| Tuesday, September 24, 2019 |
| Appropriation announced for UAS Center of Excellence | |
 | With $12 million heading its way, the National Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems will continue to work on drone safety and regulation. Appropriations were announced by the office of Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, bringing $24 million to UAS research, including $12 million to the center. The announcement came along with several other grants and appropriations across the state Thursday. Mississippi State University serves as the manager of the center and the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE). ASSURE is composed of several partner universities in the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada and Israel. Executive Director Stephen "Lux" Luxion said the $12 million was around the center's usual funding. Luxion said some of the center's current projects with the FAA involved collision studies and coming up with regulations for commercial drones potentially operating in urban airspace. |
| Northeast Mississippi school districts receive $3.75M federal education grant | |
 | Four school districts in Northeast Mississippi will continue to receive portions of a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education to promote STEM courses in rural classrooms. Houston School District, Pontotoc County School District, Aberdeen School District, Booneville School District and eight other school district located throughout the state are the recipients of the grant, which is funded through Education Innovation and Research Program. These twelve total school district make up the Mississippi Public School Consortium for Educational Access. The Consortium is designed to provide science, technology, engineering and math courses to public school districts in rural, high-poverty communities. The program also allows the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Jackson State University, and Millsaps College to host academic campus that the students can attend. |
| $3.75 million to help provide STEM courses to rural, high-poverty communities | |
 | Almost $4 million in funds will help give Mississippi students access to STEM courses. The $3.75 million grant, which is from the U.S. Department of Education, will support the Mississippi Public School Consortium for Education Access. The Consortium, which is made up of 12 school districts in rural and high-poverty communities, provides high school students with access to advanced STEM courses. The Consortium is in its third year of operation and has served students in 12 school districts, including Aberdeen, Booneville, Houston and Pontotoc County. Ole Miss and Mississippi State University are among universities involved in the project. |
| Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Thompson, and Guest Announce $3.75 Million for 12 Mississippi School Districts | |
 | U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Congressmen Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Michael Guest, R-Miss., on Monday announced a $3.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the Mississippi Public School Consortium for Educational Access. The Consortium, comprised of 12 school districts in rural, high-poverty communities, provides high school students with access to advanced science, technology, engineering, and math courses. "This funding will give more Mississippi students access to the advanced coursework they need to achieve their full potential," Wicker said. "All students deserve the same educational opportunities regardless of where they live." The University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Jackson State University, and Millsaps College are among the universities involved in the project. |
| Mississippi Press Association director: Newspaper industry is 'very much alive' | |
 | Layne Bruce used to cover the Starkville Rotary Club when he was a reporter at the Starkville Daily News and the club had its weekly meetings at the Holiday Inn. On Monday at the Starkville Country Club, as the Rotary's guest speaker and the Mississippi Press Association executive director, Bruce spent about a half-hour addressing "the elephant in the room," he said. "Are newspapers dying? And if they're not dying, how are they surviving in this age of everything digital?" he said. "The fact is, the newspaper business is very much alive in Mississippi. In fact, it's very much alive everywhere." The digital age has created challenges for a variety of industries, but journalists "spend more time thinking and talking about them than other industries do," he said. Bruce grew up in West Point, studied journalism and communication at Mississippi State University and worked for the Daily Times Leader in his hometown before he became a Starkville Daily News reporter. He joined MPA as the marketing director in 2006 and became executive director the following year. |
| Armstrong part of statewide middle school pilot program | |
| Armstrong Middle School has been named as one of 20 middle schools across Mississippi in a new pilot program from the Mississippi Department of Education. Last week, the school was named one of the participants in the Middle School Initiative 2020 Pilot. The pilot, known as Middle School a LAB for Success, seeks to help develop middle school teachers and leaders to develop the whole child. It will encompass a yearlong set of professional learning activities, along with meetings for teachers and leaders to collaborate on problems hindering middle school student success. Superintendent Eddie Peasant, who has a background as a middle school administrator was among the members of the statewide task force that developed the plan. The pilot was developed over the course of two years. He said it was important for more professional development to focus on those teaching middle school, rather than middle school educators completing professional development along with high school or elementary school educators. |
| Sizzlin' September: Even for Mississippi, heat streak out of the ordinary | |
 | Even for Mississippi, this is getting ridiculous. With one week remaining, September in the Jackson area has been among the hottest ever recorded and it follows an upward trend from recent years that scientists believe is just the beginning. As of Monday, the first day of fall, there hadn't been a day where the high dipped below 89 degrees. In fact, there hadn't been a high under 95 degrees for 15 days this month. So far, this September has been one of the hottest in more than 120 years, ever since the National Weather Service began tracking weather back in 1898, said Anna Wolverton, a meteorologist with the Jackson office of the NWS. While the average historical high for the month is about 86 degrees, so far this month, the average high has been 95 degrees. And unfortunately, there's no immediate relief on the way, according to next week's forecast. |
| Democratic nominee for AG questions party unity, prompting Jim Hood to respond | |
 | Democratic nominee for Attorney General Jennifer Riley Collins raises questions about support within her own party ahead of the November general election. She first commented on this in a social media post last week. "We are stronger together," said Riley-Collins. "Again, this is the strongest Democratic ticket but it's based on the experience that's on the ticket. So, again, as I'm supportive of General Hood, it would be my hope that General Hood would be supportive of all the candidates on the ticket in line with the rule." It's a section of the Democratic party constitution specific to the certification of candidates. That section references pledging to support candidacy of all party nominees at all levels running in the same general election. And Monday, Jim Hood answered: "I met with the directors of every division in the Attorney General's Office last week to prepare for the transition to the next attorney general, whoever that may be. I asked them to draft memos addressing the duties of each of their divisions so that the next attorney general will be well prepared. I hold my staff in the highest regard, and have great respect for the institution. I don't want any actions of mine to reflect negatively on them or affect their futures. That's why I'm focused solely on my own race for governor. My dad gave me an important piece of advice the first time I ran for office in 1995: 'Work hard in your own race and stay out of everybody else's.' I plan to stick by that advice during this election." |
| Lieutenant governor candidate Jay Hughes makes campaign stop in Hattiesburg | |
 | Candidates for statewide offices continue to campaign across the state as we get closer to Mississippi's general election in November. On Monday, Jay Hughes, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, was touring the Pine Belt. His first stop was at the Children's Center for Communication and Development at the University of Southern Mississippi. Hughes toured the facility on the USM campus and shared his plans for education and healthcare with supporters. "It all starts with education. It's something I've been saying for years, and that means educating ourselves about what we are voting for, because this is going to be an election that makes a difference on education, healthcare, roads and bridges, mental illness and addiction," said Hughes. Hughes' tour of Hattiesburg also included the DuBard School for Language Disorders, Forrest General Hospital and Clinic and an evening meeting with young voters on the USM campus. Hughes is facing Republican candidate Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann in the general election on Nov. 5. |
| Mississippi abortions spike despite years of restricting access by Legislature | |
| Abortion rates hit a record low across the nation in 2017, decreasing in every state except seven -- including Mississippi, which saw abortion rates increase by 13 percent since 2014, according to a new report. Going back to 2011, the state's abortion rate increased by 16 percent -- one of only six states to see an increase during that time period, despite the passage of multiple laws restricting abortion access. The increase is relatively small -- 2,550 abortions in 2017 compared to 2,220 in 2011 -- according to the report released this week by the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research group that tracks abortion trends, access and legislation across the country. Due in part to the low number of total abortions and the state's small population, Mississippi's abortion rate remains one of the lowest in the country at 4.3 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44. Notably, when compared to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention abortion statistics, the numbers tell a different story. Overall, when counting abortions performed in and out of the state, fewer Mississippians had abortions in 2015 compared to 2011, tracking with U.S trends overall. |
| Republican lawmakers scramble to contain Ukraine whistleblower fallout | |
 | Senate Republicans are scrambling to contain the political fallout from reports that President Trump pressured a foreign leader to investigate his leading Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Several Republican lawmakers have called on Trump to reveal more details from his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which the president on Sunday acknowledged discussing Biden and his possible links to corruption in Ukraine. This effort comes as some Democrats in the House are ramping up their calls for a vote on an impeachment inquiry. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced on the Senate floor Monday afternoon that Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is trying to bring the Trump-appointed intelligence community's inspector general who received a complaint from a whistleblower before his panel to investigate the matter. But McConnell cautioned his colleagues to handle the issue with bipartisan cooperation and refrain from some of the political fireworks that have erupted in the House over the complaint. |
| 'Seismic change': Democratic hold-outs rush toward impeachment | |
 | Speaker Nancy Pelosi and party leaders are ramping up their offensive against President Donald Trump for pressuring Ukrainian officials to investigate Joe Biden -- with a potential House vote on a resolution condemning Trump as the caucus edges toward impeachment. Pelosi spent all weekend and Monday working the phones, including reaching out to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, as she sought to take the temperature of the caucus on impeachment. She's set to meet with the six committee chairmen investigating Trump on Tuesday afternoon to discuss Democrats' next steps. Pelosi is expected to make a statement on the issue Tuesday and has seemed more open to the idea of an impeachment investigation than ever before, according to lawmakers and aides. Democratic leaders now view a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday featuring Trump's top intelligence official -- as well as a deadline that day for the State Department to turn over related documents potentially implicating the president and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani -- as the deciding factor over whether to move forward with impeachment proceedings. |
| Trump Administration To End 'Catch And Release' Immigration Policy, Says DHS Chief | |
 | The Trump administration will no longer allow migrant families apprehended at the border to enter the U.S. under the immigration policy commonly known as "catch and release." The policy change was announced Monday by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. "With some humanitarian and medical exceptions, DHS will no longer be releasing family units from Border Patrol Stations into the interior," McAleenan said in his prepared remarks. "This means that for family units, the largest demographic by volume arriving at the border this year, the court-mandated practice of catch and release due to the inability of DHS to complete immigration proceedings with families detained together in custody -- will have been mitigated." McAleenan said the end of "catch and release" is a reaction, in part, to the record number of 144,000 migrants apprehended or encountered at the southern border in May. He said that 72% were unaccompanied children or families. |
| Progressive group to spend $50M boosting Sun Belt turnout | |
 | While many Democrats are focused on winning back several Rust Belt states that backed President Donald Trump in 2016, a progressive group plans to spend $50 million to make sure the party doesn't overlook opportunities in the Sun Belt. The group, Way to Win, will focus much of their effort on helping Democrats in states including Georgia, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina, where the party hopes to make inroads with people of color, women and young people. The group's leaders will outline their plans at a donor retreat in Arizona on Monday. An advance copy of their blueprint provided to The Associated Press details an effort focused less on top-level races than building infrastructure that could help up and down the ballot -- and for years to come. Their task will be difficult to achieve. Democrats haven't carried some of these states at the presidential level in decades and have had only limited success in statewide races. In some places, the party's organization is suffering from years of neglect as Republicans have solidified their grip on power. |
| Egypt planned to arrest a New York Times reporter. The Trump administration reportedly wanted to let it happen. | |
 | In late 2017, the New York Times received an urgent warning from a U.S. official. Egyptian authorities were looking to arrest Declan Walsh, the newspaper's reporter in Cairo, according to its publisher. It's not unusual for a large media organization to get tipped off about threats to its journalists overseas, particularly those reporting on authoritarian governments. But what was striking is what the official said next: The Trump administration had tried to keep the warning about Walsh from ever reaching the Times. Officials "intended to sit on the information and let the arrest be carried out," Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger wrote in an opinion column on Monday. This incident, described publicly by Sulzberger for the first time in a talk at Brown University earlier on Monday, adds a chilling new episode to the administration's trend of attacking the press and diminishing the rights of journalists as they come under threat around the globe, the publisher wrote. |
| 'All I wanted to do was fix him or help him': Twin brother's suicide leads to outreach | |
| Lee Ingram becomes more animated, gesturing with his hands and throwing his head back in a laugh when he talks about his late twin brother, Ben. "He was an incredibly brilliant, smart, creative, charismatic. His humor was like no one else's. He could make you genuinely laugh, like, from your belly, and he had so much just witty humor and so many positive qualities," Lee said. "I've been missing his laugh a lot lately because I forget sometimes. It was a cackle. Like, you could get him going and he would literally just erupt...that's something I'll definitely always miss. Since he's been gone, I've not even heard another genuine laugh like that in a long time." Ben died by suicide in 2017. He was 23. After his brother's death, Lee said he's made it his mission to encourage college students to seek mental health. "You have to overcome that stigma that 'Hey, I'm going to walk into the counseling center on campus' but do it. If you're struggling, you're struggling. Do it," Lee said. "A lot of young people experience those same feelings of, in college especially, isolation, and struggling to find out what your identity is, what are you going to do with your life, careers, making friends, managing your own mental health, academics, all those things come together and it's like (Ben) got himself on his own little island." |
| Cutting-Edge Research Facility to Open in Days at UMMC | |
 | Dr. Gailen Marshall is medical director of the new Clinical Research and Trial Unit at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He's explaining how two of the units 22 hospital rooms are designed to accommodate severely obese patients. "There's a rack to be able to move them if they're not mobile and that movement can actually go a shower and bathroom facility," said Marshall. Marshall says researchers will conduct cutting-edge studies and experiment with treatments for people with illnesses that range from asthma and diabetes to rare forms of cancer. He says Mississippians experience more severe illnesses than people in other parts of the country. "It seems to be unique components of these illnesses for our citizens. They're more likely to develop these, they're more likely to be severe. They're more likely to use more medications and sadly in some instances, they're more likely to die from these illnesses," said Marshall. says their research will study why that's the case and what can be done about it. |
| UGA law school creates First Amendment clinic | |
 | The University of Georgia School of Law will create a First Amendment Clinic thanks to a $900,000 gift from the Stanton Foundation, an organization established by former television broadcasting executive Frank Stanton. The clinic will support First Amendment rights by focusing on regional cases involving free speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly and petition. It will also enhance law students' understanding of the First Amendment and serve as a resource for organizations, students, journalists and citizens defending and advancing First Amendment issues. "The law school community is excited about this partnership, which will not only support the First Amendment, but also give our law students the chance to protect the rights of individuals and to raise civic awareness in communities throughout the Southeast as they learn how to navigate cases and assist clients so they will be effective lawyers after graduation," said School of Law Dean Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge. A nationwide search has been launched to identify a director for the new clinic. |
| Texas A&M exhibits thousands of bird specimens | |
 | In the wake of last week's announcement that the number of birds in America have declined 29 percent in little more than a decade, a Texas A&M department has opened an exhibit to introduce the public to many bird species. Texas A&M's Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections launched an exhibit last week at the SEAD Gallery in Bryan that allows the public to view collections of bird specimens and for patrons to expand their knowledge about birds in Texas and all over the world. The exhibit, Vitality: The Art and Science of an Ornithology Collection, opened Thursday evening with a reception at the SEAD Gallery. The Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections is maintained by faculty and staff of A&M's department of wildlife and fisheries sciences. Gary Voelker, a professor and the curator of birds for the department, said that the department houses approximately 26,000 bird specimens. He said A&M has the only active ornithology collection in Texas. |
| Texas A&M Agrilife conducting research on disease found in cattle | |
| Bovine Respiratory Disease or BRD is a common disease in cattle and if untreated, can lead to death. Sarah Capik is an Assistant Professor of Ruminant Animal Health with Texas A&M Agrilife. Sarah recently received a $465,000 grant from the USDA to run a research project so that producers can improve the overall health of their herds. Capik and her research group will focus on two major factors. She said they will study the impact of vaccinating cattle preweaning against BRD pathogens. And also the impact of marketing strategies on BRD risk. Texas A&M Agrilife will partner with other organizations on the project, more specifically with Kansas State University and Mississippi State University. Mississippi State is assisting by providing eighty-four calves each spring for the next three years. They will begin the research at birth. |
| Appeals court: U. of Michigan bias team could chill free speech | |
 | A federal appeals court ruled Monday that the University of Michigan could be dampening free speech on campus by allowing a group that helps students who have experienced potentially prejudicial acts to operate at the institution. Speech First, a Washington, D.C.-based civil liberties watchdog, sued Michigan last year, asking for an injunction to halt the activities of the university's Bias Response Team, which helps investigate incidents deemed racist, sexist, hostile to LGBTQ students or otherwise offensive to certain groups of people. Similar teams are common at other colleges and universities, but their functions vary. Speech First claimed in its lawsuit that the Bias Response Team is illegal because it could potentially deter students from making statements or engaging in protests that some on campus might find offensive but might be protected under the First Amendment. |
| Student activists at UNC Chapel Hill create text alert system to warn of presence of racist groups | |
| In the latest example of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's continuing struggle with race relations, student activists at the state's flagship institution have launched a text alert system that warns recipients when racist groups come on or near the campus. Students and other advocates who took part in the protests against Silent Sam, the controversial Confederate monument that once stood in the center of the campus but was torn down last year, believe university officials have failed to keep them apprised of the activities of potentially dangerous white nationalists who have either appeared on Chapel Hill grounds or on the fringes of the university. On at least one occasion, the leader of such an organization was able to walk on campus openly carrying a gun, which is illegal in North Carolina, and was not arrested or charged. "They have done absolutely nothing," Lindsay Aylin, the graduate student and activist who devised the alert system, said of Chapel Hill administrators. |
| US universities see decline in students from China | |
| After a decade of booming enrollment by students from China, American universities are starting to see steep declines as political tensions between the two countries cut into a major source of tuition revenue. Several universities have reported drops of one-fifth or more this fall in the number of new students from China. To adapt, some schools are stepping up recruiting in other parts of the world and working to hold on to their share of students from China. University administrators and observers say trade conflicts and U.S. concerns about the security risks posed by visiting Chinese students appear to be accelerating a trend driven also by growing international competition, visa complications and the development of China's own higher education system. |
| New Report on Academic Freedom and China | |
| "Obstacles to Excellence: Academic Freedom and China's Quest for World-Class Universities," a new report from the Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Monitoring Project, focuses on restrictions on academic freedom both within mainland China and with regards to Chinese university collaborations with foreign institutions. The report outlines a range of tactics imposed by Chinese government and university authorities to "intimidate, silence and punish academics and students" within mainland China, including: "limits on internet access, libraries and publication imports that impair research and learning; orders to ban discussion and research on topics the Party-state deems controversial; surveillance and monitoring of academic activity that result in loss of position and self-censorship; travel restrictions that disrupt the flow of ideas across borders; and the use of detentions, prosecutions and other coercive tactics to retaliate against and constrain critical inquiry and expression." |
| Congressional report the place to start with Mississippi brain drain | |
 | Consultant and columnist Phil Hardwick writes for the Mississippi Business Journal: Brain Drain, as it is now called, is not a recent phenomenon. It was mentioned by candidate Bill Waller in his successful campaign for Governor in June 1971. He referred to it as "talent drain." What is new is how some states and communities are addressing it. The first place to get up-to-speed is a Congressional report, "Losing Our Minds: Brain Drain across the United States," United States Joint Economic Committee Report dated April 24, 2019. Some highlights -- The report measured brain drain in each state. It examined those who left states and those who stayed. It defined a highly educated "leaver" as someone in the top third of the national education distribution who resides in a state other than their birth state between the ages of 31 and 40. The report presented the data in terms of gross brain drain and net brain drain. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State quarterback Garrett Shrader selected SEC Freshman of the Week | |
| Mississippi State quarterback Garrett Shrader was selected as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week for his stellar play in the win over Kentucky. Shrader completed 17 of 22 passes for 180 yards and one interception and also led the team in rushing with 125 yards on 11 attempts. He is the first signal caller in school history to rush and pass for over 100 yards in their first career start. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder from Charlotte, N.C. is the first MSU player to be named SEC Freshman of the Week since Leo Lewis in 2016 and first Bulldog quarterback since Tyler Russell in 2010. He is the first true freshman quarterback at MSU to ever claim the honor. |
| Mississippi State's QB situation remains uncertain | |
| Mississippi State's quarterback situation remains very much a mystery as the Bulldogs begin preparing to play at No. 7 Auburn this week. An injury to Tommy Stevens' right throwing shoulder has hampered the senior for the past three games and kept him out entirely last week against Kentucky. "We anticipate him coming back and practicing on Tuesday but we'll just have to see where it goes," MSU coach Joe Moorhead told reporters on Monday. "If Tommy's not able to go then Garrett (Shrader) will be the starter." Shrader, a true freshman, has filled in during Stevens' absence and completed 28 of 45 passes for 302 yards and one interception while also rushing 30 times for 223 yards and one touchdown. |
| 'A fluid situation': Mississippi State quarterback circumstances still muddled | |
| There seems to be two certainties with Mississippi State football in 2019: running back Kylin Hill hurdling hapless defenders and the starter at quarterback being unknown until game day. Head coach Joe Moorhead didn't have a solid update on the state of Tommy Stevens' shoulder injury. He said Stevens will return to practice Tuesday, but that's not a strong indicator of whether he'll be ready to play Saturday against Auburn (4-0, 1-0 SEC), ranked No. 7 in the Amway Coaches Poll. Stevens reportedly practiced throughout last week but ultimately missed Mississippi State's (3-1, 1-0 SEC) game against Kentucky. Moorhead said Stevens' ailment shifted in scope throughout the week. "I know I mentioned last week on Monday that at that point he was better than he was the week before, but what I didn't clarify was that it was a different mechanism," Moorhead said. "It was still an upper-body injury, but it was a little bit different than he had the week before. As the week went on, he just wasn't able to go." |
| NOTEBOOK: Mississippi State's Kylin Hill proving to be one of nation's best | |
| The top rusher in the Southeastern Conference's this season resides at Mississippi State. Kylin Hill leads the league in nine different categories including rushing yards (551), yards per carry (6.1) and rushing touchdowns (five). Hill has eclipsed 100 yards on the ground in each of the Bulldogs' four games this season and has 20 runs of 10-plus yards, both of which leads the country. "Kylin's just done an unbelievable job with his preparation heading into the season, both mentally and physically," said MSU coach Joe Moorhead. "It's as much mental as it is physical where he can wear you down by his style of running. A lot of that is the will to instead of the skill to." The 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior from Columbus is quickly approaching his rushing totals from last season. |
| School spirit: US colleges pave the road to success in track | |
| Nobody would think of asking Jamaicans, Kenyans or other winners to play "The Star-Spangled Banner" if they capture a gold medal at world championships next week. Maybe their school's fight song would be better. When it comes to producing champions at the highest level of track and other Olympic sports, U.S. colleges have every bit as big an impact as training systems in many an athlete's home country. Anderson Peters holds Grenada's national record in the javelin throw and is also the NCAA champion out of Mississippi State. "I think it's done a lot for me," Peters said of the leap of faith he took when he enrolled in American college. "The facility is for sure 100% better than the facilities I had at home. The coaching staff, the treatment that I've been getting on my body has been pretty good. It really helps." |
| Impressive Auburn defense swears it still hasn't reached its ceiling | |
 | K.J. Britt sat his battle-bruised body down in a chair under the stadium at Kyle Field -- moments after corralling Texas A&M, after stifling 100,000 strong, and after helping push Auburn to a perfect 4-0. He was asked right there Saturday if his defense's stout performance was as good as it could get. "Nah," the junior middle linebacker shook his head right away. "Not even close." Auburn is second in the SEC in rushing defense so far this season, going into this Saturday's game against Mississippi State set for 6 p.m. in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Last Saturday, the Tigers held Texas A&M to its third-lowest point total under Jimbo Fisher, just three first-half points, and just 10 points through the first 54 minutes of the game before the Aggies scored 10 late as the Tigers were dropping back to prevent quick scoring. |
| Hilinski's Hope bringing mental health awareness to Ole Miss Athletics | |
| They lost their son to a battle that no one knew he was even going through, and now, Mark and Kym Hilinski are doing their best to make sure no one else has to experience that same pain and loss. A sophomore starting quarterback at Washington State, Tyler Hilinski was found dead in his apartment in January 2018. The cause of death was found to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Hilinski took his own life at just 21 years old. The Hilinskis now spend their lives traveling the country, raising awareness and funds for mental health issues, specifically among athletes. That mission brought them to Ole Miss this week. For Kym, this daily effort is her "why" for getting out of bed every morning. Raising awareness of the issues her middle son suffered from behind closed doors, with none of his loved ones ever knowing. Wednesday, the two spoke to the entire Ole Miss athletics department about Tyler and adjacent issues of mental health. |
| South Carolina newspaper apologizes for Hilinski headline | |
| The State, a newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, has apologized for its main headline on the front of its Sunday morning sports section. The headline for the coverage of South Carolina's 34-14 loss at Missouri was "Hilinski's Hope Sinks." That was in reference to South Carolina freshman QB Ryan Hilinski. "Hilinski's Hope" is also the name of the nonprofit organization the QB's family started after his brother Tyler, a Washington State quarterback, took his own life after the 2017 season. The paper made its apology in a series of tweets Sunday morning after the headline was rightfully criticized. The State also explained the process behind the headline's creation in a later series of tweets and said the copy editor based in Charlotte was not making a reference to the nonprofit when the headline for the print edition was created. Even with The State's apology and explanation, the South Carolina football program released a statement blasting the headline as "unprofessional and irresponsible journalism." |
| Former Ole Mss QB Jevan Snead mourned | |
| Jevan Snead went to Ole Miss to rekindle a promising football career that stalled at Texas. By the time he left the Rebels, still with a year of eligibility, he ranked among the most prolific passers in school history. Snead was found dead in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night by officers responding to a call about a deceased person near downtown. He was 32. A police spokeswoman said the death was not considered suspicious. "I loved Jevan," former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said Monday. "He had a great work ethic, great attitude and would do anything for his teammates. He was such a tough guy and had some of his best moments in the biggest games ... We had two great years together." Snead earned his degree and skipped his senior season to enter the 2010 NFL draft, but wasn't selected. He signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay but was later cut. "He had his heart set on being an NFL quarterback," Nutt said. "I really thought he would make it if he got in the right team." |
| Ex-Jackson State athlete accuses JSU of paying football players, other violations | |
 | An ex-Jackson State University football player accused the Tigers' athletic program of misconduct after his current university ruled him ineligible to play. Emmanuel Olenga, a student at Tennessee State University, made the allegations Friday on Twitter in posts that have since been deleted. The Tennessean reported that TSU had asked the NCAA to investigate a possible violation of transfer guidelines. It's unclear what the possible transfer violation could be -- or mean for TSU and JSU. Jackson State and Olenga declined to comment Monday. In a series of tweets, Olenga accused the university of paying football players and paying teachers to give athletes passing grades. TSU athletics director Teresa Phillips confirmed the school reported the possible violation to the NCAA and offered no further comment, the Tennessean reported. Dennis Driscoll, JSU's associate athletic director for sports media, said Monday the school had no comment. |
| At Little Rock TD Club, Hogs' AD Hunter Yurachek addresses nonconference misstep | |
| For the second year in a row, Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek spoke at the Little Rock Touchdown Club after a Razorbacks' nonconference loss. Yurachek appeared in Little Rock last year two days after Arkansas lost to North Texas 44-17 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. On Monday, Yurachek was back in the capital city speaking two days after the Razorbacks fell to San Jose State 31-24. The Razorbacks, who gave San Jose State $1.5 million to play Saturday's game, could not overcome quarterback Nick Starkel's five interceptions and the Spartans' 503 yards of offense. Similar to a year ago in Little Rock, Yurachek said he was disappointed in the Razorbacks' performance. But he admitted the loss to the Spartans was worse for him. "That was a game we should have won," Yurachek said. "We had better talent. We should have won. Quite honestly, we took a step backwards. We did not get better. The fact of the matter is, right now as a football program at the University of Arkansas, we are not good enough that we can't go out every Saturday and not give our best and expect that we're going to win. We're just not good enough." |
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