its quorum if she recused herself, Starkville city attorney Chris Latimer said. |
| Flu shots don't have to wait for fall | |
| Flu shots don't have to wait for the weather to turn cool. "We started giving (flu shots) around Aug. 20," said Booneville family physician Dr. Erik Dukes. "I recommend everyone getting them unless they have allergies to the flu shot." Flu doesn't go away, although it does tend to be most active in the colder months. In Mississippi, flu season typically peaks in January or February. Some area clinics report they are seeing flu cases begin to bubble up. Tracking through the Mississippi State Department of Health's sentinel physician network shows the incidence of influenza-like illness at 1.6 percent of visits, slightly below the rate at this time last year. Flu shots reduce the risk of getting sick, but the protection isn't ironclad. If someone catches the flu after getting a flu shot, the illness tends to be less severe. Flu shots are a good first line of defense, but there are other steps to stay well and healthy through the sneezing season. "Handwashing is, of course, the first," Dukes said. |
| Vapes spiked with illegal drugs show dark side of CBD craze | |
 | Jay Jenkins says he hesitated when a buddy suggested they vape CBD. "It'll relax you," the friend assured. The vapor that Jenkins inhaled didn't relax him. After two puffs, he ended up in a coma. That's because what he was vaping didn't have any CBD, the suddenly popular compound extracted from the cannabis plant that marketers say can treat a range of ailments without getting users high. Instead, the oil was spiked with a powerful street drug. Some operators are cashing in on the CBD craze by substituting cheap and illegal synthetic marijuana for natural CBD in vapes and edibles such as gummy bears, an Associated Press investigation has found. The results of AP's lab testing echo what authorities have found, according to a survey of law enforcement agencies in all 50 states. At least 128 samples out of more than 350 tested by government labs in nine states, nearly all in the South, had synthetic marijuana in products marketed as CBD. Mississippi authorities also found fentanyl, the powerful opioid involved in about 30,000 overdose deaths last year. |
| When will it go away? Blue-green algae still lingering in Mississippi Sound | |
 | Blue-green algae is lingering in Coast waters far longer than expected after closure of the Bonnet Carre Spillway. When will it go away? Local scientists are now saying the Mississippi Sound will have to cool off before the algae dies, which means it could be around for another month or so. The water no longer looks green because the algae, a cynobacteria called mycrocystis, is not as concentrated. The algae put a damper on tourist season, costing hotels operators, restaurant owners and beach vendors. The kind of national publicity that tourism areas hope to avoid has accompanied the algae blooms, which has kept beachfront waterways closed since late June from state line to state line. Moby Solangi, a biologist who heads the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, believes it will take some time for the estuarine environment to stabilize from the Bonnet Carre opening. "We are going to still see it's after effects, maybe not as acute, until all that water is gone and mixed up," he said. |
| Ready to Run program aims to motivate women to run for office | |
 | Saturday women in the metro area were 'Ready to Run!' It's not a race... but a program geared toward preparing and educating women on the importance of running for office. People gathered at Millsaps College for the training program that covers the importance of multiple topics. Fundraising, positioning for elected office, navigating the political party structure, and the nuts and bolts of organizing a campaign. So what is the main goal behind ready to run? It's to inspire and motivate women to consider becoming more involved as political advocates. "Especially in Mississippi it is important that we recognize programs like this for women to run and give them a place where they can find themselves," said Shaniya Moore, a student at Mississippi State University minoring in political science. "I always had a goal of wanting to run for office one day so I came today so I could soak in as much information as I can." |
| Continuous growth expected for state's economy | |
 | Mississippi is experiencing relatively small yet continuous growth in its economy. That's according to Darrin Webb- the state economist. At a legislative budget hearing Friday, he tells lawmakers the economy grew by one percent last year. This year, he says, it could be slightly less than that. "We think this year we're going to be slightly below that primarily because of the flooding. We think the flooding that's taking place probably shaved three-tenths of our growth off of this year's growth," said Webb. However, next year, Webb is projecting a 1.2 percent growth in the state's economy. Webb says it's too soon to speak on the state's revenue and how much money lawmakers will have to spend. But, he says, it's two months into the fiscal year and the revenue is up. |
| Agency seeks to shorten lines at driver's license offices | |
| The head of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety told lawmakers Friday that his agency is working to reduce long waiting times at driver's license offices. Commissioner Marshall Fisher said the department has increased the starting salaries for driver's license examiners from $21,000 to $25,000 and is hiring more people to fill the jobs. The department has also started a "wait anywhere" test project, letting people go online to schedule appointments for driver's license testing at six offices -- two each in the northern, central and southern parts of the state. Fisher was among the agency directors invited to speak Friday to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Top lawmakers are starting to look at spending requests for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Wildlife officials said they want money to renovate outdated facilities at state parks. Education officials said they want to hire more literacy coaches. Community college officials are requesting money to enhance career technical education. |
| Sen. Sally Doty works with state budget committee | |
 | A Brookhaven attorney is one of two dozen members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee who will help decide the size of the checks various agencies will receive for Fiscal Year 2021. Sen. Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, is in her fourth year on the committee, which heard spending requests Friday at the Woolfolk state building near the Capitol in Jackson from education officials and leaders of the Division of Medicaid, the state Supreme Court and the departments of public safety and wildlife, fisheries and parks. Doty said the committee will face increase requests of more than $877 million for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1. These are increases over the budget amounts that were appropriated last year, she said. Two years ago, the committee held multiple-day meetings for agencies to parade through on a float of budget requests. Now they only hear from those agencies requesting a "sizeable increase" in their appropriations, Doty said. |
| MDE asks for a budget increase, citing more success to be had for public ed | |
 | State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright and state school board chairman Dr. Jason Dean met with the Legislative Budget Committee Friday to layout their asks for FY 2021. Wright said they've made progress with what they've been given. Literacy efforts have produced results statewide, but the latest teacher pay raise has actually created a complication for that program. Many will remember that MDE miscounted the number of teachers during the 2019 legislative session causing an $18.5 million discrepancy in the legislative appropriations process. "Literacy coaches have left their jobs to go back to their school districts because the teacher pay raise gives them more money than being a literacy coach," said Wright. "Part of the increase of funds that MDE is asking for is to increase the pay for literacy coaches." Mississippi is now reporting the highest graduation rate ever for the state, near the national average. |
| Analysis: Lt. governor hopefuls open to Medicaid expansion | |
| The two candidates running for Mississippi lieutenant governor engaged in a civil discussion about Medicaid expansion and other issues during a televised statewide debate. The 30-minute forum Thursday evening will probably be the only chance for many voters to do a side-by-side comparison of the nominees. Democrat Jay Hughes of Oxford is a first-term state representative, and Republican Delbert Hosemann of Jackson is in his third term as secretary of state. During the debate at the WJTV studio in Jackson, Hughes and Hosemann were asked whether they think Mississippi should expand Medicaid to low-income working people. Under the federal health overhaul that then-President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010, states have the option of expanding coverage to people who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level. Mississippi is among the 14 states that have not taken the expansion option. Hughes said unequivocally that he supports a plan proposed by the Mississippi Hospital Association, called Mississippi Cares. Hosemann praised the hospitals but warned that Mississippi should be cautious. |
| William Carey to host Secretary of State candidate forum | |
 | William Carey University in Hattiesburg will host the two candidates for Mississippi Secretary of State on Oct. 3 in forum free and open to the public. The Democratic nominee, former Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree, and the Republican nominee, State Sen. Michael Watson, will have a chance to discuss their positions and answer questions in the Thomas Fine Arts Auditorium at 4 p.m. The general election will be held on Nov. 5. The forum is hosted by the Mississippi Coast Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society, William Carey and the Gulf Coast Business Council. William Carey Provost Dr. Scott Hummel said the university is honored to co-host the forum. "Democracies depend on an informed electorate. We're pleased that both candidates are willing to speak directly to voters during a non-partisan, public event. Universities also play an important role in exposing their students to different viewpoints. This kind of experience helps students, who are also voters, to think critically and evaluate ideas," Hummel said. |
| Trump's Dorian Tweet Whips Up a Fight Over a Science Powerhouse | |
 | On Friday morning in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., government scientists in khakis and sensible shoes bustled to work --- beneath a towering bronze sculpture of a hand releasing seabirds -- heading for a small scientific agency caught up in a political mess triggered by President Trump's tweet about Hurricane Dorian. One of the arriving employees was Neil Jacobs, the head of the agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "We're under investigation," a weary looking Dr. Jacobs said, a large messenger bag slung over his shoulder. "I can't talk." The investigations are examining an attack on the independence of an agency that, despite its enormous importance to the United States economy, typically flies well below the radar. That changed in recent weeks when meteorologists working for NOAA corrected Mr. Trump on Twitter after he inaccurately described Hurricane Dorian's path. The president then ordered the agency to support his version of events, triggering a political clash. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is hardly a household name, yet it plays a significant role in modern life. |
| As states legalize marijuana, pesticides may be a blind spot | |
 | People who consume marijuana medically or recreationally may be exposing themselves to unknown health risks from toxic pesticides. The EPA would ordinarily evaluate pesticide safety but has never done so for marijuana because the plant is illegal under federal law. So, states with legalized marijuana industries have been tasking newly created cannabis regulators, health officials and others with setting testing standards for pesticide residues present on the plant. Now, state pesticide officials, who normally assure that EPA guidance is followed, as well as former career EPA staff, academics and environmental groups, say that without the federal guidance, marijuana users could be exposed to unknown harms. "Frankly, we don't know," said Rose Kachadoorian, president of the Association of American Pesticide Control Officials and pesticide program manager for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. "We don't have the data. That's why you have to have pesticide regulators step back and find out what might be a level that is not constituting risk." |
| UAW begins national strike against GM with show of strength in Flint | |
| An estimated 1,200 Flint Assembly workers streamed out of the plant along Van Slyke Avenue in their cars at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, marking the beginning of the UAW's first national strike since 2007. The autoworkers, cheered by a large crowd of labor supporters, turned toward the UAW Local 598 union hall down the street to pick up picket signs. They lined street that snakes around the plant that builds the popular Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. Horns honked as union members from throughout the region arrived in Flint, the birthplace of GM and a key spot in UAW history. In fact, cars blocked Van Slyke completely as the now-striking workers left the plant. The strike comes against the backdrop of a federal corruption investigation that has implicated union President Gary Jones and his predecessor, Dennis Williams. |
| GM strike 2019: United Auto workers walk out from Tennessee plant | |
 | When the clock struck 11 p.m., workers on the third shift at the General Motors plant in Spring Hill quietly walked out the doors. Under the silence and stars, GM workers held strike signs along U.S. Highway 31 at the gates of the historic mansion outside the property and the two plant entrances. Despite relatively low traffic, cars honked in support of those waving signs and chanting "strike for what's right." United Auto Workers Union Local 1853 president Mike Herron ushered in the strike process at midnight after catching a flight back from Detroit, Michigan, where negotiation talks failed between GM and the UAW. GM Spring Hill has about 3,600 employees in Maury County, including 398 salaried positions and 2,630 hourly workers. Earlier this year, GM revealed the Cadillac XT6 SUV would be manufactured at the plant. |
| The W a best value, according to national rankings | |
| Mississippi University for Women has been recognized again as a top public Southern regional university, according to multiple national rankings. U.S. News & World Report released its rankings Sept. 9, showing The W No. 5 as a best value among public Southern regional universities and 18th among best public regional universities in the South. "Our students have long recognized that The W is a best value and one of the best public regional universities. It is great that we continue to be recognized with these national rankings. Student debt is a critical issue, so we are pleased that our students have the lowest median amount of debt at graduation for Regional Universities in the South," said President Nora Miller. The W also appeared in U.S. News' Public Best Undergraduate Teaching Regional Universities-South ranking tied at No. 13. |
| Enrollment numbers to be released in November | |
 | Enrollment data for the 2019-2020 school year will not be released until November, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning announced Friday afternoon in a press release. Preliminary enrollment figures have traditionally been released in mid-September, but are being delayed this year so that the IHL can have a more complete data set of students actually enrolled across Mississippi campuses. "As students continue to work through the admissions and financial aid processes on our respective campuses in order to complete the enrollment process, these numbers will change," Alfred Rankins Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education said. When IHL announced preliminary enrollment data in September of 2018, the final tally across the University of Mississippi's regional campuses and medical school was 23,358. Final fall enrollment for the 2018-19 school year was 23,090, which is 268 students fewer (1.15%) than the original figure. |
| Dan Rather shares war stories, observations in Hattiesburg | |
 | Legendary journalist Dan Rather welcomed a trip back to Mississippi, where he lived for two years, covering the burgeoning civil rights movement in 1962-63 and the work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rather left Mississippi following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963, but said his time in the state was transformational. "It changed me as a person and it changed me as a professional," he said. "Keep in mind that I grew up in Texas in a segregated society with institutionalized racism. I came out of that environment to see the raw face of violent racism, sometimes lethal racism." The former CBS Evening News anchor was in Hattiesburg with his wife Jean on Thursday to talk about his experiences as a war correspondent for the Lt. Col. John H. Dale Distinguished Lecture in International Security and Global Policy series. |
| Delta State University to celebrate 94th anniversary | |
| Delta State University will honor the institution's 94th anniversary with a ceremony Monday at noon at the Lena Roberts Sillers Chapel. The event will recognize the town-and-gown theme and honor the memories of MaryAnn Davis and Rebecca Austin, two individuals chosen by the Dedicated Statesmen Association. The Dedicated Statesmen Association is a group that unites those who retired after serving with Delta State and friends of Delta State who have supported the school. "We're trying to honor (Davis and Austin) for their service," said Dr. James Robinson, professor emeritus of history at Delta State University. Robinson said Davis and Austin didn't attend Delta State but supported the school tremendously and were recognized with numerous awards for doing so. "They did everything for everybody," Robinson said. "Just on and on and on in the community. Help people, make a program look attractive with flowers and things like that. It was my idea because I love them both so much that when we voted, there was no opposition" |
| William Carey University, Millsaps College form teacher preparation partnership | |
| In an effort to prepare future teachers, William Carey University and Millsaps College have agreed to a new partnership that will enable Millsaps students to earn teacher licensure after graduation. Participating Millsaps students will complete teacher preparation coursework and student teaching through William Carey University during their senior year and, if they meet all licensure requirements, will be recommended by William Carey University to the Mississippi Department of Education for licensure. Participants will then be eligible for full-time employment as teachers, and may pursue a Master's in Education in the Art of Teaching through William Carey University. Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, president of Millsaps College, believes the partnership represents an opportunity for the two institutions to blend their strengths for the benefit of education in the state. |
| Former U. of Alabama student pleads guilty to helping al Qaeda | |
 | A young woman accused of attempting to provide support and resources to terrorist organization al Qaeda has pleaded guilty to concealment of terrorism financing. Alaa Mohd Abusaad, a former University of Alabama student, entered her guilty plea in federal court in Tuscaloosa on Friday, according to a joint announcement by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Jay Town and Birmingham's FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. According to authorities, Abusaad instructed a female undercover FBI informant how to send money to the mujahedeen -- fighters engaged in jihad -- saying money was always needed. "You can't have a war without weapons," Abusaad told the informant. "You can't prepare a soldier without equipment." Federal records said the investigation began in February 2018 when Abusaad was introduced to the informant by another person. At that point, according to the criminal complaint, Abusaad and the informant began communicating through a mobile messaging app. |
| Auburn University trustees consider enrollment cap at 25,000 | |
 | Auburn University soon could be placing a cap on enrollment of undergraduate students at 25,000 if approved by the board of trustees. The revision was discussed by Provost Bill Hardgrave during the trustees' Thursday work session, but no action was taken at the board's regular meeting Friday. Auburn University has changed drastically since 1856, when it was founded as East Alabama Male College. Student developments line the once-quaint downtown, fans flock to SEC football games and traffic clogs the streets. In 1856, enrollment at East Alabama Male College was 80 students. The university reached double digits in the 1871-72 school year. Also in 1872, the school changed its name to Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama. The university, however, is now discussing placing a cap of 25,000 undergraduate students, which is close to the current undergraduate enrollment. Hardgrave addressed the board and asked it to look at reviewing, revising or replacing policy C-2, which is a policy looking at enrollment targets. "So the plan is ... to stop our growth at 25,000 undergrads," he said. "Again, we're about there now." |
| 4-year-old intercity trail a path toward future in NW Arkansas | |
| The Razorback Greenway just turned 4 years old and is changing the way Northwest Arkansans live 1 mile at a time. The trail extends more than 37 miles north to south from south of Mercy Way in Bella Vista to Town Branch Trail in south Fayetteville. The greenway connects six downtowns, three hospitals, 23 schools, the University of Arkansas, and the Walmart, J.B. Hunt and Tyson corporate offices, according to Elizabeth Bowen, Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission project manager. The path also provides access to entertainment venues, shopping areas, historic sites, parks, playgrounds, lakes and neighborhoods. The greenway cost $30 million to develop and was paid for with a $15 million federal grant and a $15 million matching grant from the Walton Family Foundation. The greenway is also influencing the region's economy, said Mervin Jebaraj, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas. "Probably one of the most significant impacts has been how much it has made bicycling in Northwest Arkansas an important economic activity -- so much so that people are coming here from other parts of the country," Jebaraj said. |
| UGA to expand Innovation District | |
 | The next phase of the University of Georgia's Innovation District is advancing. The University System of Georgia's Board of Regents recently approved the renovation of the Spring Street Building, which will be transformed into a creative and dynamic space to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry engagement at UGA. The $4.4 million project is expected to conclude by January 2021 through the support of private donations. "First and foremost, we are grateful to the chancellor and the Board of Regents for supporting this critical next step in the development of UGA's Innovation District," said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. "This exciting project will provide a unique space at the heart of North Campus and downtown Athens, where faculty, students, industry partners and community members can collaborate, innovate and develop solutions to real-world problems." Last year, UGA ranked first among 193 U.S. institutions for the number of commercial products reaching the market, according to a survey released by the nonprofit AUTM, which tracks technology transfer. |
| Brumby Hall renovations ongoing at UGA | |
| Last year, Russell Hall, a dorm on the University of Georgia's campus got a makeover. This year, Brumby Hall, Russell's next door neighbor will get a new look. Brumby Hall is set to reopen in Fall 2020, according to UGA. Since Brumby Hall is closed, some first year students are living in East Campus Village and University Village apartment communities. Brumby Hall was originally an all female dorm when it was built in 1966. After it reopens, it will become home to about 940 first-year students. UGA requires first-year students to live on campus. Chris Johnson, a fourth year mechanical engineering major from Atlanta, lived at Brumby his first year of college. Even though he didn't pick Brumby as his top dorm choice, he notes that the experience was a positive one. "The community was fantastic. I met all my best friends in Brumby. They are really tight, really close to me," Johnson said. The people one meets in their dorm their first year could be their friends all throughout college. Dorms like Russell, Brumby, and Creswell are known for being the hotspot dorms for socializing. However, they are also known for having the dreaded community bathrooms. Johnson notes that the community bathrooms in Brumby could use some renovating. |
| Texas A&M telehealth program to aid in sex assault exams | |
 | Texas A&M College of Nursing is starting the state's first telehealth video conferencing program to connect sexual assault nurse examiners to physicians in rural areas. The program -- which the Texas Attorney General's office selected A&M to begin -- will be developed and implemented over the next two years, with $1 million in funds provided through the Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing. Certified SANEs will join a videoconference to assist the nurses in rural areas when they need to conduct forensic medical exams on sexual assault survivors. In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 71 to establish the program. This month, Stacey Mitchell, director of the Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing and clinical associate professor, officially started plans for the program. Within the next year, A&M will select two pilot sites in areas that lack nurses with forensic backgrounds. The college's forensic nursing team will bring on three new staff members and 10 SANEs to help with the program. |
| States passing laws to protect college students' free speech | |
 | Free speech advocates were enraged when Middlebury College students in 2017 drowned out a planned talk by the author Charles Murray, whose writings many consider racist. The students' chants prevented Murray from speaking. Some protesters surrounded and jumped on his car after he was ushered out of the lecture hall. Conservative lawmakers, academics and other observers pointed to that incident and several similar shout-downs of other controversial speakers at various campuses as proof that college administrators needed to beef up their free expression policies. Lawmakers, mainly Republicans, from states all over the country have subsequently intervened in matters of free speech in academe by proposing and helping to pass legislation that makes clear students can't interfere with the speech of their peers or of visitors on campus. Civil liberties advocates say states are likely to keep adopting such legislation, especially leading up to and following the 2020 presidential election, when political demonstrations will likely heat up on campuses. They are concerned that some of the proposed laws may be too prescriptive, particularly those that force colleges to carry out certain mandatory punishments for free speech infractions. |
| Why fewer people are using the GI Bill | |
| After years of growth, the number of people using the Post-9/11 GI Bill has now fallen substantially for each of the past two fiscal years, federal data indicates. About 54,000 fewer people used the GI Bill in fiscal 2018 -- a 7 percent decline from fiscal 2017, which was itself down about 7 percent from fiscal 2016's GI Bill enrollment total, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Officials from veterans service organizations and some of the schools that enroll the greatest numbers of GI Bill users said they're not overly concerned about the falling GI Bill usage -- at least not yet. "It's something that we just ought to watch," said Keith Hauk, an associate vice president at University of Maryland Global Campus, a public institution formerly called University of Maryland University College. "It's a little bit too early, after only two years of watching this unfold, [to say] that it's time to be alarmed, because I don't think it is." |
| UW Madison has received less than 1 percent of $100M Foxconn pledge | |
| Last August, Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn pledged $100 million to the University of Wisconsin at Madison, promising to build a research campus by 2020 and a facility for the College of Engineering, where the company and UW faculty and students would collaborate on "trailblazing" interdisciplinary research in technology, engineering and the sciences. But more than one year since the partnership to develop the Foxconn Institute of Research in Science and Technology (FIRST) was announced, the company and university's ambitious promise appears unrealistic. The university has only received $700,000, though the original timeline for the $100 million gift, plus a matching $100 million from UW Madison, was set at five years, John Lucas, assistant vice chancellor of UW Madison communications confirmed in an email. Foxconn has been criticized for not following through on other development promises to the state. In 2017, one year before Walker's re-election bid, Foxconn agreed to build a $10 billion manufacturing plant, which the company, Wisconsin state officials and even President Trump originally promised would bring 13,000 blue-collar jobs to the state. Ever since, the project has been a source of political turmoil. |
| Welding Won't Make You Rich: Is a lucrative college-free job too good to be true? | |
| A few years ago, a strange phenomenon began to appear in polls that asked Americans for their opinions about higher education: People's responses suddenly started to diverge along partisan lines. Democrats have continued to describe higher education as a mostly positive force in American life, but Republicans' opinions of college, beginning around 2015, took a sharp turn toward the negative. This shift didn't come out of nowhere. Conservative politicians and media figures have in recent years been making a sustained and often vociferous public case against higher education. Instead of college, their argument often goes, young Americans should pursue a career in the skilled trades. And there is one trade that gets held up more than any other as an example of the opportunities awaiting those who shun college: welding. |
| Preying catching on in Washington, D.C. | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: Let us prey. No, not "pray," but "prey," like in prey upon the poor, elderly, ignorant, and ordinary citizens. More preying of this sort seems to be an in thing in Washington these days. ... And don't forget the general inaction from DC that enables the unscrupulous to prey on children, the elderly, and the ignorant via Internet, email, social media, and telephone scams and pornographic solicitations. Hmmm, scary stuff. Then there's Ezekiel 34:29 where the Lord God pledges to free His people from those who prey on them. "They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid." |
| Frontage road probe: Pittman uniquely qualified to consider ethics issues involving road project from Reeves' neighborhood | |
| Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: Edwin Lloyd Pittman is among a handful of Mississippians to have served in elected office in all three branches of state government -- judicial, legislative and executive. He also is one of two retired justices on the Mississippi Supreme asked by Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood to review the report his office conducted on the $2 million frontage road that was planned to provide easier access to busy state Highway 25 in Rankin County from Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' gated neighborhood. Hood released the report Wednesday. ... Whether you agree with him or not, Pittman, now 84 and long ago retired from his last position in state government as chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, is uniquely qualified to comment on the frontage road controversy. |
SPORTS
| RIP: Billy Stacy, Hall of Fame football player, but you never would have learned it from him | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: When you hear "Drew, Miss.," and "quarterback" in the same sentence, you think Archie Manning. Right? Yes, of course. Billy Stacy understood. "I was that other quarterback born in Drew," he once told me during a round of golf. Stacy, an All-American quarterback at Mississippi State and an All-Pro defensive back in the NFL, died Tuesday at his home in Starkville following a long illness. He was 83. And if you met him, you know you never would have learned about his athletic achievements from him. Says former Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton, who grew up a Billy Stacy fan in Starkville, "He was as humble a guy as you would ever know to have achieved all he achieved." |
| Rebels, Bulldogs seek to regain momentum in Week 4 | |
| If Northeast Mississippi's SEC football teams carried momentum into this past weekend, it's hard to say they will carry much into Week 4. Kansas State scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter -- one on a 100-yard kickoff return -- to come from behind and defeat Mississippi State 31-24 in Starkville on Saturday. Ole Miss won 40-29 against Southeastern Louisiana in Oxford, but Rebels coach Matt Luke wasn't happy with many aspects of his team's play. The Bulldogs and Rebels were both coming off big Week 3 wins, MSU against Southern Mississippi and Ole Miss against Arkansas. The Bulldogs open SEC play Saturday at Kentucky in a 3 p.m. start that will air on the SEC Network. |
| 'We're not a moral victories team anymore:' Kentucky eager to make up for loss | |
| Kentucky's final five possessions in a 29-21 loss to Florida would fit into a solid horror script: turnover on downs, punt, interception, missed field goal, interception. That UK began the fourth quarter with a 21-10 lead made its inability to capitalize down the stretch all the more distressing. The Cats were oh-so close to building their first win streak against the Gators in more than 40 years, only to come up short. On one hand, losing by a single-digit margin to the No. 9 team in America could be interpreted as a sign of progress. UK in its seven previous games against top-10 teams under Mark Stoops lost each time by a double-digit score and by an average of 24.9 points; its closest defeats were by 14 points, to No. 7 Louisville (27-13 in 2013) and No. 1 Mississippi State (45-31 in 2014). On the other hand... "First thing's first, we're not a moral victories team anymore," said junior Drake Jackson, who made his 23rd consecutive start at center. "We can't settle for that that." |
| Mississippi State football: Why Kentucky game now matters more | |
 | Mississippi State is already a step behind in 2019. In Joe Moorhead's first season as the Bulldogs' head coach, he was 3-0 entering conference play and eventually won eight games, tied for the most wins in program history for a coach in his inaugural year at Mississippi State. A season later, Moorhead is 2-1. His Bulldogs just lost to a Kansas State team that they beat 31-10 on the road last season. And now they face a Kentucky team they lost to last year, 28-7. Another loss to the UK Wildcats could send emotions in Starkville spiraling out of control faster than when freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader spun through the air during his infamous 15-yard run on fourth-and-16 against Kansas State on Saturday. |
| Bulldogs to compete in Greater Victoria Invitational | |
 | Mississippi State women's basketball finalized its 2019-20 schedule Thursday with the announcement of the Greater Victoria Invitational presented by the City of Langford on Nov. 28-30. The Bulldogs are a part of an eight-team field that consists of Stanford, Syracuse, Green Bay, Houston, Bowling Green, San Francisco and Cal Baptist. The tournament is in its second season, with the first edition being played out in Vancouver last year as the Vancouver Showcase. The games will be played at the CARSA Performance Gym on the University of Victoria campus. State opens the tournament at 3:30 p.m. CT on Nov. 28 against San Francisco. MSU will also compete in the Duel in the Desert tournament, opening with South Florida before taking on either Virginia or UNLV. |
| Dak carves up Redskins | |
| Dak Prescott probably could have kept running -- maybe all the way to the end zone. Instead, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback stiff-armed Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman to put an exclamation point on his longest run of the game. Prescott spent Sunday afternoon carving up the Redskins' defense with his arms and legs to the tune of 26 of 30 passing for 269 yards and three touchdowns and 69 yards rushing in a 31-21 Cowboys victory to improve to 2-0. "If Dak could run the ball well and he can pass the ball well like he showed today, how can you prepare for us," wide receiver Amari Cooper asked. "We as a team can run the ball well and pass the ball well. It's hard to prepare for that." A week after putting up a perfect 158.3 QB rating, Prescott responded from an interception to lead Dallas on consecutive touchdown drives of 97, 83 and 75 yards. At one point, he completed 18 consecutive passes. |
| Auburn Board of Trustees approves initiation of 'Football Performance Center' | |
| Auburn's dream of a football-specific facility took a step closer to becoming reality on Friday. The university's Board of Trustees unanimously voted to approve the initiation of a "Football Performance Center" project on campus during its meeting Friday morning at the AU Hotel. The approval came following a presentation by associate vice president for facilities Dan King, with athletics director Allen Greene also in attendance, a little more than three months after the Board of Trustees asked then-Auburn president Steven Leath on June 7 to form a committee to explore the construction of such a facility. The Board of Trustees also granted final approval for $9.2 million in renovations to the east-side suites at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The project is expected to be paid for using athletics department funding -- through university general revenue bonds -- and donations from boosters, as well as a $2 million donation pledged last year by head coach Gus Malzahn and his wife Kristi. |
| Razorback Foundation sells acres near I-49 donated by Dallas Cowboys owner, gets $6M | |
| Land previously donated by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to the Razorback Foundation has been sold for $6 million, according to deed records. The Northwest Arkansas Business Journal first reported the transaction, which involves property in southwest Fayetteville west of South Cato Springs Road and near the Interstate 49 intersection. The Razorback Foundation is the nonprofit organization that supports University of Arkansas, Fayetteville athletics. The foundation and the university in January 2015 announced the Jones gift of about 256 acres. A warranty deed filed Sept. 4 lists the buyer of about 230 acres as South Cato Springs Holdings, LLC, an Arkansas-based entity. "Right now, there's no definite plans. We're looking at that as a future place for development," said Ashton McCombs, who is listed in mortgage records for the site. Jones, a UA alumnus who was a captain for the undefeated 1964 Razorbacks football team, and his wife, Gene, donated the land in 2015 shortly after it was acquired. |
| Costly practice, questionable benefit: The cost of home-game hotel rooms | |
 | Many of the nation's top college football teams, including the University of Missouri Tigers, spend tens of thousands of dollars a year lodging their players in hotels the night before every game played in their own home towns. The practice, defended by some schools as a necessary expense, was criticized by others as a waste of money. A reporter filed public records requests with 109 public universities competing in college football's top echelon, the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. Of the 101 schools that fulfilled the requests, 93 booked hotel rooms ahead of home football games, records show. All together, they spent $4.91 million on home-game hotel rooms in 2018 -- or a median of $44,000 per team -- though some said they use donations to defray costs. Most teams played five to seven home games each year. The average was $8,200 per game on rooms alone. MU, which lodges its players at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel on Lemone Industrial Boulevard, spent $39,145 -- an average of $5,592 per game -- for the seven home games of 2018. That's the least among the 13 SEC public universities. Texas A&M University shelled out the most. |
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